Quote of the Week

"Therefore human desires to increase the production of goods and services are not in themselves greedy or materialistic or evil. Rather, such desires to be more productive represent God-given desires to accomplish and achieve and solve problems. They represent God-given desires to exercise dominion over the earth and exercise faithful stewardship so that we and others may enjoy the resources of the earth that God made for our use and for our enjoyment."

Wayne Grudem, Business for the Glory of God, p.28

Leaders Are Always On

Harvard professor, Rosabeth Moss Kanter blogs about how a leader's words and action are always on display. Failure to remember this can be costly as former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown can attest to. A carelessly spoken word when he assumed microphones were off, may have indeed cost Brown the British election.

Kanter explains -

"At a rally shortly before the election, Prime Minister Brown was asked some awkward questions about foreign workers that he answered politely. A few minutes later, he was heard over an open channel and later the broadcast airwaves complaining to aides for exposing him to "a bigoted woman". His insult and apology dominated press coverage... There is no "off" switch for leaders."

Most of us will never attain such lofty positions of leadership but the lesson is a good one. If you plan to lead, you need to be aware that your words and actions are always on display, especially in our current social media infused world. The burden of leadership is that people are watching and they often take their cues from what we say and do. Here's what Kanter says -

"Followers can be acutely attuned to the merest hint of a leader's state of mind and act on their assumptions, sometimes tragically."

Yet, for the Christian, it is not simply the eyes and ears of men that should concern us. Our speech and actions are always before God. We are regulated by His Spirit. Our hearts are convicted when we speak unkindly or carelessly. We are called to account for our secret actions. In a way, we are truly "always on" - not simply in front on men and women but before the Audience of One.

"I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned"

Matt 12:36