LEADERS ARE PREDICTABLEquickly or too easily is almost always corrupting. As Thomas Paine rightly
observed: “That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly.”^1 God does
not quickly exalt any person to a position of leadership. He first tests and
tries him through the furnace of affliction...the fires of adversity...the
hostility of the wilderness...the humiliation of failure...the heartbreak
of disappointment.
Principle: “Th at which we obtain too easily, we
esteem too lightly.” (Thomas Paine)It is in this season of preparation that a young leader needs to establish a life-
style of consistency and predictability that will make him a trustworthy
leader. This is the time for establishing holy and healthy habits that will
result in holistic living and leading. It is the time for building up your spiritual
reservoir, storing up Biblical information, clarifying your theology, sharpening
your mind, refining your people skills, polishing your speaking abilities and
developing emotional stability.
Oswald Sanders wrote this about the daily grind of leadership
preparation:
...the cost of every great achievement...is not paid in a lump sum.
Achievement is bought on the time-payment plan, with a
new installment required each day. Fresh drafts are constantly
being drawn, and when payment ceases, leadership wanes.^2
Herman Cain wrote about the benefits of developing wholesome habits,
when he said: “Concepts, principles, instructions, or values which are internalized
can be applied spontaneously and repeatedly.”^3 When we habitually store up
healthy habits in our life, we can spontaneously and unconsciously draw upon
them as needed the rest of our lives. But we cannot draw out what we do
not first of all put in!
Leadership predictability is like the computer with which I am writing
this book. It has many different programs stored up in its memory chips.
I can with a “click,” call upon any number of programs to help me in
my writing. Every one of these programs is absolutely predictable. Just
as long as I follow the directions in the various menus, they will always
perform predictably. Imagine my confusion and frustration if every time I
clicked on a particular icon on my tool bar it would do something different!
I would quickly become frustrated and cease to use my computer! I would