The Making of A Leader
By Dr. J.Robert Clinton
Dr. Robert Clinton brings us a sensational read on the development process that takes place in the life of a leader. This book will encourage you as you see traces of development in your own journey. This will also be a great resource as you mentor younger leaders.
Below are my notes and key hi-lighted passages from The Making of a Leader by Dr. J. Robert Clinton. (Italics = quotes from the book. Bold = my personal notes)
“It is always true that God gives leadership to his church and his kingdom. But is is also true that there are processes that God uses to produce His leaders.”
“Those who study patterns and processes, and use insights from them in life and minstry, will be better prepared leaders.
It is a critical skill for a leader to not make a “rush to the top” and instead, spend the necessary time studying the patterns and processes of leadership development in their own lives.
“Effective leaders increasingly perceive their ministries in terms of a lifetime perspective.”
How often are we pursuing things from a lifetime perspective instead of just the here and now?
“God deepens, sometimes painfully, the character of a leader in order to produce riper fruit.”
“God is not in as big of a hurry as you and I are.”
“God is working primarily in the leader, not through them. Many emerging leaders don’t recognize this and become frustrated. They are constantly evaluating productivity and activities, while God is quietly evaluating their leadership potential. He wants to teach us that we minister out of who we are.”
“A developing leader will usually struggle with someone who is in authority over them. Learning submission is critical to learning what authority is, so emerging leaders must first learn to submit.
You can’t always be the supreme leader. If you are, you are forfeiting a deep inner work that comes from being on the low end of the totem pole.
“A leader who wishes to have long-term influence will need to learn how to implement change. A very important skill involves learning how to relate to superiors, colleagues, and subordinates in organizational structures. Conflict management skills are especially needed in the middle and later leadership development stages.”
“Leaders who plateau early reveal a common pattern. They learn new skills until they can operate comfortably with them, but then they fail to seek new skills deliberately and habitually. They coast on prior experience.”
Leaders must find ways to take new ground in skill development in all areas of their life and in all stages of their life.
"“Formal intensive training can be helpful, but is not a requisite to leadership.”
Degrees do not guarantee skill.
“At the right moment God brings just what is needed into the life of a developing leader to inspire, explain truth, or give direction.”
“Integrity and faithfulness are basic to leadership. But they are only the beginning.”
“Leaders are constantly dealing with conflict.”
With the amount of conflict that a leader deals with due to the position or role, it is best that a leader does not bring unnecessary conflict on themselves due to poor integrity and character.
“A leader does not seek spiritual authority. A leader seeks to know God.”
“One of the striking characteristics seen in effective leaders is their drive to learn.”
A leader will never arrive when it comes to acquiring knowledge.
How is a leader made? Through constant development from God on the inside and through a drive to know him more.