Why would anyone want to be a leader given the rough ride they are often given? Yet this Saturday Australian voters will choose who will lead their new government, and there seems to have been no problem in getting anyone to stand.
Whether the winner is current Prime Minister Julia Gillard – the first woman in the role – or Opposition leader Tony Abbott, it’s clear that neither can have any real idea of what will face them. Did US President Barack Obama realise before he was elected that swimming in the oil affected Gulf of Mexico would be part of the presidential role?
Pakistan’s President Zardari also had an encounter with water last week. Following criticism that he should have been at home instead of on a foreign visit, he made his first visit to the scene of the massive floods. Sadly, the scale of suffering shows no sign of reducing.
On a lighter note, the FA announced that the next England manager will be English. Is that a promise of better things to come or an attempt to ensure that English managers will experience their share of pain too?
Still, if luck is what leaders need most of all, there is a boy in Lowestoft who may well be pondering a career in politics. The 13-year-old was struck by lightning on Friday 13th at 13.13 – and survived.
This week’s WordLive readings have an altogether different take on leadership. A king loses his role because of disobedience to God. His successor is chosen for his inner qualities not his outward image. Are our leadership choices based on those standards?
Emlyn Williams
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
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4 comments:
Good question; Though I think that some people are called to be leaders. Doesn't mean that's what they want though!
Sometimes the most unexpected people get thrust into a leadership role, not always from choice or ambition.
Great topic of discussion.
Good point. The Bible is full of those who ended up leading but didn't really want to, Moses and Gideon come to mind immediately.
No one can fathom GOD’s wisdom. HE picks up leaders to write history (HIS Story) from HIS own creation. David, Elijah....Gandhi or Barack Obama.
I would say that the best leaders are the ones who don't wont to be because they are the ones who still have a grip on who they, who they serve and their purpose. How many times have you seen a leader become so full of their own self importance that they loose their way and are no longer true to their office. Our worldly concept of what makes a good leader contradicts Jesus’ way. After all how could the King of the Jews, the man who performed great miracles just offer himself up to the authorities without putting up a fight? This was hard to understand then and is hard to understand now. The real fight was in the heavenly realm. Jesus’ resurrection proved that he won that battle then, now and forever.
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