In 1924, George Leigh Mallory, a British schoolmaster and socialite, determined he would ascend the as-yet unconquered peak of Mount Everest. When a reporter asked why he intended to climb the formidable mountain, he replied: "Because it's there." On June 8, the thirty-eight-year-old father of three young children was last sighted trudging up the mountain with his companion Andrew Irvine. Seventy-five years later, in 1999, an American climbing team discovered Mallory's perfectly preserved body on the slopes of the mountain. Mallory had sacrificed his life in an attempt to accomplish an unnecessary goal.

The only vision some leaders have is for their organizations to conquer the obstacles immediately in front of them. They do not consider the long-term ramifications to them personally or to the organizations they lead. They value action over reflection—or more precisely, reaction over reflection. They assume that moving forward is always better than standing still. Hence, when a challenge suddenly presents itself, they impulsively charge forward. Many of these leaders eventually collapse on the slopes of their mountains, never realizing that their labors and the sacrifices of their followers have been for naught.

Because an opportunity presents itself, the leader assumes it must be God's will to move forward. But mistaking an open door for an invitation is an undiscerning approach to leadership.

Duplicating Success
While some leaders mistake opportunity for vision, others borrow their visions. The easiest course of action is often the one taken previously, especially if it was successful. But sometimes success becomes the leader's greatest enemy. Max De Pree warns: "Success can close a mind faster than prejudice." Leaders may hesitate to reject previously successful methods in order to lead in a new direction. It's too risky. Peter Drucker observed: "No one has much difficulty getting rid of the total failures. They liquidate themselves. Yesterday's successes, however, always linger on long beyond their productive life." Christian organizations should take careful note that, throughout Scripture, God rarely worked in the same way twice. God's activity was always unique to the people with whom he was dealing and the time in which he was working. God's activity cannot be reduced to a formula because God is always more concerned with people's obedient response to his will than with the means of communicating his will. Churches are remiss to assume that because God once worked mightily in a particular way, he will continue to work in exactly that way. His resources and his methods are innumerable.

As futile as it is to depend on past successes, adopting the current methods of others can be equally impotent. Mimicking the successful strategies of others is enticing to some leaders because it eliminates the need to think. Martin Luther King Jr. lamented the shortage of leaders willing to pay the price of prolonged, creative, problem-solving thinking. He concluded: "There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think."

When a Christian organization emulates the success of others, it seemingly eliminates the need for its leaders to cultivate an intimate relationship with God. There is nothing inherently wrong with using successful methods developed by others, but leaders can be seduced into thinking all they need to lead their organization is the latest seminar or popular book. Such leaders spend too little time examining and evaluating the effectiveness of their own organizations and cultivating their relationship with God because an inordinate amount of their energy focuses on the activities of others.

Vanity
A painfully common motivation behind many leaders is vanity. People cast a vision for their organization based on what will bring them the most personal success or praise. The growth of the organization merely feeds the leader's pride. Countless businesses have crumbled under leaders with self-serving motives. Churches have been saddled with crippling debts as they sought to repay bills incurred by former pastors looking to make a name for themselves.

Napoleon Bonaparte was constantly involved in warfare as he led the French Empire in its attempt to conquer Europe. In defeat Napoleon surmised, "If I had succeeded, I should have been the greatest man known to history." There is no doubt that Napoleon made a name for himself in history, but it's questionable whether his soldiers would have willingly sacrificed their lives on the battlefields of Europe had they known the primary cause was to secure their emperor's fame. Today many are called upon to make sacrifices and to give their best efforts on behalf of their organizations, but they do so with the nagging apprehension that their personal sacrifices are for no more noble purpose than furthering their leader's career.

Taken from Spiritual Leadership: The Interactive Study by Henry T. & Richard Blackaby. © 2006 by Henry T. & Richard Blackaby. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, TN.