Christian Leadership Alliance
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The Gift of Greater Things
On my first visit back to a university where I had served as president, I met the Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds while walking across the campus. I greeted him by name and asked the question for which we do not expect an honest answer, "How are things going?" His eyes lit up and his voice lifted as he exclaimed, "Great. Things are better than ever!" Of course, I sounded equally enthusiastic when I returned, "Great!" but inside I felt the green demon of envy saying, "How can things be better than ever? I am no longer president."
My troubling thoughts dogged my steps me after I retired and began to reflect upon the question, "How do we ultimately assess Christian leadership, whether in the presidency, pastorate or other chief executive positions?" When we are in the midst of ministry, we use standards tools such as, task descriptions, strategic plans, and performance goals to measure the outcomes of leadership. But how do we make a judgment on the net results of our ministry after we retire, resign or move on? When the tributes are given and the summary of a career is written in a paragraph of history, positive contributions are usually cited in numerical growth of people and budgets along with the highlights of new programs and new construction. Qualitative judgments may include such personal kudos as "visionary," "servant," "builder," "people person," "communicator" or even "leaders of leaders" "preacher of preachers," and "pastor of pastors." While each of us would welcome such tributes, what else do we need to know about the legacy of a leader?
Christ gives us the answer when he startled his disciples with the promise, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12). His motley crew had to blink in disbelief. They had seen Jesus heal the sick, drive out demons, and raise the dead. His eloquent words had stunned the scholars and his uncanny reasoning had reduced the scribes to silence. No stretch of imagination could take them into the realm of greater things. Yet, with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Jesus' promise proved to be true. Leaving his disciples the example of his life, the truth of his teaching, the efficacy of his death, the power of his resurrection, and the promise of his Spirit, he gave them the gift of greater things.
After watching Christian leaders come and go for more than 50 years, I decided to put Christ's words to the test. What if we judged Christian leaders by what they left behind in order for their successors to go on to greater things? Or, imagine a ceremony of succession when the outgoing leader, after acknowledging all of the tributes to personal virtues and institutional success, turns to the incoming leader and says, "Greater things than these will you do." How many outgoing leaders could honestly make that promise? So often when we leave our position, our ego takes hold. Like my meeting with the Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, we want our career to be remembered as the peak of institutional history. If it is, we have failed as leaders.
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