Reasons Don't Matter for Leaders

I recently read an article at the Business Insider website about Steve Jobs, the recently resigned CEO of Apple. Jobs will continue at Apple in some capacity, but he's giving up the reigns as the big boss. The article was about Jobs' training of new VP's. He basically tells them that janitors get to have reasons for not getting their job done. Their key wouldn't work to get into an office to empty the garbage. There was no hot water. The power was out at the building. They were out of cleaning supplies. Valid reasons are acceptable for them. But, he adds:

"When you're the janitor, reasons matter," Jobs tells newly minted VPs,
according to Lashinsky. "Somewhere between the janitor and the CEO, reasons
stop mattering," says Jobs, adding, that Rubicon is "crossed when you become a
VP."

Vice Presidents don't get the luxury of having reasons for not getting the job done. Vice Presidents HAVE to get it done. There are no excuses for failure.

What Jobs is saying is a part of leadership that a lot of people don't understand. Leaders don't get to make excuses. If it doesn't work, the leader IS the reason. It's his or her job to make it work. The bottom line is that there is a different standard leaders. That's part of the burden of leadership. There is a weight to carry for the leader. It is their responsibility to make sure the engine runs. Reasons don't matter. The sad part of that, for me, is that so many in ministry settings don't take that aspect of leadership seriously. Leaders too often look for reasons. Now, this isn't to say that leaders never fail. On the contrary, leaders fail a lot. But real leaders have to claim that failure. "We didn't fail for this reason or that reason. It was my failure. I will learn from it." If leaders, especially leaders in the church, would take this kind of responsibility and accountability seriously, we could move mountains for God. Dear Lord, let it be.

Oh...and thank a leader today!