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Welcome to Issues and Answers.
Today we're going to talk about
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Being a Distinguished
Individual and not just being a
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a distinguished individual, but
being a distinguished Christian.
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And not only being a
distinguished Christian
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but being a distinguished
Christian leader, an outstanding
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one at that. Here to talk about
this topic is Dr. Delbert Baker.
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He is the president of Oakwood
College and he has served on
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many different boards and
organizations. He's a pastor,
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an editor, an author, an
administrator, a professor, a
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counselor and the list goes on
and on. With a rich background
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of professional experience,
Dr. Baker has served on numerous
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committees and boards including
one of the many boards that he
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has served on just to mention
a few here: The counsel of
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independent colleges, the
national association for equal
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opportunity in higher education,
Loma Linda University board,
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Kettering Medical Center board
of trustees. Among his many
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awards are Who's Who
Among African Americans,
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The Associated Press Award of
Excellence. He has also traveled
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to five continents and visited
26 nations in Africa on which
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by the way he has written a
book on an outstanding Christian
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leader, the late Sampson
Casaca and the book was entitled
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From Exile to Prime Minister.
Dr. Baker will be here to talk
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about distinguishing yourself
as an outstanding leader.
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Welcome to the Program Dr.
Baker Thank you, Thank you.
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Thanks for coming again. So tell
us, I'm really interested in
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knowing more about your book
From Exile to Prime Minister.
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Did this begin your interest
in Christian leadership?
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Well my interested preceded that
but this book really helped me
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to focus in and really to give
a different perspective on what
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makes a Christian leader Sampson
Casaca played an outstanding
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role in the history
of the nation of Uganda.
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I met him a few times in the
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the United States. He was
a Seventh-day Adventist and
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I was drawn with his humility,
his approachability, his
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knowledge and skill of dealing
with politics from a Christian
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perspective. The Biblical
example that motivated me
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was that of Daniel, how Daniel
played such a pivotal role
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himself in several nations
because of his skill as a leader
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That was the point. And the
more we focused on this... Neil
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Wilson the former president, one
of our former presidents in the
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General Conference of Seventh-
day Adventists, also was
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interested in the life of
Sampson Casaca. And we got
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together, we talked about it and
we decided that a book needed
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to be written about his life.
So that became my task, my job.
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I made several trips to Uganda.
I had the privilege of going to
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his home, to the palace there
and I watched him in action.
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I had a chance to drive around
the city with him. It was a real
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lot of fun because where we
went we had his entourage and we
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speeded through the city. No
lights, nothing. Everybody moved
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out of the way. We had guards in
the front and all around us. It
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was quite impressive. But
in spite of all the pomp and
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ceremony, this man had culled
down Christian leadership to a
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few principles, what he called
mature Christian leadership.
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What he did, Karen, he was
able to take these principles,
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complex leadership principles,
make them into something very
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palatable and usable, not
simple for the erudite and the
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academician but for common
people and he talked about the
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role of maturity, the fact that
when a person is entrusted with
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power and they have influence
over the lives of others, that
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is a responsibility that works
best for the person who doesn't
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become egotistical or self-
centered or big-headed with it
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but they are able to use it for
the good of the people they're
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working with. So maturity, that
was one part of it. Christian
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was the other part of his
concept. He argued that you
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can't be a true leader except
you use Christian principles and
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he really dealt with it in a
very interesting way. In his own
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life he had vast holdings
in terms of land and money and
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influence and yet he was able
to take that and use it for the
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people that he served. So he
said that the Christian part of
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it really informed the maturity
part and both of those really
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worked with the idea of
leadership and his idea was
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everyone can be a leader no
matter who you are and you can
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develop those concepts. He died
a few years ago but his legacy
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lives on. In fact, we have
a special archival collection
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at Oakwood in
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memory of Sampson Casaca
because of what he means not
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simple to Adventists but
to African leadership; an
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incredible life. I think he's a
good example of what leadership
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is about and he
speaks to us today.
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Now what are some qualities
and characteristics beyond the
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personal example? I guess
I'm asking what makes a greatly
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successful leader?
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Like so many wise leadership
teachers today, I think that
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probably the most important
element is the idea of service
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or servanthood, a servant leader
Greenleaf popularized this in a
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musical but actually the concept
didn't start with him but it
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was really with Jesus. He
was the quintessential leader. I
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mean the one who summarized the
best of leadership. I would say
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the word that speaks to it more
than anything else is the word
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leadership, Christian leadership
is the word service. The fact
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that a person is able to work
for others versus having them
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work for them. It's not about
power, it's not about prestige,
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or possessions and position, but
it's about piety. It's about the
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idea that I am here to be
a steward and to serve other
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people that have been entrusted
to my care. So I think service,
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the whole servant idea is so
important to a leader. Beyond
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that, I think the P word is
key. I think in many cases it's
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misused but the idea that
leadership should have passion
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or desire or this enthusiasm,
this God-breathed sense of I've
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got something I have to do and
I've got to be about doing it.
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There's got to be a vitality and
a vibrancy with it. And if it's
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not there you have an insipid
weak no account person who's
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in the position but he's really
not making a difference. So you
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have to have this passion,
you have to have this sense of
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excitement about what you're
doing. If you don't have that
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something vital is missing.
So you have the servant concept,
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you have the passion, but then
I have to say that you must have
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knowledge, the basic knowledge
of the area that you're dealing
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with. If you don't know what
you're dealing with then you
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can be ever so enthusiastic, you
can be a zealot for that matter,
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but you can just be beating down
the wrong path or going in the
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wrong direction. So the idea of
knowledge, mastering the thing
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you're dealing with and learning
how to pick up a book and read
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it and stay current with
literature is so vital. If you
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don't do that you'll be
living off of old steam and old
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information that has been
outdated. Of course, in this
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technological age knowledge
is changing so fast and we're
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getting this overwhelming amount
of information knowledge that a
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leader must keep current with
key areas. Then I would say to
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the issue of the word, the
action word. I had a friend of
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mine who took a rather crass
quotation, I hope we understand
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the context. He said that
leaders should stop treating
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ideas like prostitutes. They
should go ahead and marry one
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and have children. Now aside
from the analogy, the point is
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that many people out there
have great concepts and these
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wonderful things that they want
to do. They even have another
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word for leadership, vision.
They have a sense of vision,
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they have this great concept of
what needs to be done. They see
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the needs of humanity or in a
particular organization and they
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see what needs to be done but
they don't act. They never have
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the ability to make it happen.
They never put that thought or
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that dream or that idea into
something where they can make
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it happen and act on it. That
is a key point and probably it's
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a distinguishing mark of leaders
this ability to implement, to
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execute, to act. So
those are a few principles.
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Well I like what you said about
make it happen as opposed to not
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happening. It's the difference
between a pipe dream as people
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used to say years ago, or just
and idea and then actually doing
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it. I want to come
back to that one later.
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Yeah, and that key. People
often say well where do you get
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your ideas from or how do you
create ideas? I think you train
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your mind. You have to literally
train your mind on how to
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respect your own thoughts. Many
people have great thoughts. They
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never write them down, they
never share them with others
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and they never put them
into action. So I encourage the
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students at Oakwood and I know
in my personal life, I carry a
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little computer with me all
the time. I write down all my
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thoughts. If I have a dream in
the middle of the night about a
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good idea, I wake up and there's
a pad next to my bed and I write
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that thing down. And you can't
believe this; I've had more than
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ideas from waking up in the
middle of the night, jotting it
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down and finding the occasion
later on to put it into practice
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than I think people would care
to know. So it's the idea of
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convincing yourself that I am
a person of value, I have great
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thoughts, they're worth
implementing. God gives me good
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ideas and I'm not simple going
to think about them and just say
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I feel good because I had the
idea, but I'm actually going to
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put them into practice. So
that's one way that a person can
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take themselves to the next
level, by convincing themselves
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that I do have something worth
giving and I will act on it.
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If you do that enough, the brain
gets into the sync and says I am
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valued and it will produce more
and more ideas that you'll ever
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have time to deal
with. That is very true.
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You know years ago I used to
write down, like you said in the
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middle of the night when I
was up with my children, I would
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write down ideas, different
things, and I got into song
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writing by doing that. And the
more I would sit and take the
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time to do it, and it's
something I never thought about
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doing or had any idea. And that
is so true. Just writing down an
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idea and saying OK God is the
creator, he gives you creativity
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Why not write it down.
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What it does, it creates
confidence in yourself and it
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really does lot of good for
the person. You can always refer
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back to those notes. I say the
faintest ink lasts longer than
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the longest memory. And so
if you write it down it's a good
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thing. I'll tell you a great
Bible character that I think
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speaks to the issue of
leadership and that is Caleb in
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Joshua 14. You know the famous
story there when the children
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of Israel were outlined there
and were dividing the land up
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the land of Canaan and every
one was trying to decide who's
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going to get what part of the
land and nobody wants the most
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difficult task but the Bible
brings out in the midst of this
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situation, in the midst of
this setting, when everyone is
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wanting to have the easier way
and they were dividing the land
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up by lots in Joshua 14
and verse 6 it says then the
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children of Judah came unto
Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the
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son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite
said unto him, Thou knowest the
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thing that the Lord said unto
Moses the man of God concerning
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me and this in Kadesh Barnea.
Forty years old was I when Moses
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the servant of the Lord sent
me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out
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the land and brought his
word again as was in my heart.
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Nevertheless my brethren that
went up with me made the heart
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of the people melt, but I
wholly followed the Lord my
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God. And Moses swear on
that day saying surely the land
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whereon thy feet have trodden
shall be thine inheritance and
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thy children's forever because
thou has wholly followed the
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Lord my God. Now this is Caleb
coming before Joshua. He's ready
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to make this request and I think
it speaks well to leadership.
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Verse 10: And now behold
the Lord has kept me alive as he
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said these forty and five years
even since the Lord spake this
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word unto Moses while the
children of Israel wandered in
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the wilderness and now lo I
am this day fourscore and five
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years old, eighty-five, and yet
I am as strong this day as I was
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in the day that Moses sent me.
As my strength was then even so
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is my strength now. Now for war,
both to go out and to come in.
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Now therefore
give me this mountain.
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I think it's an incredible,
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incredible passage that says
here's a person whose leadership
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is not confined to age. It's
not about how old you are, how
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young you are. Caleb was 85 and
all these years he'd remembered
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this land that God promised that
he would take. At that time, it
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was occupied by giants. But
because he had this vision, this
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passion, this idea, he
remembered what it was, he comes
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forward and says I want to take
that land and he says I can do
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this thing. And even though the
years have passed I can do it
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because he had convinced himself
that with God's help he could
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accomplish virtually anything.
You know, Ellen White's
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statement about the human
and divine when united together
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become omnipotent. That's what
Caleb put into practice. And I
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think that a person, if they
could find their focus, it could
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be the church, a school, a
company, a home, a community,
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wherever, if they say what is
my purpose, what does God want
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me to do like Caleb did then
they link up with God and they
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work toward that. I mean, there
is no end to what they can do,
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Karen. I mean they can do some
wonderful things. But we've got
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to get out of that passive state
We have to get into action. We
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have to be willing to take
a risk and say I want to do
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something bold for God. I want
to reach up and do something.
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I think 3ABN is a good example
of this. Someone with a vision
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an idea of how this thing could
happen and they go for it. So
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that's the key. Leadership
is about making something happen
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in your world,
making a difference.
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How do you prioritize? Let's
say that you wake up on the
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middle of the night and you
come up with three ideas on how
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to do something, three different
projects. I have a tendency to
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have a lot of different projects
going on at the same time. How
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do you prioritize which ones
to address, which ones do you
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develop and pursue further?
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Well that's the tough question
isn't it because you know based
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upon what you develop
it determines where you go.
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I mean if you have three great
ideas and let's say maybe the
00:15:06.78\00:15:09.58
third one is the most important
and you do the second and the
00:15:09.61\00:15:12.48
second and the first one, maybe
you've missed it. But I don't
00:15:12.51\00:15:15.14
think it's quite that elementary
I think it's a little more
00:15:15.17\00:15:17.77
straight forward than
that. There's different ways of
00:15:17.80\00:15:22.45
looking at the Lord's will.
There is the speck concept and
00:15:22.49\00:15:25.51
then there's the circle concept.
The speck concept says that
00:15:25.55\00:15:28.69
there is one thing that God
wants me to do, one place he
00:15:28.73\00:15:31.96
wants to work, one woman he
wants me to marry, one job he
00:15:31.99\00:15:35.15
wants me to have and if I miss
that I missed everything. I mean
00:15:35.19\00:15:38.64
I'm just out of it, I can't
do it, I didn't find that speck.
00:15:38.68\00:15:42.10
That's one approach. But
the circle is one that seems a
00:15:42.13\00:15:46.27
little more consistent with
the word, at least in general
00:15:46.31\00:15:50.52
circumstances that says that
within God's circle as long as
00:15:50.56\00:15:54.01
you follow his principles
and as long as you have the word
00:15:54.05\00:15:58.34
of God in mind and you're
keeping the decency of whatever
00:15:58.38\00:16:01.55
organization or group you're
dealing with in mind there are
00:16:01.59\00:16:04.33
number of things you could
do with it. I mean, there's not
00:16:04.36\00:16:07.58
only one thing. There could
be three or four things. So then
00:16:07.62\00:16:11.30
it's like what you want to do,
what makes you feel good, what
00:16:11.33\00:16:15.35
is an idea or a thought that
makes you excited. Where do you
00:16:15.39\00:16:18.93
think you can make the greatest
difference, where can you make
00:16:18.96\00:16:21.94
the greatest contribution. Those
are things that can help you
00:16:21.98\00:16:25.52
decide which of those three
ideas you should do knowing that
00:16:25.55\00:16:28.49
hey if you miss one this time,
it doesn't work out well, go
00:16:28.53\00:16:31.15
back and do another one, you
have a chance to do another one
00:16:31.18\00:16:34.36
and another one. But I think
besides that, beside your own
00:16:34.40\00:16:38.22
gut and your urge, talking
to people and sharing ideas with
00:16:38.25\00:16:41.69
the folks and letting them see
your dream and hear your passion
00:16:41.73\00:16:45.54
and what you want to do.
But be careful about that though
00:16:45.58\00:16:49.51
because a lot of people can kind
of rain on your parade and you
00:16:49.54\00:16:52.37
can have the best ideas and
they'll tell you it's impossible
00:16:52.41\00:16:55.62
to do, don't even try to do it.
So you have to be careful. But
00:16:55.66\00:16:59.90
at least people can help you to
nurture your dream. But I think
00:16:59.93\00:17:04.12
perhaps the most important is a
life that is bathed with prayer
00:17:04.16\00:17:07.98
and meditation and you're
talking to God about it. You're
00:17:08.01\00:17:12.10
asking him to nurture that idea
and bring it to life and that in
00:17:12.14\00:17:16.20
itself is just
a wonderful thing.
00:17:16.23\00:17:19.28
OK now that we have
developed ourselves to become
00:17:19.32\00:17:22.41
distinguished, outstanding,
we are able to implement these
00:17:22.45\00:17:26.13
fine, fine, principles, how
do you get people to follow you?
00:17:26.17\00:17:29.82
That's part of leadership.
00:17:29.85\00:17:31.16
It is part of leadership and
that is where many people rise
00:17:31.20\00:17:35.26
or fall. That's the learning
curve. That's the difficult
00:17:35.29\00:17:39.09
part. I think that any leader
knows that it's a lifelong
00:17:39.12\00:17:42.89
activity. It's
like sanctification.
00:17:42.92\00:17:44.75
You don't get it in a day or a
week or a year. I'm at Oakwood.
00:17:44.79\00:17:48.09
We have 110 faculty, 250
staff members and close to 1800
00:17:48.12\00:17:52.75
students and all the leaders
on our campus run into the same
00:17:52.79\00:17:56.62
thing; how to make that idea
real and bring it to life and
00:17:56.66\00:18:00.17
make it happen, get people
behind it. I think it's a lot of
00:18:00.20\00:18:03.57
things, consultation, takes
vying with people, it takes
00:18:03.61\00:18:06.91
accessibility, it takes making
sure that I listen and hear what
00:18:06.95\00:18:10.76
people are saying, trial and
error. It takes the ability to
00:18:10.80\00:18:14.58
maybe you may have this
wonderful idea and you want to
00:18:14.61\00:18:16.98
go forward with it, but if
the climate's not right, it the
00:18:17.01\00:18:19.22
people aren't ready for it
and it seems like it's not the
00:18:19.25\00:18:21.39
moment to do it. One leader said
we should gracefully retreat,
00:18:21.43\00:18:27.08
maybe put that idea away
for a while and come back to it
00:18:27.11\00:18:30.35
another time. But at the same
time conventional wisdom says
00:18:30.39\00:18:33.79
that sometimes people may
not have a vision and God may be
00:18:33.82\00:18:36.50
impressing to go ahead with it
anyway and you got to make this
00:18:36.53\00:18:39.88
thing happen in spite of what
the circumstances may seem to
00:18:39.91\00:18:43.34
indicate. So it's one of
those things that it's kind of
00:18:43.37\00:18:47.65
intuitive, it's the intuition,
it's the idea of praying and
00:18:47.69\00:18:51.41
listening and moving forward
cautiously with your hand in the
00:18:51.44\00:18:54.34
hand of God and I believe that
he will lead you and give you
00:18:54.37\00:18:57.24
insight on that.
00:18:57.27\00:18:59.87
OK. Now as far as a professional
and a secular environment or
00:18:59.91\00:19:04.20
just how can you maintain your
Christianity and still be an
00:19:04.23\00:19:08.45
outstanding leader? To make that
tough negotiation. You do a lot
00:19:08.49\00:19:13.48
of flying and you see that
Alex Caracas, tough negotiator,
00:19:13.51\00:19:18.50
and you have these principles.
How are you supposed to do that?
00:19:18.54\00:19:21.16
I mean there's a way that
the world does it. How does the
00:19:21.19\00:19:24.21
Christian? Well I
think as 1 Corinthians 13
00:19:24.24\00:19:26.54
bears out the whole principle
there of the love factor, the
00:19:26.58\00:19:30.43
fact that Christians should
factor in the issues of thinking
00:19:30.46\00:19:33.63
about the other person, coming
back to servant leadership again
00:19:33.66\00:19:37.32
it's not about just money and
power and controlling people and
00:19:37.36\00:19:40.99
manipulating people, but
it's about the greater good, the
00:19:41.02\00:19:44.49
mission of that organization or
institution that you're dealing
00:19:44.53\00:19:47.11
with. These are determining
principles. I think another
00:19:47.14\00:19:50.49
thing, Ephesians 4 talks about
speaking the truth in love and
00:19:50.53\00:19:54.35
the fact that when we're
dealing with people and leading
00:19:54.38\00:19:57.57
we're to do it in a loving way
not simply in our actions but
00:19:57.61\00:20:00.73
in our communications when we're
dealing with folks. So these are
00:20:00.77\00:20:03.68
ways that can help to condition
our approach. But I want to
00:20:03.71\00:20:07.37
share something with you that
I think is helpful. There's an
00:20:07.40\00:20:10.39
author by the name of Robert
Kelley who wrote a book called
00:20:10.43\00:20:14.23
How to Be A Star at Work and
what he did was he studied the
00:20:14.27\00:20:18.56
top companies in the U.S.
in 1998 and before and tried to
00:20:18.59\00:20:21.94
determine what makes a person
outstanding. I mean in other
00:20:21.97\00:20:25.24
words if you're in these
outstanding companies what makes
00:20:25.27\00:20:28.39
a person outstanding in an
outstanding company? What are
00:20:28.43\00:20:31.48
qualities, how to be a star?
And he came up with a list and I
00:20:31.52\00:20:34.65
wanted to share these real
quickly. One is perspective, the
00:20:34.68\00:20:37.78
ability to see the big
picture, vision. The other is
00:20:37.81\00:20:40.58
organizational savvy, the fact
that you've got to have a sense
00:20:40.62\00:20:43.98
or the culture of the
organization you're dealing
00:20:44.01\00:20:45.43
with, knowing where they're
coming from, their history.
00:20:45.47\00:20:48.77
A networking ability to deal
with people, to get along with
00:20:48.80\00:20:52.04
people, to not use them but
to collaborate with them and to
00:20:52.07\00:20:55.17
be a colleague with them. Team
work, the ability to accomplish
00:20:55.20\00:20:58.27
the mission together, not
individually, not a maverick or
00:20:58.30\00:21:00.95
solo leader but a leader who's
working in sync with others.
00:21:00.98\00:21:04.30
And then there's the idea of
followership, that a good leader
00:21:04.34\00:21:07.68
is a good follower. So this
person, he or she, can follow
00:21:07.71\00:21:11.16
as well as lead. Then there's
leadership. Show and tell, the
00:21:11.19\00:21:14.61
ability to effectively
communicate what you're doing
00:21:14.64\00:21:18.41
and to sell your ideas to others
So you may think it's wonderful
00:21:18.45\00:21:22.47
and your husband may think it's
wonderful and your kids but it
00:21:22.50\00:21:25.99
has to go beyond that. You've
got to take it out of there and
00:21:26.02\00:21:29.73
take it further and then there's
self-management. There's a
00:21:29.77\00:21:32.72
wonderful concept of being
able to manage yourself in an
00:21:32.76\00:21:35.94
effective way so that you don't
fall apart in the process of
00:21:35.98\00:21:39.33
being a leader. And finally,
the one that I think is most
00:21:39.37\00:21:43.87
important and one that I
spoke about earlier is the word
00:21:43.91\00:21:48.38
initiative. To me that
is the most distinguishing
00:21:48.41\00:21:50.03
characteristic of a leader, of
a good leader, or a star leader.
00:21:50.07\00:21:53.49
That was number
one on Kelley's list.
00:21:53.52\00:21:55.62
Can you tell me the name
of that book again, please?
00:21:55.66\00:21:57.75
How to Be a Star at Work by
Robert Kelley. Carnegie-Mellon
00:21:57.79\00:22:03.87
University. It was published
in 1998. But his number one
00:22:03.91\00:22:07.76
characteristic, the most
important characteristic of
00:22:07.79\00:22:11.57
an outstanding star or leader
is initiative or what he calls
00:22:11.61\00:22:16.55
moving in a white space. Or the
ability to do something we don't
00:22:16.58\00:22:20.64
have to do. You see a task, you
see something that needs to be
00:22:20.68\00:22:24.00
done. You don't wait for the
boss to tell you to do it, you
00:22:24.04\00:22:27.05
don't have to wait for them to
come around and pat you on the
00:22:27.09\00:22:30.09
back and give you an incentive
for more money or a better
00:22:30.13\00:22:32.70
position. But you see it
and because you have passion and
00:22:32.74\00:22:35.48
you have this moral sense of
right and you want to accomplish
00:22:35.51\00:22:38.22
something, you take the
initiative, you self-motivate
00:22:38.25\00:22:41.38
and you get that job done. I'm
telling you, if people do that
00:22:41.42\00:22:45.66
any of our viewers or wherever
you are, if you just implement
00:22:45.69\00:22:49.67
initiative, that alone will make
a person outstanding, they can
00:22:49.71\00:22:53.73
be a star and in the Christian
context they don't do it for
00:22:53.76\00:22:56.91
self-glorification, this is
how to be a Christian, it's not
00:22:56.95\00:22:59.98
self or what I want and more
money, but it's really about
00:23:00.01\00:23:03.05
promoting the good of that
organization and promoting the
00:23:03.08\00:23:06.02
good of the movement or
the mission of which they are a
00:23:06.05\00:23:09.14
part. And if you do that with
the spirit of Christ and you
00:23:09.17\00:23:12.26
have the right goals in mind,
God is going to bless your work.
00:23:12.30\00:23:15.36
We're told in the Spirit of
Prophecy and the writings of
00:23:15.39\00:23:18.88
Ellen G. White that God will
bless a company, he will bless
00:23:18.91\00:23:22.37
an office, an organization,
because of the Christian
00:23:22.40\00:23:25.61
leadership qualities of
the person who works there.
00:23:25.65\00:23:28.79
So that's a powerful concept.
And if you just are a good
00:23:28.83\00:23:32.88
person and you live right
and be right, God can bless the
00:23:32.91\00:23:36.49
organization because of
you and that's quite a promise.
00:23:36.53\00:23:40.08
Well are there
specific temptations, trials and
00:23:40.11\00:23:43.45
pitfalls for Christian leaders.
00:23:43.48\00:23:44.89
Oh absolutely, absolutely.
We see the carnage all around us
00:23:44.93\00:23:48.77
don't we, of people who have
great leadership ability, great
00:23:48.80\00:23:52.07
skills but who didn't manage it
right. They didn't manage their
00:23:52.10\00:23:55.26
home life properly. They didn't
manage their moral life properly
00:23:55.30\00:23:58.43
They didn't manage their
financial life properly. They
00:23:58.46\00:24:02.39
didn't manage the trust of
leadership properly or even they
00:24:02.43\00:24:06.17
didn't manage their health
properly. In these areas if it's
00:24:06.20\00:24:09.89
not handled properly then what
happens is that very strength
00:24:09.92\00:24:14.14
the very talent, the very gift
that God has given that woman or
00:24:14.18\00:24:18.31
that man can back up on them.
That strength can become their
00:24:18.34\00:24:22.56
debilitating weakness. And I
think that a person can avoid
00:24:22.59\00:24:26.41
that best by keeping close
to Christ, by keeping balance in
00:24:26.45\00:24:29.91
their life and equilibrium, by
not becoming too caught up with
00:24:29.94\00:24:33.09
who they are and who they think
they are and what they think
00:24:33.13\00:24:35.74
they want to become and how
important and great they are.
00:24:35.77\00:24:39.59
But keeping that humble,
teachable, workable attitude
00:24:39.62\00:24:43.37
that God can bless. That makes
all the difference in the world.
00:24:43.41\00:24:48.07
Well we talked about a lot
of different components, general
00:24:48.10\00:24:52.64
characteristics of successful
leaders: Service, passion,
00:24:52.67\00:24:56.52
knowledge, action, creativity,
wanting to make things happen
00:24:56.55\00:25:00.37
confidence, prayer and
meditation. Then we talked about
00:25:00.40\00:25:04.72
keys to implementing this even
in the work environment with
00:25:04.76\00:25:09.47
having the big picture in mind
and teamwork; I'm just naming
00:25:09.51\00:25:14.86
a few of these here. I'm taking
notes here, OK. Fellowship, show
00:25:14.90\00:25:19.46
and tell, being able to spread
to other people what your vision
00:25:19.50\00:25:24.03
is and self-management, being
able to govern yourself. And
00:25:24.06\00:25:29.37
then the trials and temptations
and the pitfalls. How about in
00:25:29.41\00:25:34.69
light of where we live? What
could you say? I want you to
00:25:34.72\00:25:37.93
take a few minutes and talk
to this camera here. Talk to the
00:25:37.97\00:25:41.15
viewers. What
could you tell them?
00:25:41.18\00:25:42.59
Well, I think Karen that's a
powerful question and I say to
00:25:42.63\00:25:48.64
all of our viewers that there
is a concept that I believe can
00:25:48.67\00:25:54.65
capture the essence of
leadership. I have, it's got to
00:25:54.68\00:25:57.73
be 300 and 350 valuable
leadership and management and
00:25:57.77\00:26:00.75
organizational works but I think
it can all be boiled down to one
00:26:00.79\00:26:04.94
essential principle and that is
the fact that I want to be used
00:26:04.97\00:26:08.45
by God for the good of others.
If a person keeps that in mind,
00:26:08.49\00:26:12.93
if they keep in view that fact
that God has given them whatever
00:26:12.97\00:26:17.38
talents, whatever abilities,
whatever skills, not that you
00:26:17.41\00:26:19.93
can gratify self and be about
who you are and what you want
00:26:19.97\00:26:23.01
but if you can be used for
the service of others and really
00:26:23.05\00:26:26.19
for the up building of the
cause of God. That is the most
00:26:26.23\00:26:29.34
important thing.
If we do that God will
00:26:29.38\00:26:31.84
take us to heights that we can't
even dream. He will do wonderful
00:26:31.87\00:26:35.78
marvelous things with our lives.
That's what I think is the core
00:26:35.82\00:26:39.70
essence of Christian leadership.
00:26:39.73\00:26:40.91
Thank you so much for coming
to our program today Dr. Baker.
00:26:40.95\00:26:45.07
Will you offer prayer for us now
00:26:45.10\00:26:46.43
Gladly. Father, we thank
you for this opportunity to be a
00:26:46.47\00:26:50.35
Christian leader. The world
has a need of leaders today like
00:26:50.38\00:26:54.39
never before. We pray you might
inspire each viewer that they
00:26:54.42\00:26:57.61
might look in their own life and
say Lord how can I be the leader
00:26:57.65\00:27:00.81
you want me to be. Bless
us, Lord, that we might have the
00:27:00.84\00:27:04.71
insight, the strength, the
vision and the initiative to
00:27:04.74\00:27:08.87
give glory to you and to
our fellow persons. In your name
00:27:08.91\00:27:13.01
we pray Amen.
00:27:13.04\00:27:14.07
Well this is your chance.
We've heard how to become a
00:27:14.10\00:27:18.60
distinguished Christian leader,
how to be outstanding, how to
00:27:18.64\00:27:22.71
develop skills, how to hone in
on goals and make them a reality
00:27:22.74\00:27:26.78
by the grace of God. If
you would like to have more
00:27:26.81\00:27:28.74
information on the books that we
talked about in today's program
00:27:28.78\00:27:31.94
please visit our
website www.3ABN.org
00:27:31.97\00:27:37.75
or you can write to us at P.O.
Box 220, W. Frankfurt, IL 62896
00:27:37.79\00:27:45.97
Or you can call the
800 number 1-800-752-3226.
00:27:46.00\00:27:52.28
And until next time, step
out in faith and be that great
00:27:52.32\00:27:55.90
outstanding,
distinguished Christian leader.
00:27:55.93\00:27:59.03