Lessons Learned in Leadership

PETER W. TEAGUE

I was recently tasked with addressing educators on essential principles of leadership. Reflecting on resources gathered from 50 years of educational administration and my extensive diaries, I found myself traversing the halls of time, reliving the rich experiences I've cherished and the valuable lessons I've learned.

In my teaching approach, I consistently begin by reminding my audience that I share insights from my wealth of 50 years of mistakes and the lessons derived from them. If I've acquired numerous lessons, it's because I've made my fair share of mistakes! Fortunately, mistakes and wrong turns don't always lead to failure. For instance, Alexander Fleming accidentally left a petri dish of bacteria uncovered, leading to the discovery of penicillin. Frank Epperson left a cup of soda pop outside in freezing temperatures, inadvertently inventing the popsicle. Mistakes and wrong turns often lead to new paths and are immensely valuable when used for learning and growth.

American novelist Bernard Malamud once said, “We have two lives, the life we learn with and the life we live with after that.” Living and leading through numerous banner days, battle days, and building days, I've learned that leaders must absorb chaos, mixed messages, and hurtful words with joy, returning calm and hope. This ongoing lesson demands humility, the essence of service to others, and a quality essential for all stages of life.

The highest example of humility is demonstrated when Jesus, after rising from supper with His disciples, laid aside His outer garments, wrapped a towel around His waist, poured water into a basin, and began washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:4-17). I can't imagine a clearer picture of humble servanthood than God incarnate kneeling to wash the feet of those, like us, who were so unworthy. Serving others requires total disregard for image, reputation, fame, comfort, or our agenda. By laying aside His garments, Jesus showed us that true service is not about appearance or image consciousness; rather, it is setting aside our personal matters to benefit others and to do God’s will.

The Lord has bestowed upon us gifts, talents, and skills so that we can serve and bless others. My consistent experience has been that when we sacrifice our own interests in true service to others, God’s blessings surpass anything we might have given up. This aligns with Jesus' message in Luke 18:29-30: “…Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” In serving to bless others, we ourselves receive blessings from God.

Many years ago, English writer Evelyn Underhill wrote: “We mostly spend our lives conjugating three verbs: to want, to have, and to do. Forgetting that none of these verbs have any ultimate significance, except as far as they are transcended by and included in the fundamental verb, to be, and that being and not wanting, not having, and not doing is the essence of the spiritual life.” The essence of her words encapsulates all the leadership principles I have ever learned in my professional journey: Success is fleeting, and the greatest aspiration we can want, have, or pursue is godly character. Everything else can be taken from us, but the core of our being, our character, outlasts them all.

Perhaps all of us reach a point in life when we realize worldly success is fleeting, and yet we find self-fulfilling ambition still tempting us and obscuring what is of ultimate value. Jesus said in Mark 8:36, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” I have learned that trusting God to love me in whatever way He deems best, whether through illness or health, failure or success, financial challenges or wealth, rejection or affirmation, leads to true happiness and peace. The more I grasp the pure, steadfast love of God, the more possible it is to trust Him in all His designs and providences.

Trying to reduce my thoughts to a list of essential principles has thus far taken me on a worthwhile journey of reflection and rediscovery. I have been reminded that the lessons I learned in leadership are ones I will carry with me throughout my life. When all is said and done, I have amassed an endless debt of gratitude to many people, especially to my heavenly Father. Praise be to God, my help through all the years and my hope for years to come. Soli Deo Gloria!

Peter Teague serves on the Board of Directors of the International Alliance for Christian Education. He previously served as president at Lancaster Bible College.