LEADERSHIP‬ TONIC 12: THE INGREDIENTS (6)

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges, he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human” (Phil. 2:5-6).

Humility! I am looking at myself in the mirror of my heart as I am writing this and I am like; should I talk about this? I may not measure up to all these requirements, but God knows I am trying and trusting him for help in my short comings. I made this point so you will understand that I am not saying these things to attack or condemn anyone, but to bring us to a point of re-examination of our attitude as regards leadership.

The first thing I want to say about humility is that it is an attitude. It is something you consciously do. There is no such thing as natural humility. Every humble man has worked on his pride over time that he can exhibit humility like he was born with it. This has to do with our minds. Humility can be achieved when we are constantly transformed by the renewal of our minds (Rom. 12:2).

Humility entails you let go of everything that puffs you up. I have seen professors who pick offence when you do not address them as one. It is even worse among religious leaders. Anyone who holds on tightly to titles is a long way from being humble and can never succeed as a leader. It takes humility to understand that everyone is important, which is one of the basic things to understand about leadership.

Humble leaders submit to good advice, counsel and correction. It takes humility to know that you cannot always be right. If you are the kind of leader that always wants things to flow your way, then you have pride to deal with. In humility, you receive grace to turn your weaknesses to strengths (Jas 4:6). I pray God will help you as He is helping me.

“True humility the basis of the Christian system is the low but deep and firm foundation of all virtues” – Edmund Burke.

“True humility is not an abject, grovelling, self-despising spirit; it is but a right estimate of ourselves as God sees us” – Tyron Edwards.

“Humility leads to strength and not to weakness. It is the highest form of self-respect to admit mistakes and to make amends for them” – John J. McCloy.

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LEADERSHIP‬ TONIC 11: THE INGREDIENTS (5)

“His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heavens Armies will make this happen!” Isa. 9:7 (NLT).

Commitment! I love the way Merriam-Webster, in one of its definitions, puts it. “An agreement or pledge to do something in the future”. I cannot emphasize this enough; Leaders do not live for now, they live for the future. What takes you from one point in life to another is your commitment to make it happen. If you must succeed as a leader, you must agree within yourself to do all that is required for a successful leadership. Succeeding as a leader is a decision you make and not something that happens by chance.

A lot was said of what Jesus was going to be and do in Isaiah’s prophecy. It is interesting to know that the prophecy could only come to pass if Jesus (The Lord of Heavens Armies) commit himself to it. At this point, I will like to say this: Vision shows you where you are going, but commitment takes you there. I am not trying to contradict myself. Vision is as important as commitment. A leader without a vision has nothing to commit himself to. You can only commit yourself to a marital vow with someone, only if you have seen a future with that person. So where there is no vision, there is no commitment.

It is not enough to make positive declarations about your future, it is not enough to have loads of prophecy over your life, and it is not enough to have big dreams when you are not committed to ensuring they happen. You can have great ideas and wonderful potentials that will die with you if you do not commit yourself to making something substantial out of them. I will conclude by saying that commitment is the driving force for achievements.

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it is determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you attain the success you seek” – Mario Adretti.

“In order to hold fast to something, one must allow oneself to be held to something. That commitment may be one of the hardest things to practice in a world of so much choice” – Sheena Iyengar.

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavour” – Vince Lombardi.

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LEADERSHIP‬ TONIC 10: THE INGREDIENTS (4)

“So the twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, ‘We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program'”. Acts 6:2 (NLT).

Focus! Hmm… This is getting interesting. I talked about vision in the last tonic and how important it is in leadership. In my response to a question that arose from it, I said and will repeat: It is in the place of vision that you will see your purpose. When your purpose in life is known, you have to watch out for distractions. One way to deal with distractions is to be focused.

It is normal to have a lot of things demanding your attention as a leader. These things could be personal, family or societal. Your ability to place your priorities right will help you focus on what you need to achieve as a leader.

Some leaders have failed because they think they can handle everything around them. Those leaders are the ones I refer to as “jack of all threads, master of none”.

Successful leaders know their area of calling and carry it out with all the focus it deserves. The apostles succeeded because they knew what they were called to do and would allow nothing distract them. Do not think that being a leader means you should do everything. Find your area of calling and make it a priority. With good focus, you will succeed as a leader. There is an adage that says: “if you chase two rabbits at the same time, both of them will escape”. Be wise and FOCUS!

“Decide upon your major definite purpose in life and then organize all your activities around it” – Brian Tracy.

“If a man does not know to what port he is steering, no wind is favourable to him” – Seneca.

“Most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquillity. Ask yourself at every moment, is this necessary?” – Marcus Aurelius.

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LEADERSHIP‬ TONIC 09: THE INGREDIENTS (3)

“After Lot had separated from Abram, the Lord told Abram, Look off to the north, south, east, and west from where you’re living, because I’m going to give you and your descendants all of the land that you see forever”. Gen. 13:14-15

Vision! Maybe this should have come before Discipline. Never mind the chronology, the inspiration comes when it comes. As a matter of fact, you cannot separate vision from leadership. I also want to add here that for you to be a leader, you must have a vision.

Vision is a mental picture of the future. You are not there yet, but you have an idea of what it looks like. It is interesting to know that when God asked Abram to look, it was not from the future, it was from where he (Abram) was. You don’t need to wait for it to happen before you can know that it can happen. Leaders see tomorrow from today.

The amount of success you record in leadership is determined by how big your vision is. If you can see far, you can go far. This is why God added the noun clause “that you see” in the promise he made to Abram. If Abram must lead a generation of great men, then he must see greatness. You cannot have a future you cannot see. Thank God for all the strides and achievements you have garnered today. The big question is: Where do you see yourself tomorrow?

I want to conclude with this: Leaders do not live for now, they live for the future through vision.

“A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done”. – Ralph Lauren.

“The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious”. – John Scully.

“The very essence of leadership is [that] you have a vision. Its got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You cant blow an uncertain trumpet”. – Theodore Hesburgh.

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LEADERSHIP‬ TONIC 08: THE INGREDIENTS (2)

“Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not allow anything to control me.” 1 Cor. 6:12 (ISV).

Self-Discipline! Have you ever imagined the possibility of allowing everything that comes to our minds to manifest? It is better imagined. As humans, thoughts go through our head and those thoughts, if not controlled, determine our actions. You are not judged by what you think. Rather, you are judged by what you do.

I have said on this series that everyone is important in leadership. This means that a leader’s actions speak volume and affects other people. To this end, a leader must be disciplined to ensure that the actions that are exhibited affect people positively. Someone may think I am contradicting myself haven talked about character and charisma. Well, I will buttress this a bit.

I want to explain this with this analogy. Let us imagine a leader to be a computer. Character is the central processing unit, Charisma is the output, and Self-Discipline is the input. What your character shows on the outside as charisma is a result of the level of discipline used to fine-tune the output. If you are not disciplined, you will exhibit a bad character. Period!

The truth is, the human heart is full of junks that when let out can be disastrous (Jer. 17:9). It takes discipline to ensure that the junks in the heart of a man are fine-tuned (Prov. 22:15).

Leaders do not let themselves loose to everything that comes their way, they discipline themselves to ensure they lead exemplary lives. Discipline is not a ride in the park, it takes a conscious effort to achieve it. I will love to conclude by saying that a disciplined life is a purpose driven life. Therefore, if you must live out your potentials and become the leader you were designed to be, you have to be DISCIPLINED!

“Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all”. – George Washington.

“Self-respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself”. – Abraham Joshua Heschel

“Why is discipline important? Discipline teaches us to operate by principle rather than desire. Saying no to our impulses (even the ones that are not inherently sinful) puts us in control of our appetites rather than vice versa. It deposes our lust and permits truth, virtue, and integrity to rule our minds instead”. – John F. MacArthur Jr.

LEADERSHIP‬ TONIC 07: THE INGREDIENTS (1)

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”. 1 Pet. 2:9 (AKJV)

Self-Discovery! The difference between a potential leader and an actual leader is self-discovery. Gold is a precious stone with high value, it has a potential of bringing wealth. But as valuable as gold is, it is useless if it is not discovered. It is a clear fact that all men are potential leaders i.e. all men were born to lead (Gen. 1:28). But until this potential is discovered, it cannot be effectively utilized.

It is highly expedient to know who you are if you must lead. A man who has not discovered himself is like a blind man who sees through the help of other people. The world today is full of darkness and lots of blind men. It takes men who have discovered themselves to shine the light and lead the way.

Self-discovery has to do with knowing your potentials, abilities and/or capabilities. It entails the realization of things you can do naturally and the ones you need help with. I like to add that it is realizing your strengths and weaknesses. A good leader is not a perfect man. A good leader is a man who has discovered his strengths and weaknesses, come to terms with them, and is neither limited by the weaknesses nor arrogant with the strengths.
In trying to discover yourself, you are allowed to make mistakes. What makes a good leader is not the absence of mistakes, but the ability to learn and move on. I like to also say that the first, but not necessarily the most important, ingredient of leadership is self-discovery.

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate”. – C. G. Jung

“After all these years, I am still involved in the process of self-discovery. It is better to explore life and make mistakes than to play safe. Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life”. – Sophia Loren

“‘Secrets Of The Millionaire Mind’ was born out of my own journey of self-discovery within both personal and professional life”. – T. Harv Eker.

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LEADERSHIP‬ TONIC 06: BASIC THINGS TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT LEADERSHIP (5)

“Take my yoke on you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest to your souls”. Matt. 11:29 (AKJV).

Leadership is an opportunity to learn. You are not a leader because you know everything. If you take a careful look into men who have excelled in leadership, you will discover that they are great students of life. Leadership gives you the opportunity to discover things others know that you do not know and to learn from them.

From the scripture above, I want to liken the yoke in this context to leadership. So I can paraphrase that line to be: Be a leader and learn. This means that one vital reason we are called to lead is so we can learn.

As I studied that scripture closely, I picked out two ways we can learn as leaders. One is to be MEEK. Meekness is enduring with patience and without resentment. The learning process might not be an easy one, but you have to patiently endure so you can learn what you need to learn. Remember, meekness should never be mistaken for weakness. The other way is to be LOWLY AT HEART. This is simply talking about humility. It takes humility for a Managing Director to listen to what a Clerical staff has to say (No prejudice to the Managing Directors reading this). If you must learn, you have to be humble.

I want to conclude by saying this: There is always someone that knows what you do not know. Do not always crave to dish out what you have because you are a leader, strive to learn more. The day you ruin our of what to dish out, you become irrelevant. Learning is the only way you can grow in knowledge.

“Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes.

“I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” – Abraham Lincoln.

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.” – Henry Ford.

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CHILDRENS’ SPECIAL

“Children are a gift from the Lord; a productive womb, the Lords reward. As arrows in the hand of a warrior, so also are children born during ones youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be ashamed as they confront their enemies at the city gate”. Psalm 127:3-5.

As I went through these verses this morning, I was thrilled by the first, the penultimate and last sentences. They are constant reminders of the importance of children in the scheme of things. Children add colour to our world. The heart of a child is so beautiful and pure that it is a basic requirement to make heaven (Matt. 18:3).

Children are a gift from God. Imagine the feeling that comes with receiving a gift. Gifts are valued and treasured, no matter how little they are. In like manner, children are to be valued and treasured. They deserve all the love and care they can get. If you are a parent or guardian, you have a divine responsibility to take care of the children given you by God.

Children have become victims of violence and denials, especially if they are not born into rich homes. I have seen children denied basic education just because they come from poor homes. They are subjected to street or roadside hawking, excessive labour and inhumane treatments from people who are supposed to look out for them. This is not the way it was divinely designed to be.

The responsibility of bringing up a child is not solely for the biological parents. Having your quiver full of them is not necessarily giving birth to a lot of children, especially when the means of catering for them is limited. This has to do with taking the responsibility of parenting as many children as you can, even if they are not biologically yours.

As we celebrate children today, let us bear in mind that they are the future. That child abandoned by a naïve teenage mother today could turn out to be a person of repute tomorrow if given a chance to live.

“You have to love your children unselfishly. That is hard, but it is the only way”. – Barbara Bush, former U.S. first lady

“Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven”. – Henry Ward Beecher, reverend and social activist

“Safety and security do not just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear”. – Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa.

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LEADERSHIP‬ TONIC 05: BASIC THINGS TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT LEADERSHIP (4)

“Ministers, too, must be serious. They must not be two-faced, addicted to wine, or greedy for money. They must hold firmly to the secret of the faith with clear consciences. But they must first be tested. Then, if they prove to be blameless, they may become ministers”. 1 Tim. 3:8-10 (ISV).

Leadership is about character. A close look at the trends today will show that most people who parade themselves as leaders have replaced character with charisma. I have seen a lot of charade, façade and mirage that people call leadership. Sometimes I ask myself; what happened to character? People are allowed to occupy leadership positions because of their appearance or good oratory skills and less attention is given to their character. Well, this write up is a wakeup call to all leaders and all who aspire to be one.

Character is who you are while charisma is what you portray. As a leader, your person is more important than your personality (I hope I am not rabble rousing). What I mean is that, your person is who you really are while your personality is what you show people that you are.

Leaders who have character try to fix the true person but charismatic leaders mask it. As a leader, you have to bring out the best in people and not show them a shadow of themselves. But you cannot give what you do not have. You should be able to bring out the real you before you can bring out the real thing about other people.

The foundation of leadership is character, charisma is optional. As a matter of fact, your character should dictate your charisma. If you have a good charisma without a good character, you will not be able to make a good leader.

“A man of personality can formulate ideals, but only a man of character can achieve them”. – Herbert Read

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character”. – Martin Luther King Jr.

“Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing”. – Abraham Lincoln.

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LEADERSHIP‬ TONIC 04: BASIC THINGS TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT LEADERSHIP (3)

“Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and giving of alms which she did. And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.” Acts 9:36, 37 & 39 (AKJV)

Leadership is influence. I like to say that affluence is good, but you can only be a leader with influence. This brings me to the point you have all wondered if I will not talk about; that is the definition of leadership. Wikipedia defined leadership as a process of social influence in which a person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.

What then is influence? Influence is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something. It is instructive to note that as a leader, your life must affect people positively. If you do not have a positive effect on people, then you are not ready for leadership yet.

Being influential demands you discipline yourself so as to live a live worthy of emulation. Let people follow you, not because they are left with no other options, but because you are worth following. As a matter of fact, leaders are the ones people choose to follow out of several other options. Let people follow you, not because you have exerted a forceful control over them, but because you have shown examples of good leadership.

Can people crave for your presence when you are absent? If your absence is not felt, your presence was irrelevant. This was what happened to Dorcas in the scripture above. She was so influential that people went the extra mile to ensure she was restored to life.

I will end by saying that you should shine your light for all to see. I am not saying you must be faultless, but determine in your heart to live a life that is worthy of emulation. That way, people will even do what you say whether you are there or not.

“Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the ONLY thing.” – Albert Schweitzer

“Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about on life influencing another.” – John C. Maxwell

“You do not lead by hitting people over the head that is assault, not leadership.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

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