Leadership

One of my favorite management topic is in the area leadership. Leaders and managers- the words are often used interchangeably, but they are different. Those in management positions do not always possess the qualities and skills of a leader. On the other hand, leadership is just one of the many skills that a manager must possess

In fact I always tell my staff that I don't believe in managing people but I believe in leading people. People are well trained to manage themselves and what they need is guidance and direction. This is where a leadership come into action. In my personal opinion, leadership takes precedence than any other management skills.

The word "leadership" comes from the Old English word "lad" for a "course". A "lode" is a vein that leads or guides to ore; a lodestone is a magnetic stone that guides; the lode-star is the name for the star that guides sailors, the Pole star. The word "management" comes from the Latin word "manus", the hand, from which we also get "maintenance" and "mainstay". Leadership guides by setting a ship's course. Management keeps a hand on the tiller.

John Adair in his book "Leadership" compares management and leadership to the old dichotomy of Art and Science. Managers are of the mind, accurate, calculated, routine, statistical, methodical. Management is a science. Leaders are of the spirit, compounded of personality and vision. Leadership is an art. Managers are necessary; leaders are essential.

Jim Clemmer, one of the leading leadership guru, view of leadership states "A leader doesn’t just react and respond, but rather takes the initiative and generates action. A leader doesn’t say “something should be done”, but ensures something is done. An effective leader is a “people person”. Effective leaders connect, stay in contact with, and are highly visible to everyone on their team in their organization. Leaders have developed the skills of supercharging logic, data, and analysis with emotion, pride, and the will to win. Their passion and enthusiasm for the team or organization’s vision and purpose is highly contagious. They fire the imaginations, develop the capabilities, and build the confidence of people to “go for it”. Leaders help people believe the impossible is possible, which makes it highly probable."

In his book, "Being Leaders: The Nature of Authentic Christian Leadership", Audrey Malphurs defined Genuine Christian leaders are “servants with the credibility and capabilities to influence people in a particular context to pursue their God-given direction.” Working from that definition, Malphurs concludes that authentic Christian leadership is the “process whereby servants use their credibility and capability to influence people in a particular context to pursue their God-given direction.” Maphurs, a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary further stressed that good leaders influence people, but in a Christian context, that influence should always lead toward transformation - a change in thinking leading to a change in behavior. Effective influence, in a Christian context demands that the leader be a transformed person also.

This leads to a new term in the Christian context of leadership called "Servant-heart Leadership". Servant-heart leadership is a humble service of others based on our love for them. It is not passively ignoring one’s own legitimate needs; it is not wallowing in one’s own weakness, doing for others what they ought to do for themselves.

I pray that the Lord will give us a heart of a servant-heart leader when we serve Jesus Christ, our Master.

"You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:42-45)


Be Blessed.