Learning and Leading in Ministry: Chapter One

Leadership Goes Beyond Charisma

Learn to be Real 

He could charm a diamond out of a piece of coal. People flocked to his steady stream of expansive smiles, effusive compliments and engaging conversation. Unfortunately, he was well aware of his powers, and not long into his young career, he started playing his giftedness to the hilt. He believed that his charismatic personality exempted him from banalities like honor, preparation and hard work. Early on, his appealing ways got him by. The next phase, however, took him beyond the role of an innocuous charmer. He gradually slid into sinful, even shocking behavior, knowing that he could rely on his personality to cover everything up and keep going. When his wrongs came to light, he found out that the rollicking personality that once made people laugh and coo now infuriated them.

Charisma is like a picture frame: the fanciest frame in the world won’t make a picture beautiful if it does not quietly exude its own, inherent beauty. Conversely, a true work of art needs only the simplest frame to accent its aesthetic value. Sooner or later, anyone who relies on the frame of charisma to cut a swath of leadership through the challenges presented by life will fail. Those who do succeed often leave behind a work that falls apart with their deaths because their success was not founded upon enduring principles. True leaders understand that after the hilarity and the razzle dazzle fizzle out, people demand integrity and truth. That’s something you can’t laugh off or laugh through.

The Apostle Paul emphatically denounced leadership by charisma alone. He said, “My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Reportedly, he was unimpressive in person, and people despised the quality of his voice. He also warned against the day when people would prefer their teachers to do little more than entertain them and fail to teach strong doctrine. He knew that any work founded upon charisma and not upon the substance of doctrinal truth would not stand the tests of time. In modern times, the most extreme example of this is Jim Jones, the notorious cult leader who, on the strength of his domineering personality, led 914 people to commit mass suicide in 1978. “Perhaps the single most defining characteristic of a cult is a charismatic personality like Jones who becomes the group’s defining element and a locus for absolute power. Tellingly, the so-called “ Peoples Temple ,” ultimately became known as ‘Jonestown.’” (Rick Ross, 11-29-02 ).

Followers find it hard to resist the aphrodisiac of charismatic leadership. The leader, however, cannot blame followers for being too gullible. Ultimately, the leader’s own conscience has to serve as a police officer to keep his or her personality subordinated to integrity. Jesus said, “To whom much is given, much is required.” In leadership, you can’t help if you have charisma. That’s just you. You can help it if you rely on it instead of sound principles like planning, communication, responsibility and integrity. Don’t allow your good personality to become a license to manipulate or take advantage of people.