Chris Tomlin is the most influential Christian recording artist in the world today and an absolutely great leader. His recent cd Burning Lights debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts with over 4 million units sold. This is only the fourth time in Billboard’s history that a Christian album debuted in the top spot.
On Thursday, January 24th, Chris appeared on Fox and Friends to discuss his success, the power of music, and bring awareness to the issue of global slavery. The following are six quotes and principles from the interview above that all leaders can learn from:
- Great Leaders Surround Themselves With A Great Team – To accomplish anything significant, Chris stated, “It takes a great team.”
- Great Leaders Know Success Is A Process – It takes years to build a large platform and loyal following. Tribes rarely birth overnight. Like many, I have been a raving Chris Tomlin fan for years. When discussing the cd’s success, Chris said, “It’s not my first album. It’s been year of building.”
- Great Leaders Serve Others – I remember watching a video several years ago when one of Chris’s band members said, “We write songs the church can sing.” I remember saying to my wife, “That is brilliant. Why would a Christian artist do anything different?” During the Fox interview, Tomlin echoed, “I write songs to give people a voice to worship God…I write songs to help people express their faith.” When leaders use their influence and abilities to serve others, they multiply their impact.
- Great Leaders Provide Hope – Leaders are dealers of hope. They point to a brighter tomorrow. We live in a fearful and uncertain society. Tomlin’s music addresses that head-on. He says, “We live in a world of fear and that’s not our story…To lift people up. To lift their spirits up.”
- Great Leaders Have Great Discipline– Chris teaches leaders a universal principle when he stated, “What you put in comes out.” Leaders who reach their full potential understand they must be disciplined about what they put into the life – exercise, diet, spiritual disciplines, time management, etc… He goes on to discuss the unique power that music has. He says, “Music gets to the soul so quick, faster than any other art form.”
- Great Leaders Are Part Of A Greater Cause – Chris, along with the entire Passion team, are focused on ending global slavery and bringing hope to the 27 million men, women, and children currently trapped in it. It is shocking to think we live in a world where there is more slaves than at any other time in the history. You can go to www.EndItMovement.com to learn more about how you can get involved in ending this tragedy.
A Great Team, Process, Serving Others, Providing Hope, Great Discipline, and a Greater Cause. If you embrace these six principles, you too will have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of others.
I have purchased two copies of Burning Lights. If you not gotten your copy yet, go to www.ChrisTomlin.com and get your copy TODAY!
Subscribe here so future posts can be directly to your Inbox. As a gift for doing so, I will also send you a FREE copy of my brand new eBook 455 Leadership Quotes: Lessons From 2012′s Top Christian Conference Speakers.