If there is a phrase to describe Wess Stafford as a leader,
I would choose ‘A Leader Who Walks the Talk’.
Not many leaders who are passionately driven at work can
manage the time and efforts and motivation for his/her family well. Wess, a
loving husband and an adorable father of two daughters, has set the main rules
of engagement in his personal life and family life. Putting God as the ultimate
priority that leads to his dedication and commitment for his wife, the
President favors his daughters over the responsibilities as the CEO of one of
the biggest NGOs in the world. “You should have God and family over your career
otherwise you will not be successful at work itself.” Responding to the work
style of Compassion staff that spends many traveling times leaving their
family, Wess shared how he manages to overcome the loss of precious time with
family.
- Before travelling, tell your spouse how you love him/her so much.
- Before travelling, express to your children that you’d rather be with them and spend time with them. Tell them about the thing that you are working with that makes you have to go.
- Once you are in your travelling destination, get the time to call your family just to tell them how you love them so much. Share about what you do and the experience you get.
- Send a post card to your family (although it might arrive lately).
- Once you get back home, spend the time to be with them….hang out….dating….
Moreover
- As a father, be the one who puts your children to bed. Tell them stories that talk about them. Tell them how you have become.
- Sing hymns with them. Teach them songs of praises.
- In dong your ministry, tell them to your children.
- Do not get your hobby over your children. Stop watching or doing work tasks when it comes to taking your children to bed. Avoid having your favorite TV show demotivates your children who want to talk with you.
- Play with your children. Be their toys.
Responding to the question related to his decision to step
down from his position of the President of Compassion International, Wess
Stafford shared how he has personally prepared and mentored four persons in
many years and these candidates are also given to Compassion Board and the
Search Institute. He then recalled his memory to the time when he was asked by
the previous President of Compassion International, Wolly, to take the
responsibilities as his successor. When he was 27 years old and became the
Program Facilitator of Compassion in Haiti, Wolly came to visit Haiti and met
Wess Stafford. Going back to the States, Wolly then told his wife ‘I have found
the right person to be my successor as the President.’ Of course Wess was not
told about this. Wolly then prepared a path of leadership to Wess by giving him
his first leadership role as the Program Director. Afraid of this big
responsibility, Wess was then determined to do the right thing, including
firing his best friend. His best friend then testified how grateful he was to
be fired because he then developed his potential in another ministry. When Wess
was then asked to be willing to be nominated as the President (and he was the
only candidate), he rejected the offer for 3 days. Not until Wolly convinced
him then Wess responded to this calling. Now that he has decided to step down,
he has taken a quest of mentoring some people who have the capacities of being
the leader.
And about leadership, he urged that, “If you haven’t got the passion that drives you to tears in seconds, then you haven’t got the drive that leads you to being a leader. So, what is your passion? Don’t just tell yourself or others that you want to be a leader when you cannot answer the question what is it in you that makes you want to lead.” If something doesn’t move you then you don’t deserve to lead. A leader should be the last man standing when the crisis hits the organization. A leader is the one who holds the vision. And a leader should have the passion and Wess thought that this passion was the reason why Wolly came to the decision to have Wess Stafford as his chosen successor even long before Wolly retired. After being chosen as the President, Wess didn’t directly take the responsibilities. He spent 3 years as the Vice President and worked side-by-side with Wolly. He then remembered that he had rules with Wolly that he would never argue or question Wolly’s decision in public. They would do it individually. He then also started to throw out ideas even though he was not yet the CEO.
One thing that he regarded as the main flaw of being a great leader is being too late to make a decision. He admitted that he did have times in taking a decision long enough that would impact the ministry.
