The latest episode of the Cold Case Christianity podcast is a must-listen, especially from about 9:20 to 30:33. I listened to it twice, and shared it with a friend who I am mentoring. She liked it as well, and it caused both of us to think deeply.

You can grab the MP3 file here. (39 MB)

Here is is his summary:

In this podcast, J. Warner talks about the importance of leadership for those of us who hope to share the truth about Jesus. When most of us think about evangelism, we think of the importance of apologetics or understanding how to articulate the Gospel. We often overlook the role of good leadership. But if you hope to lead someone to Christ, you’ll need to become a good leader.

Topics:

• Excellence at what you do is the minimum requirement for being a good leader, but it’s not enough
• First thing: you need to have the respect of the people you are trying to lead (e.g. – good character, courage, concern for others, etc.)
• Second thing: you need to gain the trust of the people you are trying to lead, and that means performing consistently over time
• Third thing: you need to gain a hearing from the people you are trying to lead, but that means being willing to speak to them, too
• An example of good leadership: Jim’s father leading everyone to a cabin in the woods

The key insight I pulled out of this is that in order to lead someone, you have to gain their respect, gain their trust, and gain their ear. The podcast features a very practical application of the principles he describes.