Leadership Vignette


Leaders Make Others Heroes
By Lovett H. Weems, Jr.

Dr. Mark L. Morris was a pioneer of veterinary medicine. In 1929, Dr. Morris constructed one of the first small-animal hospitals in the United States. In 1933, he founded the American Animal Hospital Association and served as its first president. Known world-wide as the father of small-animal clinical nutrition, he was the developer of prescription pet foods marketed under the name “Science Diet.” He also founded the Morris Animal Foundation in 1948 to sponsor health studies for dogs, cats, horses, and other animals. Actress Betty White has been a board member and spokesperson for the foundation for over three decades.

In 1993, Morris died at age ninety-two. At his memorial service, a knowledgeable veterinarian said that ninety-nine percent of the veterinarians in the world knew of Dr. Morris. He went on to say that veterinarians loved Dr. Morris because he made heroes out of them. Veterinarians were able to use Dr. Morris’s specially formulated diets to the benefit of their ailing animal patients. His innovations made the veterinarians beloved to their clients.

Good leaders make heroes out of many people. Effective leaders find their satisfaction in the fulfillment of the vision, not in personal recognition. This frees them to allow others to be recognized. Good leaders actively seek ways to make others heroes.

Think of what this might mean for your ministry. How might this change the way you relate to others? What could you do with leaders in your church that would help make them heroes in the eyes of those with whom they work? What could you do for teachers that would make them heroes with their students? How could you help improve the ministry of staff members to enhance how they are regarded by members of the congregation?

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