the gifts God gave us. He never interfered with those who worked
under him. He trusted the Lord and the choices he made of lead-
ers. As a result, we would have—and did—follow him anywhere
God led. We would even have laid down our lives for him.”
If chemistry is measured in willingness to sacrifice for each other,
then this team, for some sixty years, was a prime chemistry lab.Face, and Admit, Your Own Limitations
Psychologist Joan Borysenko once said, “Vulnerability—being
imperfect—is what makes us human, authentic, and lovable.”
That statement dramatically applies to leadership of a team.
Accepting the brutal facts about human limitations, including our
own personal weaknesses, is crucial to authenticity. And lovable?
In contrast, we often think of leaders instilling fear instead of love.
A certain amount of reasonable fear is necessary. We had better
fear an oncoming truck, and we’d better fear for the consequences
of laziness or lackluster performance. But although fear is a power-
ful stimulant, it is authenticity and love that create and catalyze teams
for the long haul. A leader without admitted weaknesses has no need
for teammates; a leader who reveals no vulnerabilities provides no
opportunities for teammates to make a significant contribution.
Books on leadership admonish us to face the facts, and the
first one a leader must accept is the grid of facts that includes per-
sonal weaknesses. How can others buttress my weaknesses? Can
we divide the key roles so that each player maximizes strengths?
Failure is inevitable in a team when its leader doesn’t see weak-
nesses and adapt.
Grady Wilson said of Billy, “He was painfully aware of his
humanity—he has flaws, and he’s the first to admit them.” Billy
didn’t try to hide what he couldn’t do. His vulnerability and style
of working side by side made his team well aware of both his
strengths and his weaknesses.
If You Can’t Inject Humor, Laugh Anyway
When one hears laughter in the halls of an organization,
when humor and good spirits enliven the breaks, when serious
The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham