FOLLOW THE LEADER
successfulness and fruitfulness, He wants him to bow low before Him in
humility and thanksgiving. He wants the leader to pass on the fruit of
that success to his followers!
Momentum truly is one of the greatest friends of a leader. For it to be a leader’s
friend and ally, it must be mature and managed momentum. All leadership
momentum must be managed by the maturity that only comes through
the Spirit and the Word – and is monitored through accountability. Only
then will momentum be one of a leader’s best friends – rather than one of
his worst enemies!
Let me close this chapter about leadership persistence and perseverance with
a personal illustration. It concerns the writing of this book. You see, I
have been trying to write this book now for well over two years. It first
began to emerge as a teaching outline from Leadership Seminars I have
taught in various countries for over a dozen years. As a result, I have had
many National pastors requesting that I expand and amplify my teaching
notes into a syllabus or book that they could have for further reading
and study. I have been trying to complete the writing of this book to
meet that need. At the same time, I have been writing and re-writing
several other books and teaching guides that I had committed to write.
All the while, there are my many other regular duties and responsibilities
that I carry as the CEO of NDI: office work...staff meetings...board
meetings...fund-raising...counseling sessions...video tapings for TV...
telephone calls...piles of correspondence...faxes...emails, etc. Also,
there is my regular traveling and speaking schedule locally, nationally
and internationally – which is more than full time in itself! On top of all
of this, I am a husband to Patt...father to my four children...father-in-
law to my sons and daughters-in-law – and now grandfather to my ten
grandchildren! Each of these relationships desire and deserve time with
me!
“And besides everything else,” as the Apostle Paul wrote, “I face daily
the pressure of my concern for all the churches” (II Cor. 11:28)! That’s
because God has sovereignly linked us with strategic National partners
and projects around the world. Many of them look to us for spiritual
encouragement and financial support. I humbly confess to you that I find
it very difficult to balance all of these relationships and responsibilities in
the home and in the ministry that God has entrusted to me!