Lessons of Leadership – Sunday, April 20, 1980
“Come follow me,” He said. “The final test of a leader,” wrote Walter Lippman, “is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to carry on.”1 By this measure Jesus of Nazareth is the supreme example of leadership. “Come follow me,” he said, and the farmers, the fishermen, the tax collectors left their worldly pursuits and became his disciples. These followers and those who followed them carried their convictions to the corners of their world and marked out the history of mankind from their time ’til ours.
Such is the power of a righteous leader.
Unfortunately, unrighteous leadership likewise exerts a powerful force on its followers. Dante wrote, “Evil leadership is the cause which hath made the world sinful,”2 and Joseph Smith records, “When the wicked rule, the people morn.”3
Good leaders vary greatly in their style, but they seem to have some things in common.
The good leader is a person of high principle, not sacrificing honor and justice for the sake of expediency.
He has a deep concern not only for his followers, but for all his fellow men. He knows instinctively that people are more important than programs, that souls are more vital than statistics. He uses his position and power only to help others. As Jesus said and exemplified, “Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.”4
Humility, integrity, morality, self-control, insight—these are a few of the qualities we should look for as we evaluate the voices calling to us every day to patronize their causes.
In government, in business, in religion, in education, in every aspect of our lives there are people anxious for our allegiance. Choosing the best ones to support is our right and our responsibility. The choices are not always easy, but we must make them and make them wisely. It does no good to stand aside and criticize, wringing our hands at how bad things are becoming.
Our world has great need of improvement, and we can best promote improvement as we join our strength together under righteous leadership.
Some of the saddest stories of the past two decades are the lonely souls who chose to follow demagogues disguised as deliverers; who ended up in counter cultures, drugs, subversion, sabotage and suicidal cults.
We will always need each other. Let us do our best to make sure that the causes we support are good and led by worthy people, and then let’s reach out and invite the lonely to join us and to share the hand of fellowship.
1 Instant Quotation Dictionary, Donald O. Bolander Comp., Career Institute, 1500 Cardinal Drive, Little Falls, New Jersey,1972, p 167.
2 Purgatorio, Dante Quoted in Great Treasury of Western Thought, Mortimer J Adler, Charles Van Doren, eds., R. R. Bowker Company. New York. 1977. p 576
3 The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City. Utah, 1977, 98:9.
4 New Testament, Matthew 20:27.
“The Spoken Word” heard over KSL and CBS from the Tabernacle, Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 20, 1980 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Eastern Time Copyright 1980 Bonneville Productions
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April 20, 1980
Broadcast Number 2,644