The Leader’s Most Important Discipline

The meeting was way overdue. The leader had been avoiding it, if not dreading it. It had been days, maybe weeks since he’d checked in with his mentor. He’d just been busy. The problem was, his leadership was starting to reflect it. He was snippy, impatient, and he was really starting to make some boneheaded decisions.

Like I said, the meeting was way overdue.

As the meeting ended, the leader promised to be more diligent about keeping his appointments with his mentor. Even after this brief session, he could once again see their value.

Then the leader breathed an Amen, got up off his knees and returned to his desk. He had been praying.

In the highly sophisticated world of leadership, including Christian leadership, prayer has become almost obsolete. Think about it: When was the last time you read a chapter on prayer in a book on leadership, Christian or otherwise? When did you last hear a great talk at a leadership conference about the importance of prayer in the leader’s life? And even more importantly, when were you last at a critical juncture in a meeting, where the stakes were high, money or strategy or employees’ livelihoods on the line, and one of the team members stopped the meeting so the entire group could pray and seek God’s wisdom for the decision.

It may be that in Christian leadership circles the practice of prayer is assumed, but such an assumption is no longer valid. Assumed disciplines quickly become former disciplines. And any leader worth his or her salt knows that there can’t be anything former about prayer–not if the leader intends to lead well.

The Book of Proverbs still teaches that true knowledge begins with a healthy respect for God and that wisdom is still available to those who are humble enough to seek it from him. And what better way is there to download God’s wisdom than through prayer?

So here’s a call to prayer; or maybe, a call back to prayer. My guess is you didn’t get to be a leader by not praying. But you and I both know that the crush of leadership can make a discipline like prayer–the fruit of which isn’t always immediately visible–seem optional. Those we report to and those we lead expect results, and prayer doesn’t always look results-oriented. But I’m asking you to give prayer another shot. Work it into everything you do. I know that in some cases your environment may limit how public you can be in your praying. Fine. But no law, ban, rule, handbook or politically correct culture ever kept serious leaders from praying. Don’t let it stop you either.

Here are three immediate benefits you can expect from working prayer into your leadership routine:

1. Perspective. Prayer helps you see things from the 50,000 foot and 50,000 year view. Problems and issues can take on a whole new and much less weighty or threatening perspective after just a few minutes in prayer.
2. Wisdom. You’ll be a better leader, period. Time before God in prayer will give you wisdom, creativity, insight, discernment and strategies that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. Praying leaders know that they get God’s best, and don’t settle for their own, when they pray.
3. Humility. Leadership can go to your head. Making decisions that effect hundreds of employees, thousands of customers and millions of dollars can really start to mess with your mind. You can very quickly begin thinking that you’re something big, somebody important, or even God’s gift to your respective field, company, city, family, department, etc. You’re not. A few minutes in worship and confession before the holy Creator of the universe is a really great cure for the common ego. Try it.

So tell me, are you convinced? Are you ready to embrace the discipline that has served leaders well for thousands of years? You’re not the exception; you need to pray.

Why don’t you start right now . . . .