THE THRUST OF LEADERSHIP

Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave. – Jesus Christ

AT THE number one spot on John C. Maxwell’s list of 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is the Law of the Lid. According to the leadership sage, the Law of the Lid stipulates that “Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness.” “The higher you want to climb,” says Dr Maxwell, “the more you need leadership. The greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence needs to be.” In the corporate world, people who occupy top positions are labelled leaders. Heads of states are referred to as leaders of their respective countries. Parents are called leaders of the home. People who rise to the top are leaders. If you sincerely desire to advance, then be a leader. The height you will attain in your life is linked to the amount of leadership you have in you.

LEADERSHIP IS NOT POSITION
IT IS possible to be in leadership and not lead. The world is stuffed with scenarios where top level people have been removed from office for non-performance, incompetence, ineptitude...whatever it is termed. A crucial thing to note about leadership is that it is not merely attained by having a title or a position. Leadership is more functional than it positional. Anyone who does not perform creditably in a leadership position will receive the boot – later, if not immediately.

A true leader ranks competence and service above position. They have a bottomless desire to instigate positive changes wherever they find themselves. On top of their desire, they develop the capacity to translate their wishes into actions which produce tangible results. By doing so they qualify themselves for promotion into high offices. Leadership does not begin with a position or title. It can start from anywhere; by deciding to and actually becoming a pillar of influence in the lives of people around you.

LEADERSHIP IS SERVICE
THE biggest companies are the ones with the most numerous clients. Large churches are defined by their huge memberships. Big schools have many students. To be a great leader, you must be a great servant. The more people you serve, the higher you rise in your leadership walk. A leader is a servant. Jesus taught his disciples that, “whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave.” Instead of seeking for privileged positions and big titles, we must determine to offer useful service wherever we find ourselves. Leadership is a function of service and contribution to people around us.

Companies which serve their customers well become market leaders. Churches that are congregation-oriented grow from strength to strength. As you serve with excellence, you attract more followers and by attracting more followers, you expand your influence.

THE LEADER’S MANDATE
I PERSONALLY believe that our leadership mandate originates from God. Primarily, God wired us to have dominion and rule over His creation. There are four implications I would like to address:

1. Leadership is fundamental and universal. It has no gender or skin colour. Every human being has a mandate to lead in one area or another.

2. Our mandate to rule is not necessarily over each other but over the earth. Being a leader is not the same as being a boss with many servants under you. Leaders use the resources at their disposal to enhance the lives of their followers.

3. You lead best by engaging your gift. Billy Graham and T. D. Jakes are great leaders in the church world. They’ve both made landmark impacts in Christian arena; yet they are very different. While Dr Graham is a calm evangelist who speaks primarily on salvation, Bishop Jakes is a charismatic preacher who addresses a wider range of issues. The difference in their ministry styles is brought about by the distinctive gifting and anointing on their lives. The best way to influence people is to serve them with your God-given gift.

4. Leadership must be purpose-driven. As you lead, you must do so with a sense of purpose. You have to sort out why you do what you do and live with that consciousness.

I believe that leadership is a ubiquitous fact of life. It exists in the home, church, corporate world, politics and even in our individual lives; everywhere that human beings matter. The bottom line is that each of us must develop and grow in our leadership abilities and skills.



© 2008 Extracted from the book Attitude is Everything! by Terry Mante
PEDNET
Accra, Ghana