The Conviction To Lead: 25 Principles For Leadership That Matters (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
At a time when many look at organized religion as fraudulent and non-Biblical, Dr. Mohler has written a book that motivates the reader to do more. Author of the book Albert Mohler, Jr. is president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, which is clearly a true form of leadership. He gets to the crux of the purpose of the book in the very first sentence, “Let me warn you right up front – my goal is to change the way you think about leadership.” There have been many books written about leadership, however this is the first that I have read which came from a Christian perspective. Being a leader is not simply being a figure-head of a group of people. A leader who deserves a following is one who is not only prepared but who also possesses a deep conviction to be a leader. As could be expected, Mohler sits on the right side of the aisle as a conservative republican, having enlisted into Ronald Reagan’s 1976 campaign as a volunteer. Mohler states that plenty of leaders are able and willing, but lack the important trait of conviction. He also points out in the book that being highly intelligent, which is always a favorable characteristic, does not equate to good or effective leadership. Mohler claims that an effective leader needs to possess convictional intelligence. He advises that a leader will receive that proportionately as he studies God’s Word, prays and reads other books as well. An effective leader is also one that understands worldviews. We must make fundamental moral judgments every day, therefore we cannot rethink our basic understanding of the world each day. The basic fabric of our morality is, or must be rooted in us. In explaining how effective leadership works Mohler writes, “You aim at the heart and the head of your followers, confident that if they share the worldview and embrace it with conviction, the right actions will follow naturally.” Every leader needs to have the passion to be an effective leader. Passion is not a trait that can be summoned at a moment’s notice. Either you possess it or you don’t. According to the author passion comes from conviction. Passion can also be contagious, a good leader’s passion will drip down to the followers. When this happens, passion spreads as if it were an infectious disease throughout the organization. Leaders must be teachers if they are to be ascribed to the effective list. Jesus was a fabulous teacher! He taught using illustrations and allegories, bringing meaning to the subject at hand. He taught the disciples and then the disciples made other disciples, and much like an organization employing a network marketing model, growth becomes exponential. According to Mohler, “Leaders teach and teachers lead.” Leadership cannot be fruitful if it is not credible. Credibility is something that must be earned, it does not come when you accept a position. Even though credibility can be won, unfortunately bad decisions can cause it to be lost. If it is lost, it is very difficult to regain. Mohler states that the book was written, “With the concern that far too much of what passes for leadership today is mere management. Without convictions you might be able to manage, but you cannot really lead.” Passion will be a by-product of Conviction. If we are not committed to a certain belief to the point of conviction we will not be passionate about the subject and our leadership will suffer. Leaders are thinkers. On the face that does not seem to be a prolific statement. It sounds like fluff, filler or fodder for the word count, but it is much deeper than that. Mohler claims that most people do not like to think. By thinking, he is speaking of thinking in a concerted, critical and careful way. The leader must be completely committed to the truth. Again, that sounds simplistic, but to lead effectively, he or she must be a disciple of Christ. Christ made the comment, “…I am the way, the truth and the life…” We communicate with people every day in one form of interaction or another. This does not mean we are skilled at communication. Effective leaders must be. Mohler says that there are three hallmarks of powerful communication. The first is clarity. It is essential to good communication not to let your message become tangled and ill-conceived. Some leaders attempt to “speak over” their hearers. In other words, they speak to the crowd in the most prodigious manner they can find in a thesaurus, until their entire oration becomes jumbled. The second hallmark of powerful communication is consistency. An effective leader with always be speaking in the same manner; not one way today and another style tomorrow. That is because he is consistent. Inconsistency reveals a lack of conviction, and a lack of conviction makes the leadership a non sequitur. The third and final hallmark of powerful communication is courage. The trait of courage is needed because if your message has any conviction whatsoever, it is certain to be a point of opposition for someone. Courage to face opposition and criticism, and to defend your own arguments are essential to effective leadership. Mohler writes that if you lack courage and are offended easily, you should probably steer clear of leadership roles. In this day when weak leadership and poor management are the rule and not the exception, I believe Mohler has done an excellent job of getting his message out in a way that may be accepted. Church and Ministry leadership have been hurt drastically in the last couple of decades due to unwise financial management and immoral decisions made by evangelists and pastors. The time has come for effective leadership which may be held accountable in all areas. Leaders must make decisions which will be deemed unpopular by some. According to Mohler, “Leaders have to bear the burden of right decisions that hurt.” CONCLUSIONAs Mohler states, leadership is not for everyone. Someone has to follow, but they should be picky as to whom they do follow. He wrote more about the character and requirements of a leader than he did describing what the leader should do. Any leader who is worthy of the title wants his organization to succeed, both now and even after he has gone. He has worked hard at growing the organization and has usually had to sacrifice to accomplish some of his goals. For a leader to pretend that he doesn’t care one way or another about his legacy, is disingenuous. Rupert Murdoch, who owns many media companies and is one of the world’s wealthiest people claims to be in that league. “I’m not looking for a legacy.” Mohler’s closing remark is all about legacy. “Your legacy is all that remains when you are gone. Do you have any idea what that legacy will be? Answering that question honestly is part of what it means to have the conviction to lead.” I find this a very good read, and have given it four out five stars. This book is very, very good. Most books on leadership are all about methods and management, and while the author admits those things are important and he speaks to them in this volume, Al Mohler very correctly explains that solid and effective leadership begins and ends with the leaders convictions. For leadership to truly seek and result in the success of the cause or organization being lead, that leadership must be based upon, nurtured through, and be measured against the truth-based convictions of the leader(s). If leading your organization or movement doesn't start with, persevere in and point toward firmly held convictions which are themselves based solidly in reality and in transcendental or "timeless" truths, no amount of pragmatic methods or strategic management will matter. While this book would benefit any leader at any level, it is particularly beneficial to those at the very top of their organizations and also those in some form of Christian ministry or endeavor as Mohler's biblical Christian worldview is the basis for his own firmly held convictions and comes out in all he writes. The reader benefits from Mohler's own experience as a successful leader in a few different contexts as well as from the wisdom he has gleaned from his own prodigious and varied reading. This book is (thankfully) devoid of corporate-speak, pop-culture and self-improvement jargon and is written clearly and argued plainly, making it accessible for anyone, including those for whom this is their first entry into leadership literature. This book will remain as relevant and timeless as the truths it is based upon. Very highly recommended.
What do You think about The Conviction To Lead: 25 Principles For Leadership That Matters (2012)?
Whole book is good, but the second half is full of practical advice. Need to relisten.
—JD021
Really insightful stuff from a guy who knows what he's talking about.
—sophy
Inspiring and encouraging book on biblical leadership.
—JORJAY
Excellent. Best book on leadership I've read.
—Did
