Oswald Sanders Spiritual Leadership Today

Elias had just finished a board meeting where he had successfully strong-armed the elders into approving a new outreach program. He had won the vote, but he had left a trail of bruised egos and wounded spirits in his wake. He felt the hollowness of the victory.

Sanders identifies several key attributes that define a leader "after God's own heart": The Beauty of Spiritual Leadership over Natural Leadership oswald sanders spiritual leadership

Sanders stresses the importance of a leader's inner life with God. He writes, "The greatest need of our day is for men and women who are not just consecrated to God, but who are also Spirit-filled" (Sanders, 1957, p. 31). A leader's inner life is characterized by: Elias had just finished a board meeting where

"Strategy?" Elias replied. "I learned that you cannot lead men to a place you have not been yourself. I stopped trying to be a chief, and started trying to be a servant. I learned that the higher you go in spiritual leadership, the lower you must stoop." Sanders identifies several key attributes that define a

Sanders rejects numerical or organizational metrics as primary. Spiritual success is in oneself and others. Results are God’s responsibility.

Sanders emphasizes the importance of a leader's relationships with others. He writes, "Leadership is not a matter of position, but of relationship" (Sanders, 1957, p. 113). A leader's relationships are characterized by:

By all outward metrics, the church was a success. The budget was balanced, the building was expanding, and the pews were full. But Elias had a secret he kept hidden behind his tailored suits and confident sermons: his soul was withering.