Christ-Like LeadersVoorbeeld

Listen from the Heart 

In 1884, there was a couple who had lost their teenage son through a horrible tragedy. The couple, who were simply dressed, requested a meeting with none other than the president of Harvard University. Back then, the president of Harvard was more accessible than the one they have today, but the man did not know the purpose of the meeting. During the meeting, the parents asked if they could memorialize their son’s life at Harvard. The president offered several options to them, such as getting a plaque to honor his life or offering a scholarship in his name.  The wife then replied, “no sir we’d like to donate a building.” The president rolled his eyes. He glanced up and down at them and exclaimed, “A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical plant at Harvard.”  The couple remained silent and chose to get up and leave. Shortly after that meeting they decided to open their very own university, named after their son, Leland Stanford University. That day, at the meeting with Harvard’s president, the couple was ready to donate $26 million dollars for a building. They had millions to give, but were judged by their appearance, never really knowing how generous they were nor what they were willing to do. Now you can imagine what $26 million were in 1884. It was enough money to start Stanford, which they did. 

I share this story with you because one of the first qualities that a Christian leader needs and quite frankly that we all need, is to listen. We have to be willing to listen. Not just listening to people’s words but listening to them when they speak from the heart. Also, be willing to listen to others with our hearts. True humility calls us to recognize that we really don’t have all the answers, nor do we know everything. There’s a lot that we have to discover. The only way that happens is when we open our minds and hearts to God.