by Michael Duduit Run Toward the Smoke

In his book The Rumsfeld Way, author Jeffery Krames says that on the morning of September 11, 2001, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was speaking to a breakfast meeting at the Pentagon. Among his comments were his observation that "sometime in the next two, four, eight, ten, twelve months, there would be an event in the world that would be sufficiently shocking that it would remind people how important it is to have a strong, healthy defense department."

About 15 minutes after his comments, an airliner crashed into the Pentagon, killing more than 180 people. Krames writes: "Instinctively, Rumsfeld dashed out of the room, asked if anyone knew what had happened, then ran toward the smoke. Surrounded by chaos and rubble and rescue workers, he helped get some of the wounded onto stretchers."

The phrase that jumped out at me as I read that page was that Rumsfeld "ran toward the smoke." At a time of crisis, the natural human instinct is to run away from the danger. That is when leaders emerge; they are the ones who run toward the crisis, because that is where needed actions must take place.

In the July-August issue of Preaching magazine, Andy Stanley makes a similar point about church leaders. He notes, "Many times it's our acts of courage that establish us as leaders in the minds of other people. God has gifted us but nobody knows. God's called us, nobody knows. How do we become leaders? Often it's the person that steps out first. That act of courage establishes people as leaders in the minds of others.

"I say to young leaders eventually there is going to be a defining moment and everybody will be looking off the cliff and you'll realize, 'If I jump first they'll follow me.' And you'll jump and you'll become the leader. You'd already been called. You'd already been gifted but suddenly in that moment is when people say, 'That's somebody worth following.' So be on the look out for that moment."

In Judges 7, Gideon is preparing to lead his small band of soldiers against the much larger army of the enemies of God's people. Gideon demonstrated his leadership by example:

17 "Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon.'" 19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.

Effective leadership requires courage. As Christian leaders, we can be bold knowing that we have One with us who is stronger than any opponent.

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Michael Duduit is President/CEO of American Ministry Resources LLC, and editor of LeaderLinks. You can contact him at michael@leaderlinks.com or visit his website at www.michaelduduit.com