TO: Jesus, Son of Joseph
Wood Crafters Carpenter Shop
Jerusalem 26544
FROM: Jordan Management Consultants
Nazareth 25922
Dear Sir:
Thank you for submitting the résumés of the twelve men you have selected for management positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests. We have not only processed the results through our computers, but have also arranged personal interviews for each candidate with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.
The profiles of all the tests are enclosed. You will want to study each of them carefully. As part of our service, and for your guidance, we offer the following general comments. These are the result of staff consultation and come without any additional fee.
It is the staff’s opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education, and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not appear to have a strong team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for people with greater experience, proven managerial ability, and demonstrated leadership capability.
Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper.
Andrew appears to have absolutely no qualities of leadership.
The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, seem to place personal interests above organizational loyalty.
Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that could tend to undermine morale.
We feel it is our duty to inform you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau.
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings, and both registered high scores on the manic-depressive scale.
One candidate, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness. He meets people well, has a keen business mind, has contacts in high places, and appears highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible.
We therefore recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man.
We wish you every success in your new venture.
Sincerely,
Jordan Management Consultants
Who Would Have Passed the Leadership Test?
There is another story similar to this one.
It is said that there was once a heavenly meeting in which the angels asked Jesus:
“Can you really handle the great mission of world evangelization with people who have so little ability? Why don’t you replace them with better people?”
Jesus answered, in effect:
“I will continue to work with them.”
Whether these stories are historical or simply illustrations, they raise a very important question for every leader:
Should we continue to work with people who do not seem capable?
Every leader faces this question at some point.
I have faced it many times myself.
There were moments when I wondered whether I should replace some of the people who were working with me. I sometimes thought, “Perhaps new people would be more capable. Perhaps they would understand the vision better. Perhaps they could produce better results.”
But as I studied leadership and organizational development, I became increasingly convinced that long-term ministry is not built simply by finding better people. It is built by developing the people God has already placed around us.
The principle found in books such as Built to Last reinforced this conviction for me. Strong organizations do not simply depend on a few exceptionally talented individuals. They build a culture in which people grow, learn, take responsibility, and become increasingly effective together.
So I decided not to replace the original members of our team.
I continued to work with them.
I stayed with them, and they stayed with me.
Then something happened.
New people naturally joined the team.
The original members continued to grow, while new people brought new energy, new gifts, and new possibilities. Over time, the team became stronger. Together, we were able to accomplish things that I could not have imagined when we first began.
Looking back today, I sometimes ask myself:
What would have happened if I had replaced those people in the beginning?
Honestly, it is a frightening thought.
I believe it would have been an obvious failure.
The lesson I have learned is simple:
Do not judge people only by what they are today. Ask what they can become tomorrow.
Peter was impulsive, but he became a powerful leader.
Thomas doubted, but he became a committed disciple.
Matthew had a questionable reputation, but he became a faithful witness.
The disciples were not chosen because they were already perfect. They were chosen because Jesus was willing to work with them.
This is one of the great secrets of leadership.
A leader does not merely find capable people.
A leader helps people become capable.
A leader does not merely assemble a perfect team.
A leader builds a team from imperfect people.
And perhaps most importantly, a Christian leader must remember that the people we sometimes want to replace may be the very people through whom God intends to accomplish something we cannot yet see.
Leadership is not only the art of selecting the right people.
It is the patience to develop the people God has given us.