Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship has the disturbing ability to always challenge my thinking. His Five Characteristics of Christian Leadership are no exception.

The leader is called, is sent.
Have you ever noticed that not one biblical leader wanted the job? All through the scriptures, you see that the Biblical leader is one who is called and is usually reluctant and not wanting the role; he or she is sent. A.W. Tozer commented that a true and safe leader is likely to be one who has no desire to lead but is forced into a position of leadership by the inward pressure of the Holy Spirit and the press of external situations.  Thus, the first requirement of leadership is the sense of calling and the realization that this is what God is making us to do. We can't do anything else but follow.

The leader has a God-given/God-directed vision.
What makes a person a leader is his or her ability to see what other people don't see. People are normally blinded by their own self-interests or their own narrow horizons. A leader with God's perspective can enable people to see something greater than themselves and call them to do it.

The leader has the godly character or moral authority to call people to do what God wants him to do. 

Our job as leaders is to be more Christlike every day in the way we live. As Christ fills us up, we begin to have the moral authority with which we can lead others. Our authority comes from our righteousness.

The leader has the security to always build up or raise up others.
The insecure leader is always looking for more authority and is always fearful that other people will take away his or her power. The secure leader invests authority in others; leaders raise up other leaders. The strength of our movement depends on the strength of the people whom we raise, teach, disciple, and lead.

The leader perseveres.
Christian leadership takes enormous courage, perseverance, and steadfastness. We must stay with it. The more Christian we are the more the world will mock and ridicule us. Perseverance with courage is demanded of all leaders.

Lastly, Chuck Colson notes that Christian leadership is a holy trust given to us by God. By God's grace, we dare not mess it up.

Military Leadership Rooted in the Firm, Seasoned Substance of Soul

In a field hospital, three miles behind Union lines, Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain lay in what he thought was his deathbed. Leading his men against Confederate defenses outside Petersburg, Chamberlain had been shot through the hip. On two sides of a small piece of paper, he wrote this farewell note to his wife:

My darling wife, I am lying mortally wounded the doctors think, but my mind & heart are at peace. Jesus Christ is my all-sufficient savior. I go to him. God bless & keep & comfort you, precious one, you have been a precious wife to me. . . . Do not grieve too much for me. We shall all soon meet. Live for the children. . . Oh how happy to feel yourself forgiven. God bless you evermore . . . Ever yours, Lawrence.

Against odds, Chamberlain survived, returning to command troops in the closing battles of the Civil War. His war record is unmatched. Leaving Bowdoin College in 1862, Chamberlain was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel of the 20th Maine volunteers. By war’s end, this former professor of theology and logic commanded troops in twenty-four battles, eight reconnaissances, and countless skirmishes––capturing 2,700 prisoners and eight battle flags. For his actions at Gettysburg, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor. Twice promoted in the field for valor, Chamberlain was wounded six times. At Appomattox, brevet Major General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain received the formal surrender of the Confederate infantry. To everyone’s surprise, he ordered a salute of respect for his defeated foes. The knightly gesture amazed both North and South, contributing to the healing of a wounded nation.

Often admired for "what a leader must be, know and do." Chamberlain became the US Army’s exemplar of military leadership (Field Manual (FM) 22-100: Military Leadership). Such studies neglect, however, the source of Chamberlain’s unique mix of martial prowess--mature faith and moral virtue. Chamberlain’s personal attributes sprung from a well-forged Christian character, whose moral and ethical substance led to exceptional military leadership. Today’s Christian officers can find no better model of what a “Christian military leader must be, know and do” than this 19th Century pious professor and renowned battlefield commander.

Character

Like Chamberlain, Christian military officers recognize that nobility of character is the fundamental attribute of all great leaders. They consciously pursue the lifelong development of character. Speaking to Civil War veterans with whom he’d served, Chamberlain challenged them to improve their character:

We know not of the future and cannot plan for it much. But we can hold our spirits and our bodies so pure and high, we may cherish such thoughts and such ideals, and dream such dreams of lofty purpose, that we can determine and know what manner of men we will be, whenever and wherever the hour strikes and calls to noble action. . . It is character that tells. I do not mean simply nor chiefly bravery. What I mean by character is a firm, seasoned substance of soul. I mean qualities or acquirements as intelligence, thoughtfulness, conscientiousness, rightmindedness, patience, fortitude, long-suffering and unconquerable resolve.

To Chamberlain, character endures, inspires, and ultimately tells “what manner of people” we are or will be. Since all leadership is ultimately built on trust, military leaders need a changeless core of character, a “firm, seasoned substance of soul.” Without it, trust in them weakens. And without trust, leadership crumbles. Neither charisma nor competence can replace character when the hour calls for “noble action.”

As Chamberlain modeled, Christian military officers consciously work at developing the soul. They begin by “determining and knowing” what manner of persons they would be. Chamberlain had decided what “acquirements” he would seek to develop in himself—intelligence, thoughtfulness, conscientiousness, rightmindedness, patience, fortitude, long-suffering and unconquerable resolve. His life demonstrated how well he cultivated these qualities. Though certainly worthy of imitation, these attributes reflect Chamberlain’s own priorities. In developing a seasoned soul, Christian officers consciously select their own list of character virtues and seek over a lifetime to nurture them.

The Scriptures see Christ as the preeminent source of virtue, encouraging us by God’s power to move toward Christlikeness: (Col. 1:28-29). Becoming like Christ in our character begins in the mind, but it is worked out in practice. For example, as Christian officers read the Gospels repeatedly, they acquaint themselves directly with the character of Christ—the first step in determining and knowing what manner of persons they should be. As a second step, they consciously practice these character qualities in everyday life––in Chamberlain’s words, attempting to “hold their spirits and their bodies pure and high.” As they do so, their character is tested and refined.

The Apostle Paul captured these same truths when he offered the following path to a firm, seasoned substance of soul:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard or seen in me—put it into practice. Phil. 4:8-9

Christian military leaders develop character by practicing what they have learned, received, heard, or seen in Christ and in others. The prophet Isaiah summarized this process: “The noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands. (Isaiah 32:8 (NIV)

Such practiced nobility of character is neither the exercise of a flawed will nor the exertion of a weak flesh. The Scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit ultimately produces the character of Christ in us as we exercise a disciplined dependence upon him. As we think of and practice what is “excellent and praiseworthy,” God produces in us a firm, seasoned substance of soul.

Causes that Endure

Like Chamberlain, Christian military officers serve causes that outlast them. Their sacrifices for country arise from a commitment to what is right and just. What they fight for is in their minds and hearts worth fighting for.

Chamberlain took up arms to preserve the Union and to end slavery. Holding these things worth sacrificing himself for, Chamberlain described them in almost spiritual terms. He noted in one post-war speech that “every man felt that he gave himself to, and belonged to, something beyond time and above space—something which could not die.” In the same speech, he reflected on his motivation:

We fought no better, perhaps, than they. We exhibited, perhaps, no higher individual qualities. But the cause for which we fought was higher; our thought wider. . . That thought was our power. It is something great and greatening to cherish an ideal; to act in the light of the truth that is far-away and far above; to set aside the near advantage, the momentary pleasure. . . and to act for remoter ends, for higher good, and for interests other than our own.

Chamberlain’s commitment to ideals that were true, right and just ignited his unconquerable resolve. The causes for which he fought were “higher, wider . . . for interests other than his own.” He believed in them. He saw his duty to fight for, and if necessary, die for them. In a speech to veterans of 20th Maine, he took Christ as the example of their service:

This is the great reward of service, to live, far out and on, in the life of others; this is the mystery of Christ, -- to give life’s best for such high sake that it shall be found again unto life eternal.

Christian military leaders of the 21st Century also conceive of their military service in similar spiritual terms. They are giving life’s best for ideals high enough to have eternal implications.

Christian military leaders serve causes that outlast them--causes that reflect the Bible’s commitment to what is true, righteous, and just. Though their patriotic passions often reflect such commitments, they can never submit to “my country right or wrong.” Like Chamberlain, Christian military leaders submit first to God. They live in the sight of God. They are thus discerning in their patriotism. Loyalty to the country of their fathers never supersedes their accountability to the commands of their Heavenly Father.

Competence

Like Chamberlain, Christian military officers commit to competency. They are life-long students; they know how to learn. A professor without military training, Chamberlain possessed a critical quality—he was teachable. Described as a “life-long student,” he set his mind to learn how to make war. To Maine’s Governor Washburn, he wrote: “I have always been interested in military matters, and what I do not know in that line, I know how to learn.” If he needed a skill or some knowledge, he simply learned it. Fellow officers noted that he read every military manual he could find and was always questioning the more experienced soldiers. In an early letter to his wife, Chamberlain describes these efforts--commenting on his relationship with his commander, Colonel Adelbert Ames:

I study, I tell you—every military work I can find. And it is no small labor to master the evolutions of Battalion & Brigade. I am bound to understand every thing. And I want you to send my “Jomini, The Art of War” in a package . . . The Col. & I are going to read it. He to instruct me, as he is kindly doing in everything now.

Christian military leaders also “know how to learn.” This learnability is a core pillar of their ethical approach to leadership. All leaders are ultimately “disciples”---an English translation of the Greek word meaning learners. One scholar described the disciples of Christ as simple men with potential. “Though unlearned and ignorant according to the world’s standards (Acts 4:13 ) … they were teachable . . . honest men, willing to confess their need.”

Christian officers honestly confess their need of learning. They commit to learning for a lifetime. When confronted with a need to learn, they follow Ezra’s three-fold learning model: devoted study, rigorous personal application, and broad teaching of what they’ve learned to others (Ezra 7:10 ). When they do so, Christian military leaders will not have to offer excuses for ignorance of the skills needed to carry out their job. Nothing erodes confidence more quickly than do commanders without a command of their responsibilities––or worse, who hide their lack of knowledge behind their rank.

In this regard, Christian officers readily learn from the men and women they command. Christian officers tap into the expertise of those closest to the job. They have the ability to listen to their people. They ask appropriate questions. The technical nature of modern warfare demands that military leaders labor to understand all they can while depending upon the expertise of those they lead.

Courage and Care In Balance

Like Chamberlain, Christian military officers balance courage and care. They embrace the dual responsibilities of demonstrating physical courage in battle (the mission) and of personally caring for the welfare of those they lead.

Chamberlain learned two particularly significant principles of direct military leadership from Colonel Ames. Ames told Chamberlain that there are two things an officer must do to lead men:

•  You must care for your men’s welfare.

•  You must show physical courage.

Chamberlain appeared to balance both qualities beautifully. Of his superiors, General Charles Griffin noted, “Colonel Chamberlain had, by his uniformed kindness and courtesy, his skill and brilliant courage, endeared himself to all his men.” As others also commented, Chamberlain’s “absolute indifference to danger” matched his commitment to “never put his needs above those of his men.”

In this particularly vivid passage, Chamberlain illustrates an officer’s need to balance both physical courage in battle and personal care for those who bear the brunt of battle:

Still pictured on my mind his splendid action where I had left him rallying his men, I sat down by him to give him such cheer as I could. He seemed to think I needed the comforting. The heroic flush was still on his face. “General,” he whispers, smiling up, “you have the soul of the lion and the heart of a woman.” “Take benediction to yourself,” was the reply, “you could not have thought that, if you had not been it.” And that was our thought at parting for other trial, and through after years. For so it is: might and love, . . . they are the all; fatherhood and motherhood of God himself, of every godlike man.”

Chamberlain challenges modern military leaders to demonstrate physical courage in fulfilling the mission while at the same time to consciously care for the welfare of those they lead. In his words, military leaders display both the soul of a lion in battle and the heart of a mother, nurturing and caring for the men and women they lead. Might and love together. Ethical leaders display both qualities, seeking to balance them.

The Bible suggests this balance is critical. In Numbers 27:15-17, Moses asks the Lord to appoint a leader over the community of Israel, envisioning someone who will “go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” A direct translation of the core Hebrew phrase would read “cause them to go out and cause them to come in.” Contextually, Moses held that leaders have a twofold responsibility: to cause their followers to go out to battle and to cause them to come in to a place of caring, community and celebration (cf. 1 Samuel 8:20 ; 18:5-16 NASB).

When Jesus called his disciples to follow him, he also envisioned leaders who possessed the heart of a mother and the soul of a lion. They were to be “with him” in a caring, nurturing community and were to be “sent out to preach the gospel and have authority over demonic forces”—literally, to battle with darkness (Mark 3:13 -14; Luke 10:1-24). Paul similarly described the mission to Thessalonica. Paul, Silas, and Timothy were “approved of God” because they shared not only the gospel, but also their own lives. Indeed, they served both as nursing mothers, gently caring for their children and as encouraging fathers, challenging and urging them to live lives worthy of God and His kingdom (1 Thess. 2:4-12). Modern Christian military leaders can do no less.

Conclusion

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain’s Christianity produced the changeless core of a Christlike character: the firm, seasoned substance of soul. Establishing this core of character was his first priority––fixing his mind and orienting his practice to ensure its development. On its foundation, he gave himself to enduring causes, sought competency through continuous learning, and led his men with a balance of courage and care. The 21st-century, Christian warrior need look no further for ethical and moral encouragement than the example set by this 19th-century, pious professor from Maine.

Copyright: Jay L. Lorenzen, 1997

What to do when the “quality time” is happening!!!
• Listen intentionally
• Use good eye contact
• Ask questions that are pertinent to the topic
• Listen understandingly
• Discern the context of the conversation (tired, pained, angry, frustrated, happy)
• Listen actively (act on what is being said)
• Don’t interrupt
• Be patient
• Learn to talk about what the other person wants to talk about

1. Become familiar with your company’s overall business. Learn what it takes to make a profit, and become valuable in the process.
2. Learn your job and the jobs of those around you. Assist others in their jobs.
3. Learn how to plant seeds. Take on responsibilities without having to be told to do so.
4. Be the first to help out when there is something extra that needs to be done.
5. Become dependable and trustworthy.

• Never make your spouse work just to improve your lifestyle unless you are both in agreement and know you are fulfilling God’s purpose in your lives.
• God’s wealth comes through diligence and discipline. It is not dependent on the amount of money you earn.
• Make every dollar count. Look for ways to eliminate waste, and buy things wholesale. Pay cash when it is in your favor to do so.
• Set a goal to spend less money than you earn so that you will have a surplus account.
• Avoid quitting one job until you already have another or an alternative source of income lined up.

Nine Secret $teps to Financial Success