Leadership is as leadership does
Yesterday, my beloved Mets fired manager Willie Randolph. Like it or not, this is the way of things in baseball; the manager is often the scapegoat, and with good reason. I remember a great line from the classic movie Remember the Titans. Team captain Gerry Bertier is criticizing Julius Campbell's selfish attitute on the field, and Julius looks him right in the eye and says "Attitude reflects leadership, Captain."
That was an anagnorisis for Gerry; he comes to realize that his hatred was binding him, and that while he was not necessarily the cause of the team's lack of cohesion, he needed to be the element of change. He needed to show all the Titans what leadership looked like.
The Mets had a press conference yesterday to introduce new manager Jerry Manuel. Jerry is by all accounts a devout born-again Christian, for whom his faith in God touched every aspect of his life and how he lives it. Imagine how impressed I was when he said "We have people that are capable of leading. If they have stepped into that role or not, I have to step into that role, I have to show them what leadership looks like in uniform. Once that happens, it will flow down to the rest of the club."
Wow. This is a guy who gets it. This is what putting your faith into action is about. It's not about wearing it on your sleeves and telling everyone you know what a great Christian you are. it's about taking solid, Biblical principles and applying them to every single thing in your life.
Jesus lived this philosophy. The main thrust of his public ministry was not healings and great preachings and miracles. He did all those things, of course. But what He spent most of His time doing what teaching the Twelve what leadership looked like. He taught them what leadership really was - servanthood. Some people say we lead by doing; I say we lead by teaching and equipping. And much of that is showing others what leadership looks like.
Paul did it as well. He showed Timothy what leadership looked like, and then finally told Timothy to show others. 2Tim 2:2 has Paul instructing his young disciple:
And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
This is the essence of leadership. Showing people what it looks like, and then encouraging them to do it.
I hope Jerry does well, but I know that the lessons he will teach will go beyond when to lay off and when to swing away.
That was an anagnorisis for Gerry; he comes to realize that his hatred was binding him, and that while he was not necessarily the cause of the team's lack of cohesion, he needed to be the element of change. He needed to show all the Titans what leadership looked like.
The Mets had a press conference yesterday to introduce new manager Jerry Manuel. Jerry is by all accounts a devout born-again Christian, for whom his faith in God touched every aspect of his life and how he lives it. Imagine how impressed I was when he said "We have people that are capable of leading. If they have stepped into that role or not, I have to step into that role, I have to show them what leadership looks like in uniform. Once that happens, it will flow down to the rest of the club."
Wow. This is a guy who gets it. This is what putting your faith into action is about. It's not about wearing it on your sleeves and telling everyone you know what a great Christian you are. it's about taking solid, Biblical principles and applying them to every single thing in your life.
Jesus lived this philosophy. The main thrust of his public ministry was not healings and great preachings and miracles. He did all those things, of course. But what He spent most of His time doing what teaching the Twelve what leadership looked like. He taught them what leadership really was - servanthood. Some people say we lead by doing; I say we lead by teaching and equipping. And much of that is showing others what leadership looks like.
Paul did it as well. He showed Timothy what leadership looked like, and then finally told Timothy to show others. 2Tim 2:2 has Paul instructing his young disciple:
And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
This is the essence of leadership. Showing people what it looks like, and then encouraging them to do it.
I hope Jerry does well, but I know that the lessons he will teach will go beyond when to lay off and when to swing away.
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