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"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear,
slow to speak, slow to wrath."
(James 1:19)
John Maxwell has probably forgotten more about leadership than I will ever learn. His books and other content are a wealth of knowledge on the subject. He has an oft-quoted statement that goes like this: "Everything rises and falls on leadership." At the core of every successful family, church, business, or sports team is an effective leader. I think some people are born leaders, while others are self-taught. Natural leaders just innately know how to step up and give direction, and people naturally gravitate toward them and follow them. Other leaders (including me) have to learn and develop their leadership skills over the years.
One leadership tool that I highly recommend to you is the simple act of listening. In our biblical text for today, James teaches us that we are to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Unfortunately, we usually do just the opposite! We are usually slow to listen but very quick to speak our minds when the best thing to do as a leader would be to remember that God gave each of us two ears and one mouth.
You have to admit, the following title is catchy and grabs your attention: "5 Things Younger Leaders Can't Stand about Older Leaders," by Carey Nieuwhof. Based on a survey of over 900 young leaders, Nieuwhof lists five things that drive younger leaders up the wall when it comes to older leaders. (You can read the article here.) I read this article with interest because I am in my 50s, and at Great Hills Baptist Church, we have members of our staff team that are in their 20s and 30s. One complaint given by a younger leader in Nieuwhof's survey went like this: "Not forward thinking, not engaging the next generation, not adventurous." When you fail to listen, you fail to engage. Plain and simple. Everyone wants to be heard. Even if you as the leader decide not to go with someone's suggestion, you at least need to take the time to listen and learn.
Mark Hogan owns his own financial investment firm, Snowden Lane Partners, in San Antonio. He is a fine Christian man and knows a thing or two about leadership. He graduated from West Point, and I have much respect for him. (He serves as the vice chairman of an executive board on which I am currently serving as the chairman.) He and I were talking this week about having our sons work for us. His son works for him in San Antonio, and one of my sons works on our staff here at Great Hills Baptist Church. We talked about how cool it is to work with our sons, and we both agreed that we can learn from them. Mark put it well, "Sometimes they are simply right." I know this runs both ways, and older leaders get very upset with young leaders for a host of reasons. But while most are quick to admit that the younger gen can learn from the older, I think it is very important to stress that the older can also learn much from the younger. That is, if we listen to them!
I am practicing what I am teaching today. My son asked me to address the grand topic of leadership. I listened to him and decided to act on his recommendation, and as a result, this week's devotions on leadership were born.
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