Defining Success

How do you define success in leadership? How do your students define success in leadership?


One of the board members here at Next in Line was at a Christian Bookstore (which shall remain nameless) the other day and was perusing through leadership books. He was horrified to find that more than one of them qualified a successful leader as one who had a large following, was making lots of money, or was very successful(numbers) in his/her business or ministry. He immediately called me and asked me what was going on. I really didn’t have an answer for him.

I have a small problem with Christian leadership success being defined by numbers, followers, or dollars. I know that this defines earthly success, and don’t get me wrong they are not bad things. I just don’t think they are the things a Christian leader defines themselves by.

The Apostle Paul’s boast was never in numbers, but the kind of people that were being raised up under his leadership. Further, he would usually boast in the things of God, not of man. I don’t think Paul would have been considered very successful as a leader by the world’s standards. He was constantly run out of town, stoned, shipwrecked, having problem with the organizations that he started, etc. But he is probably one of the greatest Christian leaders of all times. Why? Because he did the things God called him to do no matter what the cost. He did the right thing, even if it meant upsetting his “followers” (which he would have rightly said didn’t belong to him anyways).

Maybe a better idea of Christian Leadership success should come from that of a successful steward. This is an example that Jesus would use when he told parables about Christian leadership. The steward does well with what is given to him. As Christian leaders, I think that should be our definition of success as well. It should also be what we are teaching our young people. Help them to understand the difference between a steward, who doesn’t own anything but is rather a caretaker of someone else’s things, and a “success”, who owns much and has much.

When the world begins to pollute how we see “success”, then we have lost the fight.

Question: What do You See as Success for a Christian Leader?



Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,

Matt