I wonder if rejection is a prerequisite for leadership?
Are there any leaders, ones that people voluntarily follow, that don't know the sting of denial. It's likely the primary pathway God uses to humble and break those who walk arrogantly.
Some of the greatest leaders I know did not enjoy favour with everyone around them:
1. Jesus, the greatest leader of all times, was forsaken by the very people he loved and embraced.
2. The apostle Paul, culture shaper extraordinaire, had to remind the people in the churches he founded that he was "the good guy" when facing opposition from false teachers.
3. Even my mentors, every one, could call up a long list of people who misunderstood or wrongly accused them.
Why is rejection important for a leader? Because it has potential to accomplish two things: it can draw us into a life of submission, confession, and humility before the Saviour; or it can drive us to dig in our heels a little deeper, clench our fists a little tighter, and curse those who curse us.
So, if you want to lead then you might want to get ready for rejection. Rejection hurts but it's not as important as what you do once you've been spurned. For what you do will determine the kind of leader you become.
2 comments:
Does it not stand to reason that most leaders should at first be rejected? If one's only ambition is to get out in front and lead people in the direction that they were already going, he/she is too egocentric to be readily accepted. On the other hand if one sees problems with where things are going and trys to lead in a different direction people will naturally resist change. Is the best leader then not one who has had difficulty in life, and has changed his/her direction even when that meant walking alone? It is only when people see that this is working for him/her, and they see that what they are doing in their own life is not working, that they will begin to follow.
Perhaps a definition of leadership is also necessary. We often consider a person a leader when they have a position of authority, and/or they are popular, such as a president or a pastor for instance. However does that really make you a leader? Is a leader not better defined as one who has followers? Jesus was a leader as he has millions of followers even two thousand years after he lived. In that sense was Ghandi? People revered him greatly for what he did, but does he have followers duplicating his life today?
Bruce,
Thanks for your good insights.
I agree with that famous statement, "without followers, leaders are just out for a walk"
I think spiritual leaders walk a fine line between listening to God and spending time with wise counselors. To neglect both is certain disaster. To neglect one against the other can also lead down some dangerous roads.
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