Introduction
Why Billy’s Leadership Mystified Yet Intrigued Us, Then Sparked Us to
Explore His Experiences—And the Principles That Can Guide Us All
When you hear the name Billy Graham, do you think first of his
leadership? Most of us do not. We recall his preaching to vast
crowds in stadiums. We see the gracious television guest, appearing
with hosts from Johnny Carson and David Frost to Larry King and
Barbara Walters—always responding with gentle wisdom, explain-
ing the gospel, but humbly admitting his own limitations. We
remember his leading the nation in dramatic times of grief, or help-
ing inaugurate presidents, but more as national pastor than leader.
Yet Billy begins his autobiography by saying, “My responsi-
bilities as chief executive officer of the Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association have always demanded a tremendous amount of time
and decision making.”
Huh? CEO? Corporate decision making? Don’t business types
do all that for Billy Graham?
It’s hard to realize he has been CEO for more than fifty years.
Generations have known him as a national icon, a father figure
with both convictions and compassion.
He has been the close friend of U.S. presidents, and Congress
awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal. But we don’t think
of him as a leader of leaders, a man who has led a movement sig-
nificantly affecting history. Effective leaders in Asia, Europe, Latin
America—all over the world—speak of Billy’s having ignited their
own leadership and modeled for them vital principles. How did
he become this visionary chief executive with entrepreneurial
force, engaging not only millions of individuals but at the same
time helping build strong, burgeoning institutions?
Billy himself would say he was simply the instrument God
chose to use. Yet his multiple leadership roles generate lots of
questions. Lifemagazine named him one of the one hundred most