The Heart of a Leader: Hal Donaldson’s Life-Changing Truths on Vision and Service
I had the great pleasure to sit down with my dear friend, Hal Donaldson, and interview him at the headquarters of Convoy of Hope in Springfield, Missouri. If you are unfamiliar with this non-profit organization, it provides humanitarian relief across the United States and around the world not only when disasters strike, but to care for individuals and families on an ongoing basis. Convoy has served over 200 million people worldwide, distributed $2.5B in relief funds, while feeding 600,000 children daily, empowering women, resourcing farmers, and equipping churches to reach their communities.
What deeply impresses me about Hal are truths that he has come to embody, which he then infused into the culture of his organization. He truly is an amazing leader! Here are some of the truths we talked about.
Truth #1: Vision is God-Given and God-Driven
God births a vision in us to do something so much greater than we could accomplish by our own wisdom and ability. He lays a grander purpose on our hearts and we develop a passion, an excitement to bring it to fruition. This passion in us stirs others and, when hardships come, drives us forward. The Holy Spirit gives insights, feeding our thoughts with direction, caution, and encouragement. It is critical to regularly seek God to hear Him with a vision. We don’t own it. He owns it. And we must be faithful to draw from His leading throughout the process as a manager of that vision, nurturing it by drawing from the one Source.
Truth #2: Change doesn’t come without making some changes, and they begin in the heart
Before God can use our hands, He changes our hearts. For Hal, that looked like a redirected focus earlier in life. He initially traveled to eight cities to conduct research for a book, interviewing the homeless, prostitutes, drug dealers, and others in his path. This experience changed Hal, allowing his heart to break for those who live in a cycle of struggle. This Spirit-led reconnaissance reoriented his focus to begin a small ministry of compassion that now has a global reach as the 35th largest charity in the US. Hal advocates for not isolating ourselves from the real needs of others but to become involved in the lives of those in our sphere of influence, especially those who don’t follow Jesus. Let yourself see people’s needs and invite God to lead your heart.
Truth #3: Keep your vision hot
To keep vision as his True North, Hal draws from Christ’s example of compassion. To keep the flame burning, he describes the need to remain close to Jesus, living with an ear to heaven through prayer to keep a holy communication channel open. Even Jesus didn’t meet everyone’s needs, yet still did exactly what His Father asked Him to do. With so many needs before him, Hal makes prayer by himself and with his wife the means to intimacy with God. He also describes how he receives clarity from the Holy Spirit by reading scripture daily. Consistent, godly habits keep the vision hot.
To watch Part 1 of the interview, click here. Stay tuned to the continuation of life-changing truths with Hal Donaldson in our next LeadershipYOU blog!