A Leadership Crisis most often results in a Crisis of Confidence

Leadership crisis are created when leaders fail to deliver as promised and or they promise more than their gifting and or character can deliver.

Example: As Much as I dislike saying it George W. Bush and the republican party

We are all painfully aware of the Leadership crisis in our present political arena. A far greater crises of confidence looms on the horizon. A crisis that negatively affects the body Body of Christ, the church. This crisis of confidence is being brought on by leaders who are driven by narrow minded pettiness. Leaders who desire to exercise unscriptural control over the lives of those under their leadership.

I am out and about bumping elbows with both leaders and laity and there is a ground swell of resentment building against those leaders who are committed to unbiblical leadership principles. In many congregations the crisis of confidence has reached the boiling point. Godly leaders and lay persons alike are seething and frothing with anger and disgust toward those leaders who are seeking excessive control over their congregations. Leaders who are undisciplined and void in their understanding of leadership principles spend much of their time trying to cover up their small time pettiness. They are never satisfied with either the lifestyle or the performance of those around them. They are constantly placing others under a microscope while they themselves live in glass houses. The rumblings of discontentment against unbiblical leadership styles are being heard through the church of Jesus Christ. Who do we blame for these rumblings of discontentment.

Leaders who practice and promote unbiblical leadership styles built upon unbiblical leadership principles are constantly pointing the finger at those around them. Some leaders have mastered the art of blame shifting in an attempt to hide behind the fig leaf aprons of unbiblical leadership styles and their failure to model the gospel to those who they are attempting to lead.

We as leaders must face up to the issue of the crisis of confidence we have created. We must not, no we cannot blame others for our failure to maintain our integrity by deviating from biblical leadership principles. We are the leaders and we are responsible for any and all crisis of confidence that are being manifest throughout the church world. We, as leaders have only ourselves to blame because we have blundered through our leadership responsibilities under the guise of being led by the Spirit. But we have forgotten that God's Spirit and God's Word are one and the same. We are not being Spirit led in our leadership roles when our leadership styles are in clear violation of the Word of God.

An insightful educator once said, "More is caught than taught." It's certainly true for those in leadership. Those who we attempt to lead "catch" our example and attitudes much quicker than what we teach and tell them. Put simply, as biblical leaders, we are a models whether we like it or not. The responsibility to model biblical leadership principles comes with the call to leadership. Followers watch how leaders act or react and then follow their examples.

Leaders who are accusing those around them of being disloyal, undisciplined, rebellious and sinful should probably take a long insightful look into the mirror of the word of God. What we see in others is often a good indicator of what God is seeing in us.

Isa 3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

There are three indicators in this scripture that bear comment

A. They which lead you cause you to err
B. Children are their oppressors. Children represent:(immature leaders who are unaware of biblical leadership principles)

Eze 45:8 In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes (leaders) shall no more oppress my people; and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according to their tribes.

C. Women(Perverted leadership)rule over them.
American Heritage Dictionary definition of perverted: Perverted is Deviation from what is considered right and correct

As a general principle: When people fail to follow it is a good indication that someone is failing to lead.

The best definition of Leadership I have ever run across is as follows.
Leadership is defined best as the ability to influence.

Before we attempt to lead we should make sure that we have influence with the ones we are trying to lead.

Good leaders are developed not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an biblical principled leader. Good biblical principled leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience.

To inspire those whom we seek to lead into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things we must be, know, and, do.

These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual work and study. Good biblical principled leaders are continually working and studying the Word of God to improve their leadership skills; they are NOT resting on their laurels.

Good Biblical Principled Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership
attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills.

Although our leadership positions gives us the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in our churches and organizations, this power does not make us leaders...it simply makes us bosses.

Godly Leadership principles differ in that they induce the followers to want to achieve high goals, rather than simply being bossed around by those who do not understand the principles of real biblical spiritual leadership.

As a Biblical Principled Leader, we need to interact with our followers, peers, seniors, and others, whose support we need in order to accomplish our objectives.

To gain their support, we must be able to understand and motivate them.

To understand and motivate people, we must know human nature. Human nature is the common qualities of all human beings. People behave according to certain principles of human nature. These principles govern our behavior.

Good biblical principled leaders are able to get people to trust them. When someone trust's us they are more apt to buy into our vision.

Using biblically principled leadership tools described in the Word of God and above all being honest and fair in all we do will provide us with the ammo we need to gain the trust of those we seek to lead.

To sell others on our vision, we need to possess energy and display a positive attitude that is contagious. People want a strong vision of where they are going. No one wants to be stuck in a dead-end church going nowhere...or a church headed in the wrong direction. People want to be involved with the vision of a Godly leader.

Involved people are the ones who will get us to the goals we aspire to achieve. We cannot fulfill our dreams and bring our vision to reality alone, we must involve others!

Crisis of confidence are created by leaders who abandon biblical leadership principles. These leaders have lost sight of the big picture and have condescended to the level of engaging themselves in petty arguments with individuals who are applying single brush strokes in the formation of the big picture.

Biblical principled Leaders do not and must not command excellence. They nurture and build excellence. Excellence is "being all you can be" within the bounds of doing what is right for our churches and organizations.

To achieve excellence we must first be a leader of good character. We must do everything we are supposed to do. An organizations will not achieve excellence by figuring out where it wants to go, then having unprincipled leaders do whatever they have to in order to get the job done, and then hope their leaders acted with good character.

This type of thinking is backwards. Pursuing excellence should not be confused with accomplishing a job or task. Leaders who are undisciplined in biblical principles are often forced to do what is called backward planning. Backward planning is the implementation of some preventative measure because of past failure. Excellence cannot be achieved by backwards planning.

Excellence starts with the determination to be the best biblical principled leader possible. Leaders who seek to develop and to maintain a biblical standard of excellence which engages them in the entire process of leadership. And the first step in the process is being and or becoming a person of impeccable character.

A leader's a man who commands much respect, But due to the natures of all,
He's only as good as the image he casts. In the mirror that hangs on the wall.
He usually sees what he wants, and no more, He's afraid to look deep in his soul.
He doesn't consider himself as at fault, But wants others to help reach his goal.
When failures arise he blames it on all Who failed to help or take part,
"They never did what they were told," he would say,"they haven't the skill or the art."
What kind of a leader are you going to be - the kind who thinks he is the best?
Or will you be one of the very few greats Who attributes success to the rest.

If you are feeling like people are backing off and losing interest in the vision you have cast for your church or organization take a long deep and insightful look in the mirror that hangs on the wall. Are you seeing what you want to see or are you looking deep in the soul. Will you consider that you are likely at fault or will you pass the buck and say "They never did what they were told,"

Crisis of Confidence in your leadership, enjoy it, after all it is your creation.

One man's opinion

Are there other opinions on this subject? Lets hear them.

Portions of this article are taken from the following
Ridley, M. (2003). Nature Via Nurture New York: Harper Collins.
U.S. Army Handbook (1973). Military Leadership.
[Tags: character values beliefs ]