Baywatch and Learning from Leaders I

New topic starting today. Would you help by posting comments? The question is, beyond the most holy book of Maxwell, what have you learned by watching leaders lead?

I am a bit cynical (ya think?) about this leaders movement that was birthed by Maxwell. I have benefited from the books and quoted JM even when I though I was quoting myself. He has influenced the conversation of an entire generation of leaders.

I am going to wax a bit old school on you here. No wonder, Kermit and I were there the day they started "old school." Much of our infatuation with leadership culture is flesh and ego. In fact, there is more flesh in our leadership culture than an old Baywatch episode (at least that is what they tell me).

We are often guilty of flattering ourselves when we call ourselves leaders. It is an empty assumption on our search for significance. Did Jesus consider himself a leader? Would he have read books and attended seminars? Was leading simply Jesus being Jesus?

Don't read another leadership book until you let this one lay the foundation and create a filter: Spiritual Leadership - Oswald Sanders. I have read and re-read -- Sanders quotes A.W. Tozer: a true and safe leader is likely to be one who has no desire to lead, but is forced into a position by the inward pressure of the Holy Spirit and the press of circumstances. Wow, think about that one today. I will. More tomorrow.

Columbia yesterday sitting in a bunch of meetings. Meetings matter, by the way. The old me thought it was more noble to "play the game" instead of practicing, preparing, or helping more people play the game. Truth is there are no cheerleaders at meetings. No cameras or newspapers. The old me preferred to work "in the work" instead of "on the work." Some of that was ego and small thinking. Wish I had some of those years back. Talk about that more later too.