Tag: leadership

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BIBLE AND WEALTH

JETHRO PRINCIPLE!

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And Moses’ father in law said unto him, the thing that thou doest is not good. That wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou are not able to perform it thyself alone. Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God. So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said (Exodus 18:17-19; 24).

Moses did many great things to ensure that the Israelites were delivered from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. Some of the things he did are that, he parted the Red sea into two for the Israelites to walk through to the promised land. Moses most of the time mediated between God and the people of Israel. He also provided Manna and Quail for his people and solved several other problems.

However, Moses was not doing very well in an important area of his ministry.  Moses was spending a lot of time (from morning till evening) to judge cases irrespective of the gravity of the cases. So when his father in law (Jethro) visited, he gave him a very good advise which is sometimes referred to as the ‘Jethro principle’. Jethro told him to get capable men who are honest to head thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. These leaders are supposed to judge cases and bring the hard cases to Moses to deal with. Leadership is a big task that requires a few people (not only one person) among the masses to function in. One leader cannot do it all alone! The Lord Almighty functions in us as leaders but we need to appoint others who qualify to assist us to function successfully.

Sometimes, a leader might want to do it all alone because of bad past experiences, however, we are at risk of wearing out ourselves when we do it all alone. When one is worn-out, efficiency greatly reduces and one is not able to achieve so much. Secondly, the people you are leading may lose trust in you because transparency becomes suspect. People will trust in you when you work with a team who may sometimes better explain issues to your followers. One leader cannot be the jack of all trade!   With the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we can get capable men and women to assist us.

The Almighty God has deposited different gifts in each of us. Each of us functions in unique ways therefore the need for leadership that is dynamic and made up of several or a few capable people depending on the needs of the people we lead and the objectives set by the group.

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BIBLE AND WEALTH

BE FAITHFUL IN LITTLE …

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It is commonplace to see people applying for new jobs and aspiring for higher positions. During interviews for jobs, one of the critical things that the interview panel assesses is the role played by the applicants in their previous job positions and why they are interested in the new job. The interview panel has keen interest in knowing the previous job experience of the applicants and are able to project if the suitable applicant can effectively occupy the new job position and deliver much more results than needed. In these interviews, applicants with no job experience are usually checked out of the selection process right from the onset. Why is past job experience usually one of the key considerations of an interview panel?

Luke 16:10 states that “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much”. David was able to conquer Goliath of Gath because he had had some encounters in the wilderness that at least suggest some level of experience and therefore his ability to face Goliath. The testimony and experience of David is seen in 1 Samuel 17: 34-36. It states “And David said unto Saul, thy servant kept his father’s sheep and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: and I went out after him and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defiled the armies of the living God”

Most of the time, past experience(s) tell us if we are able to surmount other future challenges that come our way. This is especially important in the career arena. There is always a starting point for everything. If you want to be a blessing to the world and amass wealth, you should be faithful in some ‘little’ activities. I know of somebody who has the best business proposal in his file and always going round looking for loan to start a big business but has no business experience. If this person had a small business operating successfully, financial institutions would have listened to his request for some loan to expand his business. Be faithful in some small business and the world would be ready to give some support to expand.

If you want to become the next president of your country or an organisation, you should be seen as actively participating in some unique leadership roles and advancing towards the post of a president. That is how it usually works. As a Christian, if you are not able to heal a ‘common’ headache, then it is possible you can’t heal a cancer! Secondly, God must be in the picture of your drive for success and greatness. Experience alone does not make the magic otherwise, Goliath would have won the battle because he was a man of war from his youth (1 Samuel 17:33).   

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BIBLE AND WEALTH

YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

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Matthew 5.14: Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Have you taken some time off to review the impact you have made on your world in 2013? If yes, then well-done. If not, then it is about time you carry out that activity.  Being the light of the world means you are a leader in the world. This comes with responsibilities to be executed.You are to provide direction, no matter how small it may seem, to the world around you. A lot of people are not having it easy and once the child of God shows up, solution must come! The direction you provide must yield positive results in the short term or medium term or long term. Every child of God is a leader.

However, it is our responsibility to function in this grace of leadership. King Saul in the good book was chosen by God to lead the people of Israel. Saul had all it took to function in the position of leadership because when God says you are able, then surely, you are able; but Saul failed and God had to choose David to succeed Saul. Saul failed because at a point, he thought he could do it all alone without God. For you to be a good leader, see yourself as being capable to lead, rely on the strength of God and the assistance of your team members.

Image courtesy of sritangphoto/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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BUSINESS

LEADERSHIP SERIES, part 3

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Part 2 of our leadership series discussed some of the styles of leadership. In part 3, we are going to discuss some of the qualities of a good leader.

The qualities of a good leader

What are the qualities of good leaders? How should they behave in certain specific circumstances? How should they deal with colleagues on the board of directors, staff and members of groups?

1.Empathy

Above all else, leaders must be able to place themselves on the same level as others. Leaders must be able to put themselves in the shoes of those they are dealing with. They must try to feel what the other person feels. They must be intuitive and able to make those around them feel important.

2.Communication

Good leaders must be good communicators. Not necessarily great public speakers. The important thing is to understand what people say and to ensure they understand in return. Good leaders are clear and precise when communicating.

3.Overcoming resistance and opposition

Everyone puts up resistance. Everyone has their own view of an issue or a problem. Sometimes, two people freeze into a symmetrical relationship. This type of relationship can go nowhere since both individuals are defensive and wish to impose their point of view on the other. We can represent this sterile relationship as two people with the same weight on a weight scale. Neither can make the situation change since they are both stuck with the same attitude.

What can a good leader do to solve this problem?

A leader seeks to go around these blockages and understand the other person. A simple way to avoid symmetrical relationships (where each individual sticks to their position) is to play a subordinate role.

This means adopting an attitude of respect and listening actively to the other. Take a look at the difference between maintaining the leadership role and taking a subordinate role.

Subordinate role You play a subordinate role when:-You have succeeded in identifying the points of resistance held by the other.-You understand that the other person may also be right on some points and it would be advantageous for you to profit from that.-You are respectful, understanding and willing to listen to the other person.-The leader knows how to be respectful and listen to others.-This approach makes it possible to break an impasse between two individuals.-This approach does not mean abandoning our ideas, but rather creating a favourable climate for discussing between individuals. Leadership role You play the leadership role when:-You feel that the other person is respectful and wishes to know your point of view.-You have enough confidence to reveal your approach or point of view.-You feel the other person may play a subordinate role in the discussion.-In a discussion, the leadership role may be passed from individual to individual.From this position, you can defend your point of view, and confidently express your opinion to the other.

References:

Comment déveloper votre enterprise, Banque fédérale de développment, Canada, 1986

Gestion efficace pour votre entreprise. Banque fédérale de développment, Canada, 1983

Animation et travail en équipe, Pierre Choquette, Economie rurale, Com 16277, September 1990

Construire ensemble, Notre leadership dans une économie en changement, Agropur.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net