We often talk about the benefits of good leadership. But have you ever thought about the impact that poor leadership can have? There will be some huge challenges ahead for both Christian and non-Christians leaders alike as we enter a post-COVID world.
There seems to be an awakening on the horizon, highlighting the need for good Christian leaders. Whether it’s in church or the marketplace, our leaders need both courage and integrity to navigate what lies ahead.
Craig O’Sullivan is an Australian Business Coach who specializes in leadership development. He coaches young adults, entrepreneurs, and corporate teams with the ideal that purpose is key to effective leadership. Craig joined the 20Twenty conversation recently to share his thoughts on the importance of discerning between good and bad leadership.
We always talk about good leadership and what good leadership is. But we also need to focus on the effects of poor leadership. In recent times, the turmoil we’ve been through has caused many people to question their leaders. It’s an opportunity for a reset.
The real result of not being a good leader, is not achieving the correct outcomes. But it runs a lot deeper than that. Craig believes in the current marketplace and within the church, there is a lot of discouragement and people have been emotionally damaged by poor leadership.
“Unfortunately, some are not even in a good relationship with Christ because they have suffered under poor leadership,” says Craig. “But when we talk about poor leadership, we have to separate the person from the behaviour.”
Are people around us growing or are they being suppressed? Are people flourishing or are they exhausted? Are they thriving and having great visions for their future, or do they feel lost? Those are the things that separate poor leadership as opposed to good leadership.
“You can have a little bit of empathy,” says Craig.
“I actually think poor leadership is derived from people not being on purpose themselves.”
When I talk about poor leadership, I want to create a supportive environment.
When someone is operating outside of their purpose, they’re operating in their own will rather than God’s. “I like to refer this back to Moses and the burning Bush,” Craig continues. “Why did the Bush not burn up? Because its source was the Holy Spirit.”
When people are trying to burn up their own resources, that’s where they tend to fail. They overcompensate and try to cover their insecurities. We are all on a journey of finding the purpose that God calls us to. That discovery is something that every leader has to go through, and out of that maturity comes the fruit.
“At the core of it, we need to believe that our purpose comes from God,” says Craig. “What drives our mission is that every one of us has been created uniquely. Romans 8:28 is one of my foundational verses for the on-purpose movement. All things work together for good, for those who have been called according to His purpose.”
“I believe that really speaks to knowing that God has called us to be witnesses to Him and to draw people to Christ.”
To listen to the rest of Neil’s conversation with Craig about the impact good and bad leadership can have on us.
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