Leadership Decisions, Good And Bad

Common Sense Commentary: There is, obviously, good and bad leadership. To a large degree, good leadership is based on good decisions and bad leadership on bad decisions. Bad leadership and bad decisions are based on appearances, polls, politics, pressure groups, fear, greed, hate, relationships and ignorance. Many politicians base all their decisions on polls and politics. There were many times when God's Prophets and Apostles could have saved themselves a lot of trouble and pain by yielding to "popular opinion" or "fear of government", but they didn't.

I once knew a pastor who forgot that God had called him to the ministry to do God's will, preach God's Word and minister to God's people as God's Ambassador...as best he could. He loved God's people and tried hard to please each one of his parishioners. The more he tried, the more difficult the task became. The Apostle Paul said, "the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved".1 Cor.12:15. Finally, my pastor friend decided the way to please everyone was to put up a suggestion box. This he did, and that Sunday, he asked that anyone who wanted to suggest how he might improve his sermons or point out their disagreements with him should use the suggestion box. Well, needless to say, some folks were sitting on ready with their criticisms. Others who were perfectly content, didn't want to disappoint their pastor so they dreamed up something to complain about. After reading the contents of that box for three weeks, this very sincere pastor resigned in humiliation and confusion. He has never preached a sermon since. The ironic thing is, he was a better than average preacher and would have been a successful pastor if he had followed the Shepherd instead of the goats and a few misguided sheep.

Another pastor, I know, resigned after spending several years reacting more and more to criticism, complaints, threats, and coercion. Of course, they grew worse and worse each time he reacted. The truth is, a lot of very descent people have a built in need to disagree with authority or leadership. Just as a lot of husbands fight to retain leadership and wives who fight to gain it.
If a leader places too much emphasis on loud and constant complaints, his future is dim.

Pontius Pilate yielded to a loud pressure group and Christ was crucified. Pilate himself eventually paid a heavy toll for his irresponsible, leadership compromise with that mob of religious fanatics and negativeites (new word).

During my sixty years of ministry, it became more and more obvious to me that leaders who once begin to yield to threats and coercion, will soon be bouncing off the wall for every little pressure group that wants their way in his decisions. "Reaction" not "action" will become a way of life for that person and it grows harder and harder to resist the increasing numbers of vocal dissenters. "The wheel that squeaks the loudest" may work with most politicians but it is wrong and must not be yielded to by leaders with honor and courage. ALL the wheels need oil even if they don't scream out their objection. Decisions must be made by those elected or appointed or anointed by God on the basis of TRUTH, RIGHT, REASON, SCRIPTURE, GOOD COUNCIL,
GOOD INFORMATION and PRAYER. Never yield to any cheaper, quicker, easier, less painful "escape hatch". In the end, it will not be cheaper, quicker, easier, or less painful. It will cost you in every conceivable way including your character, your future effectiveness and on the major issues in our government today, your country and your children's freedom.

The absolute best policy, for your family's safety and your "good" success, is to let the world know, "WE DO NOT PAY RANSOM, WE PAY LARGE REWARDS FOR THE APPREHENSION AND CONVICTION OF KIDNAPPERS. Also, WE DO NOT PAY OFF BLACKMAILERS, WE EXPOSE AND PROSECUTE BLACKMAILERS. And, WE DO NOT YIELD TO PRESSURE, POLITICS, and COERCION WE MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON TRUTH, RIGHT, REASON, GOOD COUNCIL, GOOD INFORMATION , SCRIPTURE and PRAYER FOR GOD'S WILL.

We all have life changing decisions to make in the November elections. Vote for those who are most likely to pull this country out of the immoral swamp we are in, not who promises to give everybody on earth the most free stuff.

Pass It On. RB