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Clarence E. Stowers, Author at Clarity for Your Second Act - Page 131 of 165
In case you’ve wondered what happened to my blog, rest assured because all is well! I had to take time and prepare for my doctoral thesis defense. Consequently, I’ve had to steal away and prepare. I’ve been sort of “micro-blogging” primarily through facebook andTwitter.
I just started reading a book by Jim Collins (author of Good to Great) titled, How the Mighty Fall. Collins unveils several years’ worth of research on why great companies collapse. These are companies like Zenith, Circuit City, Bank of America, Merck, IBM, etc. They were at some point leaders in the industry and seemingly invincible, but they have all suffered horrendous falls. Collins says there are five stages of decline.
Here is an interesting quote:
“I’ve come to see institutional decline like a staged disease: harder to detect but easier to cure in the earlier stages, easier to detect but harder to cure in the later stages. An institution can look strong on the outside but already be sick on the inside, dangerously on the cusp of a precipitous fall.”
Here is what struck me in the first few chapters: stage 1 of decline is “”Hubris Born of Success”, i.e. pride. Collins is not writing from a Christian perspective, but his research states that great companies begin a skid to irrelevancy and death by pride. The insidious cocktail of entitlement and arrogance begins to course through the company’s veins and eventually seduces it into stage 2, and thus, the decline is well under way.
What is true for the organizations we work for and serve is also true about our own lives. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Or perhaps Proverbs 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” Lastly, Mark 7:20-22 says, “And he said, ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come…pride.”
Dictionary.com defines “pride” as, “a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.” The antidote for pride is humility. Humility is the root of any virtue and all graces flow from it. The purest form of humility was displayed in the life and death of Jesus Christ. The One who deserves all accolades and praise came to serve. The One who is esteemed above all else emptied himself and died on a cross (Phil. 2:1-11). He laid down his life for the proud, but then, our pride is what keeps us from seeing and savoring this.
As a preacher’s kid (P.K) & pastor, I’ve heard many great messages throughout my lifetime. Some messages were quick cures for insomnia while others made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Dr. S.M. Lockridge preached a sermon 25 years ago that rocked my world!
Dr. Shadrach Meshach (S.M.) Lockridge (March 7, 1913 – April 4, 2000) was the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, a prominent African-American congregation located in San Diego, CA.
King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived provides an excellent jumping off point for developing the character qualities essential to good leadership. Leaders cultivate character by acquiring wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 2:1-11). Of course, those possessions don’t come without a price. They require the kind of dedicated and patient labor exercised in raising godly children. Leaders must diligently “search” for the wisdom that is buried within God’s Word like diamonds covered by layers of earth and rock.
How leaders deal with the circumstances of life reveals much about their character.
ADVERSITY IS A CROSSROADS THAT MAKES A PERSON CHOOSE ONE OF TWO PATHS:
CHARACTER OR COMPROMISE
Consequently, that means using the right tools and exercising patience and diligence as we spend time immersed within this life-changing book. The writer uses words that call his readers to energetic and passionate action. Take a moment to reread verses 1-4 and note the quality of effort Solomon is talking about here.
As we dig, we must ask God to provide us with insight and understanding. Ultimately, only God can open our eyes to see spiritual truth and then enable us to apply that truth to our lives (see Ephesians 1:18). As God fills our minds with wisdom, our character will develop so that we’ll possess the ability to consistently make right choices – choices that are just, fair, and moral.
As we seek to possess God’s wisdom we’ll be able to move beyond simply expressing the vision and values of a leader. We’ll possess the kind of character which lofty visions and values flow. Our character will be truly godly, so that others will delight in following us.
WHAT WE MUST KNOW ABOUT CHARACTER?
1. Character is more than TALK.
Anyone can say they have integrity, but action is the real indicator of character.Your character determines who you are and determines what you see.
2. Talent is a Gift, but Character is a CHOICE.
We don’t get to choose our parents, circumstances of our birth and upbringing, But we do choose our character.
3. Character brings with LASTING SUCCESS with people.
True leadership involves others and people do not trust leaders whose character they know to be flawed.
4. Leaders cannot rise above the LIMITATIONS of their character.
Steven Berglas, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School and author of The Success Syndrome, says that people who achieve great heights but lack the bedrock of character to sustain them through the stress are headed for disaster.
He believes they are destined for one or more of the four A’s: ARROGANCE ALONENESS ADVENTURE-SEEKING (IN A DESTRUCTIVE WAY), OR ADULTERY.
A team is capable of accomplishing things that no individual, no matter how multi-talented, could do alone. To function well:
A team must be committed to a common vision and purpose, and it must be willing to work in unity for the improvement of the whole rather than the advancement of any one member.
Synergism can be defined as the interaction of elements that, when combined, produce an effect that is greater than the sum of the individual parts. Therefore, synergyis a joint action that increases the effectiveness of each member of a team. Synergy is exactly what Jesus had in mind when he chose His twelve disciples.
From a large pool of disciples who were following him, Jesus designated only twelve men who would become his disciples. This was such a significant decision that the Lord prayed all night to prepare for it (Luke 6:12-13 & Mark 3:14).
Jesus knew that this was the team that would be with Him for the rest of his ministry, and He was prepared to pour Himself unreservedly into their lives. Jesus’ actions, the unshakable reality of the resurrection and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit turned a group of men who were characterized by confusion, infighting, and self-interest into a genuinely synergistic team. Today the church (the body of Christ on earth) is not an organization but an organism that manifests both unity and diversity.
What does Ephesians 4:4-16 tell us about the dynamics and purpose of this organism, and what do 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 and Romans 12:3-8 tell us about how spiritual gifts contribute to the effectiveness of the groups of believers?
The mark of a great leader is how many great people will join his or her team. King David’s team was comprised of “mighty men.” Because David attempted mighty things, only the mighty could keep up with him. Those who could not keep pace could not join the team.
Don Bennett was the first amputee to climb Mt. Rainier. His testimony is simple – if you try such a feat with only one leg, “you can’t do it alone.” However, Bennett understood that not just anyone could help. Bennett did not recruit his helpers in a nursing home. He built a team of people who WANTED to climb a 14,410-foot peak and who COULD climb a 14,410-foot peak. One who attempts mighty feats had better be capable of recruiting a mighty team.
David did just that. His was one of the most celebrated teams in the entire Old Testament. This group was the all-star team of his battle-hardened warriors. Several things stand out as we consider how David pulled his team together.
First, he spent time with them in battle. These men were welded to David by the hot fires of battle. His inner circle consisted of those men who had fought alongside him. He knew their capabilities, because he had seen what they could do with their own eyes.
Second, he sacrificed for them. When three of his mighty men risked their lives to obtain drinking water for him during a battle, David refused to drink it, choosing instead to pour it out onto the ground (vv. 13-17). That act of sacrifice communicated a depth of devotion and love that had to have impressed those warriors.
Third, they enjoyed victory together. Time and time again David and his mighty men faced seemingly insurmountable odds and saw God deliver them.
Finally, David honored them. These men were well known throughout the land as “David’s Mighty Men.” That phrase served as a banner that set them as extraordinary. As you read this account, one thing becomes clear: David knew he couldn’t do it alone.
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Best regards,
Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
