Wednesday-Leaders

Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.

1 Peter 2:18

After seeing an interview, did you ever want to meet them? After reading something, did you ever want to be able to sit down with the author? To see what they’re really like. To meet them in person and ask them a whole bunch of questions sounds like a lot of fun to me.

I actually had the chance to do both when I met Bob Woodward at a conference he spoke at. We were on a coffee break and I was sitting at a table alone when Bob showed up and asks if he could join me. I immediately jumped up and shook his hand while pulling the chair out for him to sit down.

Looking back on that meeting, it was magic. Here was one of the reporters who broke the Watergate scandal. He’s won the Pulitzer Prize in addition to a whole bunch of other awards. He’s known around the world and here he is sitting next to me. We drank coffee and spoke for about 10 minutes. And the biggest miracle of all is that we were alone with no interruptions the entire time.

Bob talked about leadership and the book he was working on. He actually asked me questions about what I thought about the government, our military, and certain political leaders. And to my amazement, he actually listened to what I said. I know this because he asked me good follow-up questions.

Once the conference started up again, we both stood up and he reached out to shake my hand. He thanked me for the chance to spend a few minutes together and wished me a great conference and a safe trip hope. I just stood there for about five minutes, almost numb but with a feeling that this had been a gift.

And then there are those “other” people that I’ve met. People that if I mentioned their names, you’d know them immediately. They were arrogant. They were boastful. They knew that they were more important, and they didn’t waste any time letting everyone else know where they stood. And if you happened to bow down to them, so much the better.

It's the same way with leaders where you work. Some are great, and some aren’t so great. And then some are just not worth your time. They’re going to be a great big disappointment. People that you’ll never be able to please. No matter how much you do, it’s never enough.

Peter’s telling his first-century readers this very same important truth. When it comes to the people they work for, some of them are going to be easy and kind. But there’s also going to be some who need to be nominated for “Worst Boss of the Year” award. By the way, if you’d like to nominate someone, contact Alison Green at Ask Manager[1]. Paul gives us three things to look for.

• Good. These people have a good heart. They speak and act loudly with their emotions. They’re in the business of encouraging and building people up. They are always on your team and never on your back.

• Considerate. While we have to do our jobs, these people aren’t harsh taskmasters. They’ll work with you. Give additional training and support. The one word that defines these people is that they are reasonable.

• Harsh. From the word go, these people are unfair. When they speak or act, you see nothing but someone who’s angry and harsh. There’s nothing you can ever do to please them. It’s never enough.

One of the important things that Peter’s telling them and us is that the people we work for aren’t necessarily going to be the same as we are. They’re going to have very different likes and dislikes. They’re going to see the world in very different ways than we do. And that’s OK.

No matter what, we need to live lives that are worthy of God’s calling on our lives. This means we’re to be humble, gentle, and patient. We’re to try and work with everyone, giving each other room not to be perfect and to give others the benefit of the doubt[2].

And while the question about what kind of person is a leader over you is important, there is one that’s even greater. More important. Yes, our leaders at work and in government can make a huge impact on our lives. But there is a more important question.

That question would be, what kind of person are we? How are we treating the people in our lives? Are we good and have a kind heart with the people around us? Do we act and speak to be on their team and not on their back? Are we considerate in the way we act towards others? Or are we harsh? Think about your favorite leaders and how they treat people. How they act in front of a crowd. How they live their lives in private. These are the keys to whether or not they are the kinds of people that God wants them to be. And then, we need to look deeply inside or ourselves. What would people think about us? What would they say to their families and friends about us? We’re all leaders.

Noodling Questions

• Share about a time that you met someone special or famous.

• Of the three things to look for, which one are you drawn toward? Why?

• Are you the kind of leader that you’d like to follow? Explain.

[1] https://www.askamanager.org/

[2] Ephesians 4:1,2