One key indicator of good leadership is to look at a leader’s family. This may be a matter of personal opinion, but I believe a leader is only as good as the success of the followers of the person leading. I personally believe the greatest leadership calling for any of us is in our home, so if a person desires to be a great leader, he or she must learn first to lead his or her family well.
I have known so many people who claim to be leaders and are hailed as great leaders in their profession or organization, but who have family lives that are a mess. Sadly this is true in many churches also, which is where most of my leadership focus is aimed. Again, it is a matter of opinion, but I have a harder time celebrating a person as a great leader if they have no ability to lead in their private life. Maybe I am wrong, but I often weigh a pastor’s leadership excellence by the countenance on his wife’s face or the relationship he has with his children. At our church, when we are hiring a staff person, we always consider the person’s spouse and children in the equation. It is not only Biblical, but it is also practical.
Pastors and other leaders, if you measured your influence and success in ministry or business completely by your immediate family, how are you doing?
I have shared my opinion and I would love to hear yours. Do you have a harder time following a leader if you find out he or she does not lead well in the home?
Very true. First ministry of pastors is their family. ‘Walk the talk’
Thanks Ps Ron I follow you everyday.."If you want to judge me .Judge me on my family" I thank God that I done the basics right..
Amen
Twitter: NateMarois
says:
We have a saying among our church leaders along the lines of, “if it’s not working at home, why export it?” It’s the same principle you are writing about above. Pastors, elders, and deacons are called to have their homes in order, it’s one of the prerequisites to ministry.
Very good. I like that saying.
Derek, thank you for your comment. I hope it’s okay to agree to disagree. I personally think it would take a very cold-hearted leader to be able to lead in an organization well while his or her family life was a mess. I think we are too tied to our total being and it will impact us in some way and show up in our leadership of others.
That is not to say we cannot continue to lead in the organization and even have success while doing so, but my contention is that the best leaders, or at least the leaders I most want to follow, have found a way to lead well in the home, as well as in their organization.
BTW, this is one of the reasons that although we differ greatly in policies, that I admire the leadership of President Obama.
I disagree- I think it is possible for priorities to become confused at one point in a man’s or woman’s life – because they place more emphasis in business or work as opposed to family does not mean they are less of a leader. Is the opposite true? If a man places more emphasis on home than he does his career or hobby, he can come up just as short. Balance in our lives remains a judgment call.
I totally agree… Titus 1:6 always stands out to me in this area. A leader doesn’t mean an elder but I think that the qualifications should apply when it comes to character.