Quotes from J. Oswald Sanders

A leader is a person who has learned to obey a discipline imposed from without, and has then taken on a more rigorous discipline from within. Those who rebel against authority and scorn self-discipline -- who shirk the rigors and turn from the sacrifices -- do not qualify to lead.

When all the facts are in, swift and clear decision is another mark of a true leader. A visionary may see, but a leader must decide. An impulsive person may be quick to declare a preference; but a leader must weigh evidence and make his decision on sound premises.

James and John wanted the glory, but not the cup of shame; the crown, but not the cross; the role of master, but not servant.

True leaders know that time spent listening is well invested.

A natural leader by any measure, Paul became a great spiritual leader when his heart and mind were captured by Jesus Christ.

No leader lives a day without criticism, and humility will never be more on trial than when criticism comes.

The Apostle] Paul's prayer for the Christians at Colosse should always be on our lips: That God fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding (Colossians 1:9).

The person who is impatient with weakness will be ineffective in his leadership. The evidence of our strength lies not in the distance that separates us from other runners but in our closure with them, our slower pace for their sakes, our helping them pick it up and cross the line.

The frontiers of the kingdom of God were never advanced by men and women of caution.

A great deal more failure is the result of an excess of caution than of bold experimentation with new ideas. The frontiers of the Kingdom of God were never advanced by men and women of caution.

God is always at work, though we cannot see it, preparing people he has chosen for leadership. When the crisis comes, God fits His appointee into the place ordained for him.

True greatness, true leadership, is found in giving yourself in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to serve

Exodus 4:14). Let us not pass the buck of leadership because we think ourselves incapable.

Douglas Thornton [an English Christian missionary to Cairo, Egypt with the Church Missionary Society from 1898-1907] was often more amusing than he tried to be. He had a delightful way of mixing up two kindred proverbs or idioms. Once he told his companions that he always had two strings up his sleeve. They then asked him if he had another card to his bow. Such exchanges enliven heavy committee eetings and create wholesome laughter.

With respect to relationships within the church, the leader is to be above reproach. Detractors should not have a rung to stand on. If a charge is preferred against him, it fails because his life affords no grounds for reproach or indictment of wrongdoing. His adversary finds no opening for a smear campaign, rumor mongering, or gossip.

Paul embodied principles of leadership that he also described in his letters. He certainly thought the life of individual believers and churches ought to resemble a solid foundation on Christ (see 1 Corinthians 3:9-17). Looking at Paul's life, we can see leadership all the more clearly.

Surely Paul's moral and spiritual greatness is all the more evident the more he is studied and analyzed. It is sheer irony and miracle that God would select one of the most aggressive opponents of the early Christian movement and make him into its most outstanding leader.

God prepares leaders with a specific place and task in mind. Training methods are adapted to the mission, and natural and spiritual gifts are given with clear purpose.

If a leader shows strong discipline, others will see it and cooperate with the expectations placed on them. At this point, leadership by example is crucial.

Jesus was "the meeting place of eternity and time, the blending of deity and humanity, the junction of heaven and earth." His

Despite his success as a missionary and leader, Paul was never without a wholesome, watchful fear that he himself might be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27). To him this prospect was an ever-present warning against smugness and complacency. So should it be to all who are entrusted with spiritual responsibility. The

El joven con calibre cíe liderazgo trabajará mientras otros desperdician el tiempo, estudiará mientras los otros dormitan, orará mientras los otros sueñan despiertos. Los hábitos perezosos deben vencerse, ya sea en el modo de pensar, de obrar, o de vestir.

The true leader is concerned primarily with the welfare of others, not with his own comfort or prestige. He shows sympathy for the problems of others, but his sympathy fortifies and stimulates; it does not soften and make weak. A spiritual leaders will always direct the confidence of others to the Lord. he sees in each emergency a new opportunity for helpfulness (152).

This book proves that a godly attitude lies at the heart of Christian leadership. It does not borrow principles of leadership from the world and apply them to the church, but rather derives principles of leadership directly from the Scriptures.