11/30/10
The Christian Post reported on an interview between megachurch Saddleback’s pastor Rick Warren and former president George W. Bush taking place last Monday night on site at Saddleback. Rather than focus on political questions, Warren and Bush discussed the important characteristics of a successful leader. Specifically, leaders must:
- Recognize they serve something bigger than themselves. Bush said organizations fail “when the leader becomes the center of the whole organization.” Bush also said, to know if their leadership has become “all about them,” leaders should realize “if they can’t let go and let someone else finish it, it means it’s all about you.”
- Know where they’re going/have a vision.
- Retain a set of inviolate personal values. Bush says his were “all life is precious” and “to whom much is given, much is required.”
- Practice discipline. Bush said discipline is lacking among today’s leaders. He read the Bible every day during his presidency, but he also read a lot of history. “If you’re president and you start feeling sorry for yourself, all you got to do is read about Abraham Lincoln. He had the toughest presidency ever on all fronts.”
