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Leadership
for Saints,
Part 9:
What Great Leaders See by
Rodger Dean Duncan and Ed J. Pinegar
Great leaders have vision.
With clarity, they see who they are and understand how they “fit”
in the larger scheme of things. They are both humble and confident—humble
as they lead with influence rather than authority or position, and
confident as they acknowledge they are on the Lord’s mission
being used to accomplish His purposes.
Great leaders
see potential everywhere. They see the people they lead as individuals,
not as a mass of humanity. They see the individual pieces of detail
as well as the broad brush strokes of the big picture. They see
the gap between where performance is now and where it should be
in the future. They are clear about the cause they champion. They
envision, often in very specific terms, what they want to help their
people do and become. They constantly practice the art of the possible.
Great leaders are people of vision.
There’s
really nothing mysterious or complicated about vision. When you
were a child, did you dream about what you wanted to be when you
grew up? When you were in school, did you ever dream about what
you hoped to accomplish in a particular class? When you became engaged,
did you imagine the life you hoped to build with your sweetheart?
If you answer
yes to any of those questions, you already have a pretty good idea
what a “vision” is and have had some practical experience
in forming one.
Great leaders—in
the family, in the community, and in the Church at every level from
nursery workers to Sunday School teachers to bishops to high councilors
to stake presidents to general authorities—understand the
notion of “vision.” And no matter where they serve,
great leaders use vision in blessing the lives of others.
Inside-Out
Perspective
Great leaders
have an inside-out perspective. Because they care deeply about the
people and causes they serve, they work hard to ensure that their
own heads and hearts are “in the right place.” They
place more importance on accomplishing good than on who gets the
credit. They invest energy in solving (or preventing) problems rather
than in assigning blame. They constantly encourage and affirm those
around them. They tend to be coachable, always in search of ideas
to improve their own performance. (Perhaps that’s why you
are reading this book!) They appropriately honor the past, but they
work passionately in the present because of their hopes and dreams
for the future. This is vision.
A popular story-poem
tells of a steep cliff, just off a winding mountain road, responsible
for the death or maiming of many people. The village leaders meet
to discuss the problem and decide that they can take either of two
approaches: They can erect a strong fence at the edge of the cliff,
or they can place an ambulance in the valley below. They choose
the fence.
The Church of
Jesus Christ operates on this same positive premise. To rescue the
fallen is good. But it’s better to prevent the fall.
We know that
man is created in God’s image, that his potential is unlimited,
that his progress is eternal, and that he is blessed in proportion
to his obedience to God’s commandments. And to help ensure
their continued growth, Latter-day Saints have developed many resources
to meet their needs.
It’s been
said that merely sitting in church on Sunday no more makes you a
Christian than sleeping in a garage makes you a car. We believe
in that adage, and ours is a “total immersion” religion—not
just because we baptize that way, but because our faith engenders
a lifestyle of seven-day involvement.
In a typical
Latter-day Saint congregation, as many as 200 people may hold positions.
In addition to those specifically designated as “leaders,”
these include teachers, musicians, librarians, clerks and assistants
called by God to strengthen the spiritual and temporal lives of
men, women, fathers, mothers, teenagers, small children.
Our common mission—regardless
of our current position or “title”—may be expressed
in a single word: Service.
Service Is Our Covenant
For the committed
Latter-day Saint, service is his covenant. It is his responsibility
as well as his joy. It is his reason for being.
We came to this
earth to grow, to develop, to learn, to progress, to prove our obedience
to God’s will and become eligible to return to the presence
of our Father in Heaven.
The heaven-ordained vehicle for this increase of worthiness is service.
Love is the ultimate concern that brings about righteous service.
Service is not
just a by-product of our main duty. Service is not an offshoot of
something else deemed more urgent by our leaders.
The Lord simply
commands us to “love one another.” That love cannot
be passive. It must be active. Service is the demonstration of our
love.
Basic as it
may seem, love is why tens of thousands of Latter-day Saint missionaries
set aside their routine activities for 18 to 24 months and go—at
their own expense—to remote places on the globe to teach the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
Love is why
a busy Latter-day Saint mother (and we realize the phrase is redundant)
makes room in her hectic schedule to teach others the fine points
of money management . . . world cultures . . . social graces . .
. or the practical, day-to-day applications of the New Testament.
Love is why a Latter-day Saint man—whose daily calendar is
already filled with the responsibilities of marriage, fatherhood
and earning a living—gladly devotes another four to 30 hours
a week to his Church calling.
Love is why
Latter-day Saints of every age are willing to alter, postpone or
even set aside other pursuits so they can honor the covenant to
bear one another’s burdens, to comfort, to teach and to lead.
Now, let’s
be frank. If our love-motivated service is so glorious, you may
ask, why do many Church members privately feel guilty about their
service? In this context, we don’t use the term guilt in the
sense of moral transgression. We use the term guilt to connote something
innocent though painful—the sense of inadequacy, frustration
and even helplessness experienced by many Church members who feel
overwhelmed by all the tugs on their time and energy.
Even for a seasoned
worker, receiving and accepting a call to serve in the Church can
be an intimidating experience. Most of us have a wide range of priorities
tugging at us—our families, our friends, our community obligations,
our occupations, our need for physical exercise, our determination
to keep up with our scripture study. We have only so many hours
in a day, and a lack of balance in handling these priorities can
launch us on a guilt trip and hamper our effectiveness.
Service, of
course, is a covenant responsibility. As Latter-day Saints we talk
of “renewing our covenants” through partaking of the
sacrament. This is very important, because worthy participation
in the sacrament gives us the opportunity to focus on the Savior’s
atoning sacrifice for us, on his promises to us, and on our promises
to him. Through the sacrament, we may resolve to do better and to
be better. More importantly, we may claim the promise of having
the Holy Spirit attend us to guide the allocation of our energies.
It is through
service that we are able to put that resolve into action. Our baptismal
covenants include our promise “to mourn with those that mourn
. . . comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand
as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places
that [we] may be in” (Mosiah 18:9). These covenants encompass
the entire range of service from home teaching and visiting teaching
to every kind of administering and ministering needed in our Father’s
kingdom on earth.
Although most
service does not directly involve a priesthood ordinance, righteous
service is also a renewing of our covenants.
A question commonly
asked by those called to serve is “How will I ever find the
time?” It’s usually not that the servant is reluctant.
More commonly, the servant is simply lacking the vision of what
is possible.
Quotes to Remember
When a leader
in the Church inspires council members with vision, he helps them
focus on their real mission so that they are ministering to people
rather than merely administering programs. – M. Russell
Ballard
A real leader
ought to be able to foresee what his policies will do to the next
generation. Vision must have hope and optimism in it. The past must
push us – never pull us. –Thomas S. Monson
Oh, that all
council leaders could understand the value of service one to another
as taught in this powerful example of the Savior! –
M. Russell Ballard
Service is the
virtue that has distinguished the great of all times and which they
will be remembered by. It places a mark of nobility upon its disciples.
It is the dividing line which separates the two great groups of
the world—those who help and those who hinder, those who lift
and those who lean, those who contribute and those who only consume.
How much better it is to give than to receive. Service in any form
is comely and beautiful. To give encouragement, to impart sympathy,
to show interest, to banish fear, to build self-confidence and awaken
hope in the hearts of others, in short to love them and to show
it is to render the most precious service. – Bryant
S. Hinckley
Bishop Hunsaker
also said to be effective in a calling, members need to make an
effort to understand their callings. "Sometimes people accept
callings and don't understand what is expected. This can make them
frustrated once they start the calling," – Church
News
Holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood receive it upon a covenant
to use its powers in the service of others (see D&C 84:33-40).
Indeed, service is a covenant obligation of all members of the Church
of Jesus Christ. – Dallin H. Oaks
Note:
The excerpts of Leadership for Saints posted on Meridian
are only a fraction of the contents of this 349-page book. To learn
more about this ground-breaking book and to order copies, click
here.
Contents
Section 1: Understanding the Role of Leadership
Chapter 1
- What Great Leadership Is
Chapter 2 - What Great Leaders Are
Chapter 3 - What Great Leaders See
Chapter 4 - What Great Leaders Do
Section 2: Getting
the Results You and the Lord Want
Chapter 5
- Planning the Work, Working the Plan
Chapter 6 - Councils: Strength in Unity
Chapter 7 - Creating a Climate of Hope and Energy
Section 3: Skills
That Help You Sleep at Night
Chapter 8
- Communication: Building Bridges to Their Hearts
Chapter 9 - Stewardship Delegation: The Great Multiplier
Chapter 10 - The Power of Influence
Chapter 11 - Gatherings of Saints: Think Purpose, Not Meeting
Section 4: Special
Challenges and Opportunities
Chapter 12
- Discernment: The Gift of Great Price
Chapter 13 - Personal Balance: Your "Being" vs. Your
"Doing"
Chapter 14 - Common Questions, Humble Responses
About
the Authors:
Rodger Dean
Duncan, a descendant of 19th century Protestant evangelists, was
baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at
the age of 18. Early in his career he was an award-winning journalist,
editor and syndicated columnist. He has been a consultant to cabinet
officers under two U.S. presidents, members of the U.S. Senate,
and senior officers of major corporations. He earned a Ph.D. at
Purdue University, and is founder and president of The Duncan Company,
a consulting firm focused on leadership development and organizational
effectiveness.
Brother Duncan
has served on several stake high councils, twice as bishop, as stake
president, and as stake mission president. Under President Spencer
W. Kimball he served on the Advisory Council that first recommended
the subtitle to the Book of Mormon, "Another Testament of Jesus
Christ."
Brother Duncan
is married to Rean Robbins-Duncan, a fifth-generation Latter-day
Saint. They have four children and two grandchildren. The Duncans
live in Missouri, only a short walk from Historic Liberty Jail.
Ed
J. Pinegar, a dentist by training and vocation, graduated from Brigham
Young University and attended dental school at the University of
Southern California. While practicing dentistry, he taught seminary
for several years, then taught the Book of Mormon and Gospel Principles
and Practices courses at BYU for 18 years.
Brother
Pinegar's Church assignments include stake high councilor, bishop
(twice), stake president, member of the General Board for Young
Men, and member of the Missionary Programs Advisory Committee. He
also presided over the England London Mission and the Missionary
Training Center in Provo, Utah. He is author of several books for
the LDS market.
Brother
Pinegar is married to Patricia Peterson Pinegar, former General
President of the Primary for the Church. They are parents of eight
children and have 32 grandchildren. The Pinegars live in Orem, Utah.
