Chapter 15

True Leaders Are Good Examples

By Dr. Lester Hutson

I Timothy 4:12

"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

Nothing moves people quite like seeing it in someone else. Some become heroes, but mostly because of their example, not because of what they say. David, Alexander the Great, Robert E. Lee, Audie Murphy, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood are all men whom vast multitudes have held in high esteem and status. Without solicitation grown men and little boys have tried to dress like them, talk like them and act just like them. Why have so many so tenaciously tried to follow in the footsteps of these people? The answer is example. Be they good or bad examples, their examples have had charm, appeal and glamour.

Men are attracted to and want to imitate outstanding examples. People of great example find themselves in leadership roles or "role models" whether they want to be or not. God knows that better than anybody. He knows the power of example. He knows the enormous power fathers have over their sons by example. He knows the phenomenal impact a mother's example will have on her daughter. He knows the wonderful effect a powerful example of a good pastor can have on a church. He is just as aware of the power of the examples of older brothers and sisters on little babes and younger children in the Lord. Oh, how the little ones begin to take on the attitudes, philosophies, value systems, priorities and lifestyles of their examples!

God knows that good examples are needed in His churches, families and generally among His people. He knows that all of those who are going to succeed as true leaders in His work are going to have to be good examples. Generally, the better example one is, the better he will be as a leader. The people around us are going to be far more influenced and moved by what they see in us than by what we say.

Oh, we don't like that! We tell people, "Do as I say, not as I do," but the fact is, they do far more of what we do than what we say. How sobering! Good example is as vital to true leadership as a skeleton is to the human body.

Actions & Words

Potential followers are always more interested in who and what their leader is than in what he can say or do. Oh yes, what he says may very well gain immediate attention, but if they look at the person and see his life contradicting what he is saying, they will not continue to follow. This is largely true in the lost world, but it is magnified in the Christian world. Leadership demands an example to follow.

No son will long follow a dad who tells him how to live and demands responsibility, holiness or good character, but who doesn't have it himself. No wife will long follow a husband who demands of her but not himself. No employee will long be motivated to work hard for a lazy, unmotivated boss. Every church is more interested in what a pastor is than in his preaching, administrative skills, organizational abilities or his humor. Let him practice laziness, anger, immorality, partiality, economic mismanagement or irresponsibility, and before long the people will loathe his preaching, humor and all else he says and does. They'll see hypocrite written all over him and won't want any part of him.

The Bible says,

"The hypocrite's hope shall perish; whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web. He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure," in Job 8:13-15.

Job 20:5 continues, "The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment." Yes, especially in leaders in the Lord's churches, people must see that you are what you preach, as a pastor, as a dad, as an older Christian, as a mate, as a teacher or as one who would lead in any capacity.

Paul said to preachers in I Timothy 4:12 what can be said to all leaders. Amazingly, many pastors are sour-spirited and pharisaical, selfish and unreasonable, harsh, intolerant, cold and overbearing; yet they wonder why their churches stay small and so few will follow them. They often excuse themselves by saying, "People just don't love the truth or sound doctrine anymore." The fact is, truth and sound doctrine are not the culprits at all. It's poor example that's slaying these pastors.

It's the same with parents, bosses and other leaders as well. It doesn't matter what you say or what kind of a glamour show you can put on at church, if people can't see the necessary integrity in you to support your hype. Paul put his finger right on the issue when he said in Titus 2:7-8,

"In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say to you."

One of the greatest current leaders in my life is my mother. She died on January 12, 1958, yet she is currently leading me. I cannot remember too many things which she said. I was only sixteen when she died. Her example of integrity was so powerful that I can still feel her influence in my life and see her fingerprints all over the fabric of my soul.

We follow the people in our lives who are true and genuine. We tend to abandon those who are not. No doubt, with very little reflection, you can name someone in your life in whom you once believed and whom you followed, but whom you quit following when you lost confidence in the person. You saw his insincerity or a major character flaw, so you quit following. This is the root of many husband-wife troubles, parent-child disillusionments and estrangements between church people and their leaders.

Strength of integrity and example

People do not follow and seek to imitate others merely because they are told to do so, or because they should do so. It's the strength of integrity and example that moves people in the Lord's work to follow with such zeal, loyalty and enthusiasm.

People need patterns. A seamstress starts a dress with a pattern. Construction people have blueprints. Apprentices have someone to show them how to do it. Every new convert, every young person in the church, every new teacher, every son and daughter, and all who would walk with Christ need good, flesh and blood examples to observe and follow.

This principle is seen in Jesus who said to His then present followers, and to all of us, "As I...so ye." Observe Him in John 14:34, "...love one another; as I have loved you." He told us in John 13:14 that our humility should be like His. He said follow His example for life (John 14:12), for separation (John 17:19), and for unity (John 17:21).

Brothers and sisters in Christ, more than most other things, the people in your life need to see reality and genuineness in you personally. Most of them do not need larger doses of high-minded and holy-sounding talk. They do not need a better performance or acting job from you. What they need to see is a true, reliable and trustworthy pattern of Godliness and applied Biblical principles in your life.

Four areas examples inspire

Honesty

There is no telling how many would-be leaders have failed because they were not open and transparent with their people. Honestly addressing the needs of those you serve builds support, but looking the other way hurts the morale of every other person in the enterprise.

Loyalty

When people see that you are truly committed to them personally, they are moved to follow. It's one of God's ways of building followers. Once people suspect that a pastor or other leader is just doing his job in a professional sense, but does not really care about the people involved, they feel used and want no part of it. Nobody will long follow a "fair-weather" friend. Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."

Generosity

Selfishness destroys others and makes them turn away, but genuine unselfish generosity builds trust and allegiance. Early in college, my son Mark was not too motivated to school work, and he couldn't get a career direction which really satisfied him. He was cutting firewood in the fall to help make financial ends meet. The head of the Environmental Science Department, Dr. DeShaw, took interest in Mark. One Saturday he showed up where Mark was cutting firewood and helped him all day. The boy was hooked. Dr. DeShaw instantly became a hero, and Mark would do anything he could to please him, including buckling down to become a good environmental scientist.

People want to be around and follow giving people. That spirit is encouraging and inspiring.

Humility

God resists the proud, and so do most people, especially in churches. People are drawn to genuinely humble people. People respond to what other people are. Wives reflect their husbands, children reflect their parents and church members respond to problems as their pastor does. They largely bear his temperament, are satisfied with the things he is satisfied with, have about as much vision as he has, and share his values and aspirations. Show me any church where people can see repeated examples of devotion, love, integrity, sacrifice, growth, service, true character and other such real virtues in their leadership, and I'll show you a following people.

Detachment

No one who would lead can sit by and watch detached from the lives of those whose lives they would touch. People who follow are on the wave length of their leadership. Those who follow with true commitment and zeal are the ones who see truth and integrity, genuineness and reality in their leadership. "As is the mother, so is her daughter," Ezekiel 16:44. "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend," Proverbs 27:17.

Oh, how the power of example affects lives all around! God forbid that those who would lead the Lord's churches should think that it's just a job. It's not. Leadership is a lifestyle! It's being what you advocate. Good leadership is words, deeds and life merging into one. It's the riddance of hypocrisy from your life. It's being, not just doing or saying. It's being the good things you preach.

Folks, that's example, and it's one of God's chief tools for molding true leaders, the kind of people others follow. Good examples have the power to bring about profound good to the cause of Christ in their churches, families, jobs, communities and even politically. Yet, poor examples set themselves up for failure, and hurt the work of God, as well as everyone around them.

Oh, how true and potent the admonition of Paul in I Timothy 4:12, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." True, good example is absolutely vital to effective leadership and an earmark of all effective Christian leaders.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"