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(美国阿拉斯加州播音） ©World Christian Broadcasting Shortwave Radio Station KNLS, Anchor Point, Alaska, USA Recording Studios: Franklin, Tennessee, USA
by Charles Caudill 4-30-2004 |
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生命之光的朋友，您好。我是查尔斯考迪欧，世界基督徒广播公司总裁。感谢您收听这个有关领导人特质的专题节目。过去我曾经有多次的荣幸认识一些了不起的领导人。其中包括了总统，州长，参议员，众议员，公司总裁，大学校长，棒球经理，足球教练。这些人都是卓越的领导，然而他们身上和其领导方式所突现的特色却不尽相同。他们当中没有两个人是一样的。有的长的矮，有的长的高；有人外貌英俊，有人长相一般；有的口才好，有的不会说话。他们各不相同。然而我在他们身上观察到十个领导人的特质，每一位都拥有其中的几项。感谢您给我这份殊荣，为您介绍这些领导人的特质。 一 领导人知道如何跟别人相处 我在许多人中发现，他们成功的最大阻碍就是不懂得理解别人。前一段时间，华尔街日报登载了一篇文章，论述领导人失败的原因。在所有原因中名列榜首的是：欠缺和别人建立友谊的能力。 您能够在学术方面有很高的智慧，却在社交智慧上交白卷。社交智慧包括了听别人讲话的能力，敏感于别人的需要，恰当地给人忠告，虚心地接受批评。如果别人不喜欢您，他们很可能在您失败的路上助您一臂之力。但是如果您能够让别人喜欢您的话，即便犯下大错，您也能够避免承担后果。 您和别人一起共事的时候，表现如何？您对人真心诚实吗？您期望别人都顺着您的心意，您的时间表，您的主张吗？请重视与别人相处的能力，因为和其他技能相比，它将带给您更长远的成就。 谁都喜欢跟随他们喜欢的、尊敬的人，不是吗？美国的老罗斯福总统说得好，“领导艺术中最重要的内涵就是，知道如何跟别人相处。”领导人重视与人和睦相处的技能。 二 卓越的领导人怀有正面积极的态度 您对生活周遭环境的应对跟您的状态和领导能力息息相关。二次世界大战的时候，一件真人真事记述了一位新娘子和丈夫搬到沙漠居住的故事。 因为她从小在树多人多的地方长大，所以觉得沙漠实在偏僻荒凉。而他们的住房更是对新娘子的心情一点帮助也谈不上。那是坐落在美国土著印第安人村落旁边的一个废墟。这些邻居连英语都不懂说。新娘子常常独自一个人，天天在炙热中等待丈夫回家。 有一次丈夫出远门，她就写信告诉母亲说“我要回家了”。不久她在母亲的来信上看到了回答，“两个犯人在牢房里瞅着。一位看着地上的泥泞，另一位则见到天上的星星。”这句话使得新娘子更清楚地看到了自己的处境。也许她无能改变环境，可是她可以改变自己。 她开始和邻居交朋友，向他们学习编织衣服、制作陶器。她花时间认识沙漠，发现其中的大自然美。突然间，她感觉自己住在一个崭新的世界里——唯一的变化是她的态度。领导人看事情正面，做事情积极。 三 卓越的领导人事事专注 当一个人不专注的时候就会坏事。一天一位企业家到花店为朋友新店开张订购花圈。花店老板忙的不得了，一边填写别的订单，一边记录企业家的订购资料。 几个小时之后，企业家到朋友开张的新店道贺，在那里看到了以自己名字署名赠送的花圈，上面的祝贺语说，“在这悲伤之际我同感致哀”。您可想着这企业家有多么生气。 他拿起电话向花店老板抱怨地说，“到底怎么回事？你可知道你叫我多么难看吗？” 花店老板说，“我实在很抱歉，您来订花圈的时候我没有专注。可是您的窘境还没有葬仪社那头来的糟糕。那边花圈上的讣闻是‘恭贺您在新地点万事如意’。” 在忙乱中任何人都能犯无心的过失。然而，不专注的人遇上麻烦并非因为他们忙，而是因为他们没有理好事情的轻重缓急。最后导致时间与资源的浪费。 如果您一件接一件事情地忙碌却一无进展，如果您怎么努力总达不到目标，请检查看看自己是否专注。缺乏专注，没有领导人能够推动进展。卓越的领导人按事情的轻重缓急作计划，专注于目标不偏离。 四 领导人是委身的人 我相信没有委身您终生不能完成任何有价值的事情。请听约翰凡高士的这句话，“除非一个人委身，否则他总会犹豫，有打退堂鼓的可能。一旦这个人真的委了身，这决定会使得他实事求是，而各种有利的无形因素和想象不到的物质帮助也会像潮水般的涌向他来。” 记得上次失败的经历吗？是因为你失败，后来就不再尝试了呢，还是因为您不再尝试，所以后来失败了呢？您有没有为了目标竭尽所能？您有没有在一切努力之后再加把劲？即便在知道您的努力可能遭到批评的情况下，您仍然愿意全力以赴吗？ 一旦您委了身，失败不再表示您永远不能成功，它只表示成功必然在望，只是需要多一点时间而已。领导人委身他的目标，竭尽一切努力完成计划。 五 领导人愿意改变 一个人寻求成就、成长、成功所面临最无情的敌人可能是欠缺酌情变通的能力。有些人似乎太迷恋过去，而无法面对现在。 很少有事情带来的挫折感比在不适合您的工作与组织上窒碍难行更大。那就像穿大两号或小两号的鞋子一样难受。 您是位销售人才却在做会计的工作吗？您坐在公司的总裁位子上却真希望在家带孩子吗？您宁愿在教会担任牧师，却肩负着工程师的责任吗？您是位企业家却在一个思想越来越落伍的组织中工作吗？ 检讨自己，分析现况。如果你和现单位搭配不当，考虑换个环境。 好的领导人并不需要爱变，但是需要愿意接受改变。改变是个人成长的催化剂。它把您从泥坑中拉出来，给您一个新的开始和重新检视自己方向的机会。抵挡改变的人事实上是在抵挡成功。学习灵活变通吧，否则您就要学着与失败为伍了。领导人在必要的时候能够接受改变。 六 领导人学会忍耐到底 拿破仑曾说，“胜利归于坚持到最后的哪一个人”。多数人都忽略了有价值的成就需要时间，成功必须付上代价。詹姆斯瓦特用了二十年工夫来改善他发明的蒸汽引擎。威廉哈维日以继夜地工作了八年，才证实人体内血液如何循环。哈维之后医学界又花了二十五年才认知到他说得不错。 你认识圣经里那位伟大的领导，使徒保罗吗？在他的第一次宣教之旅，人用石头丢他，把他的身体留在死人堆中。第二次宣教之旅，人把他打入牢房。保罗如何面对那处境呢？他不断地祈祷赞美上帝，直到监狱里的每一扇门为他而开。 我相信今天对大家都适用的一句座右铭是：竭尽一切所能，不断努力向前。 好几次我们可以赢的却输了，就为了怕继续向别人讨教，怕继续求人，怕继续敲人的门。我们往旁边一站，让别人来承担风险。只怕，最后得到奖赏的也会是别人。 心理学家约瑟夫曼库西说，“领导人学会了做一般情况下大家不愿意尝试的事情。在恐惧和打从心里不想去面对的心情中迎向前去，这就是领导。”领导人学会坚持到底，决不放弃目标。 七 领导人不单靠才华 现代社会过于重视才华。这么说不是因为才华没有价值，但是单靠才华人不能承受生命附带的所有挫折。在才华之上锻炼扎实的工作道德犹如火上加油，是极具爆炸性的。 伟大的领导人都有这项认知，而一些相似领导的人却误认为有才华就够了。人生的经历使我深信才华再好，永远不增不减，单靠才华的人会很快到达顶峰，也会很快消逝无踪。 报纸喜欢登载五岁音乐神童的故事，然而您很少看到这些音乐神童成为莫扎特的报道。这说明了不论他的天赋如何，莫扎特在他的才华之外不断地努力，是努力使得他精益求精。从这个基础着眼，莫扎特和我们是一样的。 我也认识到一个事实，您才华越高，越可能过于依靠它，而省略日精月益的磨练。 如果您是有这不好的倾向，一定得想出个长进之道，让上帝所赐的天赋能助您结出更大的成果。 好的领导人会努力使今天比昨天好，会想办法使明天比今天更好。领导人不单单依靠才华，而看重每天的努力与磨练。 八 领导人学会根据很少的讯息作好的决定 成功的领导人有一个共同点，他们都有根据有限讯息作出重要决定的能力。而且，他们都能够在分析事务的时候掌握可靠讯息。麦克阿瑟将军深知这个领导特质的重要。他说，“在所有情报中，只有百分之五是正确的。好的指挥官的秘诀在于从中分辨出那正确的百分之五。” 当生活与事业的脚步加快之际，收集讯息和分析它们的困难度也随之增加。微软总经理比尔盖兹先生出版的畅销书“与思维同步的商业”，正是探讨这一主题。 许多生意没能成交都是因为讯息不正确，或是不足。前些时候福斯与宝马这两家汽车公司的竞争就是个例子。他们都想买下著名的豪华车劳斯莱斯公司，后来福斯公司以七亿八千万美元成交。 之后不久才发现，虽然他们拥有了公司，却没有使用劳斯莱斯这个商标的权利。全球都知道劳斯莱斯这名字就是豪华车的代表。拥有劳斯莱斯这个商标的是一家航天公司。 您猜后来谁得到了劳斯莱斯这个商标的使用权。是宝马，而不是福斯公司。事情会有这样结果正是因为讯息的不足。 领导人学会根据很少的讯息，作出重要的决定。 九 领导人设定目标 没有目标是我们失败的主要原因。有人曾经说过这么一句话，“我们的世界有太多人不知道他们这一生要什么，也不知道为了美梦成真而全力以赴。 目标就是梦想和实现它的时间表。有些人没有目标，因为他们不让自己怀抱梦想，结果呢，一生什么愿望也没有。 如果您发现自己也是这样，请扪心自问，“我是为了什么活在这个地球上！”一旦您发现了人生的目的，就知道倾力投注的目标。 领导人学会发现削弱他的缺点，并且着手弥补，定时完成。如果您开始按此而行，这会改变您的一生。 领导人知道他这一生要什么，并且会给自己设定目标。 十 领导人是有心人 前面我为您介绍了九个领导人的特质。我所认识的领导人，或多或少都拥有前面九个特质。然而，一个人可能拥有这九个特质，却不算是领导；虽然也能有所成就，却称不上是位领导。有一个特质是所有伟大领导人必备的，这特质使他与众不同，使他佩为领导。这个特质是什么呢？我发现领导人都是有心人。他们对人有爱、对事感恩。 请让我描述真实的一幕给您听。 一位老人在佛罗里达沙滩上走着。太阳像个红色的球正落在海平面上。海浪洗刷着沙滩。海水的盐味刺鼻。斜阳留不住日光浴的游客，夜幕低垂前钓鱼的人也走了，海滩上空荡荡的。除了零星几位散步慢跑的人之外，只有这位孤零零的老人。 他手上拿着一个筒子，是一筒虾。这虾不是给自己的，不是给鱼吃的，是给海鸥的。 老人来到一条被落日晒得金黄的海堤，一步步地走到海堤的尽头，开始他一个星期一次的礼仪。 他静静地站着，在那里等待。 不久天上布满了移动的黑点。宁静逐渐被鸟叫声取代。海鸥填满了上空，遮盖了海堤，它们长途跋涉来会见老人。 大约半个小时之久，海鸥们环绕着海堤上浓眉、驼背的老人，直到筒子里的虾被吃完为止。 然而，即便食物尽了，鸟儿们仍然在那里徘徊，似乎那里有着什么比食物更吸引它们。海鸥在老人帽子上休息，在海堤上散步，与老人共处这段时光。 老人每星期离开的时候，从不忘记向海鸥说声“谢谢”。 这位老人的名字叫做艾迪瑞肯贝克，他是一位二战英雄，后来成为一位了不起的美国企业领导人。1942 年十月他在一次跨海任务中失踪。 当时瑞肯贝克奉命把一个情报亲自送交给麦克阿瑟将军。他挑选一组机员，上了一架B-17空中堡垒轰炸机开始横越南太平洋。途中飞机偏离航道，汽油耗尽，他们在海面上紧急迫降。 所幸八位组员全部生还，登上一个救生筏。接着所面对的是与天气，海水，鲨鱼，烈日的战斗，而所有斗争中的头号敌人是饥饿。八天之后，逃生的念头已经耗尽，所有的选择已告消失。只有神迹才能救他们。 神真的显了神迹。 那些日子，祷告是他们所能做的事情当中最重要的一件。一个下午，瑞肯贝克刚刚带领大家做完每日对神的敬拜，结束祷告。他正阖上眼睛准备休息，突然一个东西落到他的帽子上。他不知道为什么会知道，但是他知道帽子上是什么。那是一只海鸥，如果能够抓到它的话，那代表食物。瑞肯贝克真抓到了海鸥。 海鸥被大家吃了。鸟儿的内脏被用来做饵钓鱼。八位组员全数生还。 那只海鸥为什么飞到距离陆地几百公里的大海中来？只有神知道。 但是不论什么原因，瑞肯贝克非常感谢神。从此之后，每个星期五的黄昏，他会带着一桶虾和感恩的心，在海堤的尽头与海鸥相会。 艾迪瑞肯贝克先生后来当上了东方航空公司的总裁，在他的领导下，东方航空成为所有美国同行中获利最高的航空公司。领导人是有心人。 朋友，感谢您给我这份殊荣，为您介绍这十个领导人的特质。再次简述如下： 第一，领导人重视与人和睦相处的技能。 第二，领导人看事情正面，做事情积极。 第三，领导人按事情的轻重缓急作计划，专注于目标不偏离。 第四，领导人委身于他的目标，竭尽一切努力完成计划。 第五，领导人在必要的时候，能够接受改变。 第六，领导人学会坚持到底，决不放弃目标。 第七，领导人不单单依靠才华，而看重每天的努力与磨练，。 第八，领导人学会在不足的讯息下，做出重要的决定。 第九，领导人知道他这一生要什么，并且会立定终生的目标。 第十，领导人是懂得感恩、是把别人幸福当作自己责任的有心人。 最后我想为听众朋友读一首诗，这首诗文把群众当中一位好的领导人的形象描述得既清楚、又踏实。什么是领导呢？这首诗说: 当他们想留给自己的时候，领导人把好的给别人。 当需要别人为他们祈祷的时候，领导为别人祷告。 当他们灵魂饥渴的时候，领导人喂养别人的灵魂。 在行善没有回报的时候，领导在人前按真理而行。 当不能向别人诉苦的时候，领导与哀痛的人同哀。 当实际情况很难做到的时候，领导人却信守承诺。 在肉体欲望强大的趋势前面，领导人忠信于上帝。 朋友，您想做领导吗？但愿在神的帮助和不断地努力下，您能成为一位卓越的领导。谢谢您阅读这份领导人专题文章。我是查尔斯考迪欧，世界基督徒广播公司总裁。愿神祝福您。 |
I am Charles Caudill, President of World Christian Broadcasting. Thank you for being interested in this article about leadership. I have had the great privilege of knowing some great leaders in my life. I have known presidents, governors, senators, congressmen, University presidents, baseball managers, football coaches, CEO's- - all of them excellent leaders, but not one of them the same. They are all different. Some are short. Some are tall. Some are handsome. Some are not. Some are good speakers. Some are not. All are different. But, I have observed that there are at least 10
characteristics that all leaders have in at least some amount. Let me tell
you what those observations are. The greatest single obstacle to success that I see in others is a poor understanding of people. A while back the Wall Street Journal printed an article on the reasons that executives fail. At the top of the list was a person's inability to effectively relate to others. You can have great academic intelligence and still lack social intelligence - the ability to be a good listener, to be sensitive toward others, to give and take criticism well. If people don't like you, they may help you fail. On the other hand you can get away with serious mistakes if you are socially intelligent. How are you when it comes to working with people? Are you genuine and authentic? Or do you expect everyone to conform to your wishes, your schedule and your agenda? Making people skills a strength will take you farther than any other skill you develop. People like to follow people they like and respect. Or to put it the way President Theodore Roosevelt did: "The most important single ingredient in the formula of (leadership) is knowing how to get along with people." (2) Leaders have a positive attitude. Your reaction to the circumstances of your life has everything to do with your well-being and your abilities as a leader. The story is told of the young bride who traveled with her husband to the desert during World War, II. Because she had grown up where there were trees and many people, the desert seemed remote and desolate to her. Where they lived didn't make it any easier. The only housing they could find was a shack near a village of Native Americans, none of whom spoke English. She spent a lot of time there alone, waiting out the sweltering heat every day. When her husband was gone for a long period she wrote her mother to say she was returning home. A few days later she received this reply: "Two men looked from prison bars, one saw mud, one saw stars." Those words helped the young woman to see things more clearly. Maybe she couldn't improve her circumstances, but she could improve herself. She made friends with her neighbors. She began working with them on weaving and pottery and she took time to explore the desert and discover its natural beauty. All of a sudden, she was living in a new world - and the only thing that had changed was her attitude. Every great leader has a positive attitude. Bad things happen when a person doesn't focus. One day a businessman visited a florist shop to order flowers for a friend who was opening a new business. The floral shop owner was unusually busy and was trying to fill other orders while she took the businessman's information. Later that day, the man visited his friend's grand opening and saw a big floral wreath with his name on it that said, "With Deepest Sympathy During This Time of Sorrow." Of course, the businessman was upset. He called the florist to complain and asked, "What in the world happened? Do you have any idea how stupid you made me look?" "I'm so sorry," the shop owner said. "I was not focused when you came by. But, your situation wasn't nearly as bad as it was at the funeral home. That card read, 'Best Wishes in your New Location!" Anybody can make an honest mistake when things are hectic. But, people lacking focus have trouble not because they are too busy, but because they don't set their priorities properly. And that wastes time and resources. If you go from task to task without making progress, or you can't seem to reach a goal no matter how much effort you give it, examine your focus. No leader can move forward without it. (4) A leader is committed. I am convinced that without commitment, you cannot accomplish anything of value. Listen to these words of Johann Von Goethe. "Until one is committed, there is hesitance, the chance to draw back, and always ineffectiveness ... The moment one definitely commits oneself...a whole stream of events issue from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way." The last time you failed, did you stop trying because you failed or did you fail because you stopped trying? What was your level of commitment? Did you give the task everything you had? Did you go the extra mile? Did you put enough of yourself on the line to guarantee that you would give your very best? If you are committed, a failure doesn't mean that you'll never succeed. It just means it will take longer. No leader is without commitment. (5) A leader is willing to change. Perhaps the most relentless enemy of achievement or personal growth or success is inflexibility. Some people seem to be so in love with the past that they can't deal with the present. Few things in life are more frustrating than being stuck in a profession or organization that doesn't suit you. It's like having to wear shoes that are two sizes too small or too large. Are you a sales person stuck in an accountant's job? Are you a corporate executive who would rather be home raising children? Are you an engineer who would rather be a minister of a church? Are you an entrepreneur working for an organization whose idea of progress is moving backward, but slowly? Evaluate yourself and your situation. If there is a poor fit, think about making a change. You don't have to love change to be a good leader, but you need to be willing to accept it. Change is a catalyst for personal growth. It gets you out of a rut. It gives you a fresh start and it gives you an opportunity to reevaluate your direction. If you resist change, you're really resisting success. Learn flexibility, or learn to like living with your failures. (6) A leader learns to persevere. Napoleon said, "Victory belongs to the most persevering." Most people tend to underestimate the time it to takes to achieve something of value, but to be successful you must be willing to pay your dues. James Watt spent 20 years laboring to perfect his steam engine. William Harvey worked night and day for eight years to prove how blood circulated in the human body. And it took another 25 years for the medical profession to acknowledge he was right. And what about that great leader, the Apostle Paul? On his first missionary journey they stoned him and left him for dead. On his second one, they threw him into prison. And how did he handle that? He prayed and praised God until every door in his prison opened! He persevered. I am convinced that the word for all of us today is: "Give it all you've got and keep pressing on!" So many times we lose when we could have won, because we were afraid to keep to asking, afraid to keep seeking, afraid to keep knocking. We just stand aside and let someone else take the risk - and receive the reward. Psychologist Joseph Mancusi said this: "Leaders have learned to do what does not come naturally. Leadership lies in experiencing fear or aversion and acting in spite of it." (7) A leader doesn't rely on talent alone. Talent is overrated. Not because it doesn't have value, but because talent isn't enough to take a person through the multiple failures that life brings. Adding a strong work ethic to talent is like pouring gasoline on a fire. It's explosive. Great leaders understand this, though some would-be leaders mistakenly believe that talent alone will be enough. I am convinced that even at best, talent remains a constant, and those who rely on talent alone will peak quickly and soon fade into obscurity. Newspapers love to print stories about five-year-old musical prodigies giving solo recitals, but you rarely read about one going on to become a Mozart. The point is that whatever his initial gift, Mozart was also an artist who learned to work on his gift, and as a result of that, he improved. In that respect Mozart shares common ground with all of us. I have learned that the greater your talent the more likely you are to lean heavily on it and skip the hard day-to-day work of improving it. If you possess this negative tendency, put yourself on a growth plan so you can make the most of your God-given talent. Good leaders try to be better today than they were yesterday and are looking for ways to be even better tomorrow. (8) Leaders learn to make good decisions with poor information. Successful leaders have in common the ability to make weighty decisions based on limited amounts of information. But, they also have in common the ability to gather reliable information to use as they evaluate issues. General Douglas MacArthur knew this. He said this: "Expect only five percent of an intelligence report to be accurate. The trick of a good commander is to isolate the five percent." As the pace of life and business increase, the difficulty of being able to collect and evaluate information will increase. In fact, Bill Gates's best selling book Business at the Speed of Thought was written specifically to address this issue. Many, many business deals have gone wrong because someone had bad information or not enough information. An example would be the battle not too long ago between Volkswagen and BMW, the famous automobile makers. They both wanted the famous luxury car company Rolls-Royce. Volkswagen won by paying $780 million. They, shortly found out that they owned the company, but not the rights to the name Rolls Royce, which is synonymous with luxury cars around the world. The license for the name belonged to Rolls-Royce PLC, an aerospace company. Guess who received permission to use the name. BMW - not Volkswagen. And it all happened because of poor information. (9) A leader sets goals. The major cause of failure is the absence of goals. Someone has said that "ours is a world where people don't know what they want and are willing to do anything to get it." A goal is nothing more than a dream with a time limit. Many people don't have goals because they haven't allowed themselves to dream. As a result they don't possess a desire. If that describes you then you must look deep within yourself and try to determine why you are on this planet. Once you've discovered that, you'll know what to shoot for. Leaders learn to discover the weakness that weakens them, and then they do something about it - with a timetable for completion. If you can start doing that it will change your life. As I have mentioned all along, all of the leaders I have known possess to one degree or another all of the attributes I have mentioned. It is possible however, to have these qualities and 'still not' be a leader - maybe somewhat successful, but not a leader. There is one quality that every great leader possesses and even though he may have the nine I have mentioned, this quality sets him apart and actually validates his leadership. I call it heart. Some would call it love - some gratitude. You put the name on it you desire. (10) A great leader has heart!! Let me describe a scene for you. An old man walk down a Florida Beach. The sun sets like an orange ball on the horizon. The waves slap the sand. The smell of salt water stings the air. The beach is vacant - no sun to entice the sunbathers - not enough light for the fishermen. So aside from a few joggers and strollers, the old man is alone. He carries a bucket in his hand. A bucket of shrimp. It's not for him. It's not for the fish. It's for the seagulls. He walks to an isolated pier that has been turned to gold by the setting sun. He steps out to the end of the pier. The time has come for this weekly ritual. He stands and waits. Pretty soon the sky is filled with a mass of moving dots. The silence gives way to the screeching of birds. They fill the sky and cover the pier. They are on a pilgrimage to meet the old man. For half-an-hour or so, the bushy browed, shoulder bent, old man will stand on the pier surrounded by the birds of the sea- until his bucket is empty. But, even after the food is gone, the birds still linger. They linger as if they are attracted by more than the food. They perch on his hat. They walk on the pier. They all share a moment together. The old man on the pier couldn't go a week without saying "Thank you." The man's name is Eddie Rickenbacker, a great war hero and later a great American Business leader. In October of 1942, he was reported missing at sea. He had been sent on a mission to deliver a message to General Douglas MacArthur. With a hand picked crew in a B-17, a "Flying Fortress" he set off across the South Pacific. Some where the crew became lost, the fuel ran out and the plane went down. All eight crew members escaped into life rafts. They battled the weather, the water, the sharks, and the sun. But, most of all they battled - hunger. After eight days their rations were gone. They were out of options. It would take a miracle for them to survive. A miracle occurred. After an afternoon devotional, the men said a prayer and tried to rest. Those prayers may have been the most important thing they ever did. As Rickenbacker was dozing with his hat over his eyes, something landed on his head. He would later say that he knew it was a seagull. He didn't know how he knew - he just knew. That gull meant food - -if he could catch it. And he did. The flesh was eaten. The intestines were used as bait - and the crew was able to survive. What was a seagull doing hundreds of miles away from land? Only God knows. But, whatever the reason, Eddie Rickenbacker was thankful. As a result, every Friday evening he walked to the pier, his bucket full of shrimp and his heart full of thanks. LEADERSHIP Leadership is giving when you feel like keeping,
praying for others when you need to be prayed for, feeding others when your own soul is hungry, living the truth before others even when you can't see results, hurting with others when your own hurt can't be spoken, keeping your word even when it is not convenient. Leadership is being faithful when your flesh wants to run the other way. |
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