The Savior loved Peter, but his communication was direct and his feedback corrective. Jesus Christ, the perfect leader, taught them, worked and ate with them, mentored, gave them assignments they could perform, and gave the vision of things to come. Jesus asked Simon and his brother Andrew to leave their nets to become fishers of men. To become great leaders, we all need to go through a transformation. The only one who matches the image is Sister Wheelwright because she is a Wonder Woman. President Wheelwright would be Batman and Vice President Max Checketts would be his sidekick Robin. If we were perfect leaders, I would be standing here in my size two business suit, with long thick hair and high heels, speaking perfect English with a British accent. We often have an image of a perfect leader. The book of Proverbs states, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn” (Proverbs 29:2).īecoming a great leader is a process. Bad leaders destroy people and organizations. Matthew warned, “And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matthew 15:14). Others appoint a person as a leader and hope for the best. There are people who slap the title “leader” on their foreheads, declaring “I am a leader” without knowing what leadership is. It takes hard work, preparation, practice, and more work. “They had many afflictions they did suffer much, both in body and in mind, such as hunger, thirst and fatigue, and also much labor in the spirit” (Alma 17:5).īeing a leader was not easy then nor is it easy now. Did they expect that they were entitled to get things for free? No. They “had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God… But this is not all they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God” (Alma 17:2-3).Īmmon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni influenced many to come to Christ in other lands. The sons of Mosiah were faithful, strong, and powerful. A vision without action is daydreaming, but actions without a vision turn quickly into a nightmare. Obtaining a degree should be your main focus. So much depends on whom and what we seek first” (“Tugs and Pulls of the World,” Consider the contrasting friendships in the city of Enoch compared to peers in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah! The citizens of the city of Enoch chose Jesus and a way of life, then became everlasting friends. By choosing the Lord first, choosing one’s friends becomes easier and much safer. Whether young or old, we need to be good friends, but also to pick our friends carefully. Maxwell warned us, “Personal righteousness, worship, prayer, and scripture study are so crucial in order to ‘ off the natural man’ (Mosiah 3:19). Many, just like Judas Iscariot, sell their masters for money or special deals at any given moment that suits their personal goals, but great leaders are humble and meek and wait upon the Lord.Įlder Neal A. Fame and fortune can be obtained in many ways, but the true leadership has personal righteousness at the center. As fleeting as “selfies” are on social media, once those in power or in the limelight have exhausted their use for others, they push people aside. How long will they last? An hour? A week or two? Taking pictures of others has turned around to “me”-centered pictures. This is a selfie generation, and pictures taken on beaches, mountains, shopping centers, with plates of food and every facial expression imaginable are uploaded to Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, and Twitter. Maxwell said, “Some sincerely wish for more power in order to do good, but only a few individuals are good enough to be powerful” (“Tugs and Pulls of the World,” Leadership is the power to influence others to follow in a given situation. The lessons are all around you as are the opportunities to practice your skills as a leader. Leadership is one of the core values and objectives of Brigham Young University–Hawaii, yet only a few of you will have formal leadership courses while you are here. I pray that the Holy Ghost might convey my message in a way that will answer some of the questions you may have about your role and mission as a leader. Today, I would like to speak about leadership not only for this life but for the eternities.
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