FollowtheLeader.indd

FOLLOW THE LEADER

A “divine discontent” is a characteristic of authentic spiritual leaders.
They always have an inherent spiritual hunger and thirst. They have a
“holy dissatisfaction” in their spirit that urges them onward, outward
and upward. John R.W. Stott described this vision-producing creative
dissatisfaction this way:

So what is vision? It is an act of seeing...an imaginative perception

of things, combining insight and foresight...it is compounded by

a deep dissatisfaction with what is and a clear grasp of what

could be. It begins with indignation over the status quo, and it

grows into the earnest quest for an alternative.^2

The same principle of “driving dissatisfaction” is just as true in the secular
realm of corporations as it is in the church. Lawrence Miller wrote:

Satisfaction and excellence are inherently in conflict. Satisfaction

implies acceptance of things as they are. Dissatisfaction is the

source of motivation. It leads to actions to change that which

is the source of discomfort. The achievement of excellence can

occur only if the organization promotes a culture of creative

dissatisfaction.^3

Leaders are the visionary “headlight” – rather than the “tail-light” – of
society. They are always looking ahead rather than looking back! They
are like a powerful piercing “spotlight” probing and permeating into
the future. The very nature of a visionary is that he is always looking
into the future – whether into next week...next year...next season...
next decade...next millennium! They are not only looking ahead, they are
also thinking ahead. Leaders must first of all be ahead of their people in
their thinking before they can be ahead of them in their leading. When
your people out-think you, they soon out-lead you! A leader must be ahead
in learning in order to be ahead in leading. It has always been true that
learning and leading go together. The moment a leader ceases to learn, he soon
ceases to lead.

Principle:

“A leader stays ahead by thinking ahead and looking

ahead. Learning and leading always go together.

Th erefore, a leader must continue to learn in order to

continue to lead.”