I am reminded of my son when he was in primary school. I saw leadership portrayed at a young age in how he would motivate the team to excel, even though they lost match after match. The team would pray before a game and every time they went back onto the field, they were full of excitement, motivated to enjoy and do their best. They were undoubtedly winners every time, irrespective of the score.
When we talk about today’s life, we see things around us like covid, economical challenges, loss of jobs and high crime rates. Daily, we read, see, feel, and talk about it. Everywhere we see how leaders are elected, appointed, and held accountable to implement change. Now sitting on the outside, it is easier to criticize, but when the responsibility is for example to lead a nation, it surely cannot be easy. I mean, it is difficult enough, having to lead a household, needless to say a nation.
I have worked in management for many years, and I have come to realise that leadership and management are intertwined because the one needs the other to ensure lasting success. According to the online dictionary, management is “the process of dealing with or controlling things or people.” Therefore, it involves coordinating and administration of tasks to achieve goals. Leadership is “the action of leading a group of people or organisation.”
This involves developing and help people to reach their full potential. We need to understand what full potential, according to God is. We read in Philippians 4:13 that we can do everything through Christ who gives us strength. Yes, we might not do it like someone else, but if God says we can do something, then we can! Therefore, both management and leadership have a role to play to achieve goals, but the one needs the other to ensure positive lasting results.
Let us look further than leadership in politics, churches, and business environments. Everything cannot be fixed just by government’s top down approach. Remember, at some point the one at the top, came from the bottom. What about leadership in our own families? To contribute to loving, successful and even building communities, nations, and the world, we must start at home. Read carefully, not controlling at home, leading at home. We need to go back to God’s Doctrine on leadership and the example we have in Jesus Christ, for that is our benchmark.
Every team needs a leader, and now I am referring also to the team as being your family. God created man and woman in His image (Genesis 1:27) and looking at the composition of your team it should start with God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit and then man/woman. Hence, we have a mentor and coach in Jesus Christ, who leads us and provides direction from God’s Doctrine, which is God’s Word in the Bible.
The Bible is full of visions, missions, strategies, goals, objectives, guidelines, past experiences to learn from and even risk mitigation. With Jesus as the coach, remember that He has lived life on earth, and we learn from Him how to be a leader. It involves, listening, knowing that every person’s opinion matters, understanding hurt and serving in humbleness. Reading in God’s Doctrine, we see how leaders grew by making mistakes and learning from it, whilst accepting God’s discipline. Remember, we are all winners in Christ and when we fail, we are not failures but proteges, constantly striving to be better and live out holy lives.
If you are in a leadership position at your house, workplace, church or even amongst your friends, remember that if God is not your leader, then how will you lead the people, who must go into this world to build, restore and heal nations? People are craving and in desperate need of strong leadership to direct and guide them in contributing to solving issues in our lives, economy, safety, and future.
Therefore, they will “eat” from any plate that offers some kind of leadership. People need God but instead they settle for temporary worldly satisfaction. The key point here is to ensure that us, the church of Christ, give them leaders who will lead people to reach their full potential in Christ in order to contribute to bettering their lives, the lives of others and hence the future.
I am sure you have heard of the saying that true leaders are born. Well, if you choose to be saved in Christ, you are born again (John 3:1 – 21). Remember, in Christ you are a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come (2 Cor 5:17). So, it is never too late to take up your leadership role. Even if you are of old age, you still can make an impact and your legacy will live on in the people you have touched. In Christ, you have a life coach who guides you in making your contribution to build new leaders who will change the world.
The direct world around you includes your spouse, kids, family members, colleagues, friends and neighbours. When you lead by example, you will impact them positively, which will have a positive ripple effect in the communities, workplaces, governments, cities and nations.
I studied the book of Exodus in the Bible and I was looking into the management and leadership portrayed by both Moses and his brother, Aaron. Please read Exodus 1 – 14. Moses, just like Aaron, was called by God. Aaron was confident in himself and eloquent of speech. Moses doubted himself. This does not mean that he was not eloquent of speech, as God chose Him to lead the people out of Egypt, hence God knew that Moses had the ability to lead. Even though God showed Moses powers and wonders that he would perform so that the people would believe him, he still doubted and said to God that He should rather choose someone else.
Eventually, God told Moses that He will instruct him, but that Aaron could speak on his behalf. We then continue to read how Moses and Aaron lead about 600 000 men (excluding women and kids) out of Egypt. Every time the Israelites needed help, whether it was to cross the Red Sea, in need of water or food, they called upon their leader, Moses, for help. Moses then called upon God, who instructed him and only then did Moses act. This action was communicated to the team (Israelites) and all had a role to play in the execution of tasks.
Moses, irrespective of his unbelief in his abilities, was an excellent leader, just as was David, Joseph and King Jehoshaphat and many more as we read in the Bible. If we have such good examples of successful leaders in the Bible, then why are they not studied more by scholars and leadership entities? Are we not supposed to learn from the past to build a better future?
If we understand our God, our roles in Him and lead according to His Word, everyone should be clear on what needs to be done, when, where, how and with whom. Then only, will people serve another in humbleness and work together in building a better future. So, today I want to ask you, who is the leader in your house, workplace and amongst your friends? You see, if the hierarchy is correct, there should be no problem to grow future leaders who want to grow and build future families, nations and a brighter future. Remember, we are all chosen by God, to lead by His example.
I end with a definition on leadership by Bill Lawrence, from Leader Formation International at Bible.org: “Leadership is an act of influencing/serving others out of Christ’s interests in their lives, so they accomplish God’s purpose for and through them.” Therefore, never again say that you are not or cannot be a leader, for that is what Moses said and yet God knew better. He might have allowed Aaron to speak, but Moses was still the chosen one to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
You might feel that you have failed as a leader but take a moment of reflection and speak to God about it. It is never too late to make corrections. However, make sure the corrections are based on God’s Word. Pull the people in your life together and tell them that God is now your leader. Ask forgiveness where you might have failed and say that you now want to lead by Christ’s example. God did not give up on Moses and He will not give up on you either!
Love in Christ, Princess K