Are You Good or Great?

Great leaders help change the course of history. They have great visions and lead great teams. Together, they achieve what would be impossible alone. The end result is always greater than the sum of all parts. Unfortunately, the reality is that most leaders aren’t great, they are just good.

MORE THAN GOOD

I don’t know about you, but I refuse to be satisfied with just good. If I am going to influence others for God, good isn’t enough. If the ultimate vision is the Kingdom of God on Earth, I need to become a great leader, not just a good one. I am sure you aspire for greatness as well, so here are four differences between good and great leaders that we can pursue in our lives and leadership.

1. Good leaders find a way to overcome weaknesses. Great leaders are not necessarily strong, but they are able to turn their weaknesses into strengths and success. This applies both to themselves (self-leadership) as to their teams. This pandemic has shown this, as the best leaders have been able to pivot their teams and organizations and go beyond survival to actually thrive during the greatest crisis of our generation.

2. Good leaders are good at telling people that they are great. Great leaders are great at helping people see greatness in themselves. This comes mainly through leading by example, probably the highest form of influence a leader can have.

3. Good leaders aspire for goodness. Great leaders propel themselves and their teams towards greatness. Jesus said a disciple is never greater than his master. Leaders can’t take people beyond where they are. Wherever you see a great team doing great things, you will find great leadership at the helm.

4. Good leaders are good at maintaining the current state of affairs (a.k.a. status quo). Great leaders are great at disrupting the current state of affairs and bringing meaningful transformation around them. 

Are you good or great? That is an important self-evaluation question every leader must ask. There is a second and even more critical question to ask, will you settle for good or will you run after greatness? As leaders in the Kingdom of God, who are entrusted with the task of influencing God’s people to His agenda, I don’t believe we can afford to be only good. Greatness should be our daily pursuit. I am confident that if we live and lead like this, we will be surrounded with great people who are also pursuing greatness too. And together, we will achieve greatness for the glory of our God.

How Leaders Honor Their Parents

The Ten Commandments may well be the best-known set of rules in human history. Each one is important, but number five is very personal and the only one that includes a promise. “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” For some reason, we tend to associate this commandment with obedient children, but, of course, it applies fully to adult, mature, even old leaders as well.

LEADERS

I think I was a fairly obedient and respectful child (most of the time) during the early years of my life. However, as my parents aged, the fifth commandment took on different aspects for me as a leader. Here are five ways a leader can (and should) be obedient to the fifth commandment and honor their parents, even as an adult.

1. Pray for Them. This step may be the simplest, but it is not necessarily an easy one. Leaders who prioritize family begin with thanksgiving for their lives and intercession for their health, especially as they age. In case of leaders whose parents are not yet believers, praying regularly for their salvation may be the most important prayer of all.

2. Obey Them. At 61 years old, my mother no longer gives me orders that I have to obey. However, there is value in being a son or a daughter who is always willing to follow the instructions of a parent – at any age. Of course, the only exception would be if they ask you to do what is clearly against God’s will.

3. Spend Time with Them. Leaders are busy people, so this honoring practice requires intentionality and planning. Including parents in your busy agenda honors them and will bless your leadership.

4. Serve Them. In some cultures, this step is a no-brainer; children and grandchildren are an older person’s safety net. Sons and daughters are expected to take parents in and care for them. In other contexts, where senior people are independent, providing is a less hands-on affair, but it is equally important.

5. Forgive Their Shortcomings. No parents are perfect. All parents make mistakes and sin. Forgiving and releasing parents of any guilt will actually help you. Of course, Jesus teaches us to forgive, but there is nothing there about maintaining a dysfunctional relationship with abusive individuals, even if they are parents.

6. Connect Them with Your Own Children. I am not quite that old, but I am already on the receiving end of this one. My adult children honor my wife and I by helping us have a very special connection with our four grandkids. The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is very important to your family’s legacy.

7. Honor Their Memory After They are Gone. I recently lost my father. My wife’s dad passed away a few years ago. Remembering them and honoring their best qualities is a way we can honor them long after they are gone.

How old are you? What does honoring your parents look like to you? The beauty of the fifth commandment is the promise of a long life, so that we too can enjoy the same honor we afford our parents today.