right choices so you can be at your best.’ While they were talking,
the Holy Spirit was saying, ‘They’re right, Bill. They’re right.’”
Hybels shares this story not to beat on himself but to empha-
size a vital, often-neglected necessity. We knew Bill reads man-
agement and leadership books voraciously, so we perked up when
he admitted that an article he read “seriously messed with my
mind.” He read that leadership expert Dee Hock recommends that
“management of self should occupy 50 percent of leaders’ time
and abilities.” Bill said he was stunned by that idea. “His suggested
percentages bothered me so much,” Bill said, “I couldn’t finish the
article. I tucked it away in my desk drawer to give his ideas a few
hours to simmer in my mind.”
By chance, Bill read an article by Daniel Goleman, the author of
Emotional Intelligence. “Goleman has spent much of his time,” Bill said,
“analyzing why a small percentage of leaders develop to their fullest
potential while most leaders hit a plateau far beneath what one might
expect from them. His conclusion? The
difference has to do with (you guessed
it) self-leadership. He calls it ‘emotional
self-control.’ According to Goleman,
this form of self-control is exhibited by
leaders when they persevere in leadership despite overwhelming
opposition or discouragement; when they refuse to give up during
times of crisis; when they manage to hold ego at bay; and when they
stay focused on their mission rather than being distracted by other
peoples’ agendas.”
Bill thought long and hard about Goleman’s corroborating
data and concluded: Maybe Dee Hock’s percentages aren’t all that
absurd.
Hybels, Goleman, and Hock are likely on to something. We
can’t sow seeds for a lifetime without strongly intentional self-
management and continual plugging into “voltage,” as explored
in the chapter on that topic. We may object that it’s self-centered
to spend all that time on ourselves. However, it’s essential we pri-
oritize our own physical, psychological, and spiritual vitality, and
we can do that in many interactive and productive ways.
The Leadership Secrets of Billy GrahamYou cannot suddenly fabricate
foundations of strength; you must
have been building them all along.
PHILIP YANCEY