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I want to say it has been an incredible journey through some aspects of leadership. As I round up the leadership tonic series, I want to share some sound bites from our journey.
1. A good leader is a man who has discovered his strengths and weaknesses, come to terms with them, and is not limited by the weaknesses nor arrogant with the strengths. 2. A leader’s mistake can rob an entire generation and more of their destinies. 3. Always have in mind that someone is looking up to you and you cannot afford to disappoint them. 4. Do not always crave to dish out what you have because you are a leader, strive to learn more. 5. Do not live like a slave when you have a royal blood running in your veins. 6. Every humble man has worked on his pride over time that he can exhibit humility like he was born with it. 7. For every promise you fail to keep, you gradually lose reliability and credibility as a leader. 8. Guide your enthusiasm with wisdom and you will make a very successful leader. 9. Humble leaders submit to good advice, counsel and correction. 10. If you have a good charisma without a good character, you will not be able to make a good leader. 11. If you must be a successful leader, you must ask questions. 12. If you must live out your potentials and become the leader you were designed to be, you have to DISCIPLINED! 13. If you must succeed as a leader, you must agree within yourself to do all that is required for a successful leadership. 14. In humility, you receive grace to turn your weaknesses to strengths. 15. It is dishonest to claim absolute honesty. 16. It is in the place of vision that you will see your purpose. 17. 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. 18. It takes humility to know that you cannot always be right. 19. Leaders do not live for now, they live for the future through vision. 20. Leaders see tomorrow from today. 21. Leadership gives you the opportunity to discover things others know that you do not know and to learn from them. 22. Let people follow you, not because they are left with no other options, but because you are worth following. 23. Let people follow you, not because you have exerted a forceful control over them, but because you have shown examples of good leadership. 24. Nobody cares about why you did not keep the promise, the fact that you did not do as you promised is what matters. 25. Reliability is so important because as a leader, the only collateral that the people have is the promise that you will lead them well. 26. Succeeding as a leader is a decision you make and not something that happens by chance. 27. The amount of success you record in leadership is determined by how big your vision is. 28. The consciousness of who you are should affect the way you live your life; your dressing, talking, eating, sleeping, and response to issues. 29. The more reliable you become, the more God can commit bigger leadership responsibility to you. 30. Treat everyone as important; rich or poor, older or younger, male or female. 31. Your success as a leader is a function of the amount of responsibility you are willing to take. 32. Vision shows you where you are going, but commitment takes you there. 33. What makes a good leader is not the absence of mistakes, but the ability to learn and move on. 34. What takes you from one point in life to another is your commitment to make it happen. 35. What your character shows on the outside as charisma is a result of the level of discipline used to fine-tune the output. 36. You are destined to lead! Think it! Act it! Live it! 37. 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. 38. You can only go as far as your passion carries you. 39. You have to do all that you can to make good your promise, even if it will hurt you so badly. 40. Your ability to place your priorities right will help you focus on what you need to achieve as a leader. 41. Your enthusiasm as a leader is what creates the positive atmosphere and energy for great achievements in leadership. 42. Your reliability as a leader is tied to your ability to keep any promise made. At this point, I take a bow. Hope you enjoyed this series? I’ll be expecting your comments on WhatsApp (08063566730) or e-mail: transformingwordseries@gmail.com. Stay blessed. © TRANSFORMING WORDS SERIES |
Category Archives: Leadership Tonic
LEADERSHIP TONIC 16: THE INGREDIENTS (10)
“Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men” Col. 3:23 (HCSB).
Enthusiasm! This has to do with zeal and passion, and I will be using the three words interchangeably. You have to be passionate in what you do and convey same to the people you are leading. Your enthusiasm as a leader is what creates the positive atmosphere and energy for great achievements in leadership. If you are not enthusiastic as a leader, you will lack motivation, both for yourself and the people.
Enthusiasm drives you to attain great heights in leadership. You can only go as far as you passion carries you. That is what gives you reason to forge ahead even in the midst of great discouragements.
I must also warn that if enthusiasm is not properly directed, a leader can end up being misguided. The tendencies of flying off course is there, and you need to watch out for that. Guide your enthusiasm with wisdom and you will make a very successful leader.
“Nobody can be successful except he loves his work” – David Sarnoff.
“Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic and faithful, and you will accomplish your objective. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
“Every memorable act in the history of the world is a triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever achieved without it because it gives any challenge or any occupation, no matter how frightening or difficult, a new meaning. Without enthusiasm you are doomed to a life of mediocrity but with it you can accomplish miracles” – Augustine “Og” Mandino.
© TRANSFORMING WORDS SERIES
LEADERSHIP TONIC 15: THE INGREDIENTS (9)
“If it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully” Rom. 12:8 (NIV)
Diligence! I will love to quote Romans 12:8 in the New Living Translation for a better understanding of what I want to say: “If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift of showing kindness to others, do it kindly”.
Diligence is about giving careful and serious attention to a matter. This is what is required of us as leaders. We are to assiduously carry out the responsibility of leadership. I said in one of the episodes that leadership is so serious a matter that some things cannot be overlooked in dealing with it. Remember, everything and everyone is important. Leadership is serious business. You need to get this well!
As a leader, you need to have this consciousness that a lot of destinies are hanging on your shoulder. You cannot afford to live your life or do things anyhow. Always have in mind that someone is looking up to you and you cannot afford to disappoint them. Heaven is counting on you to succeed and the devil as well is working against your success as a leader.
It is risky as a leader for you to think you are like everyone else. I am not saying you should be arrogant, but you need be conscious of the fact that leadership is a serious business and requires due diligence. A leader’s mistake can rob an entire generation, and even more, of their destinies. The consciousness of who you are should affect the way you live your life; your dressing, talking, eating, sleeping, and response to issues.
Have you not wondered why of all the gifts mentioned above, we were specifically asked to take our leadership abilities very seriously? Does it mean that the other gifts are to be taken less seriously? No! If we are able to give leadership the seriousness it demands, we can replicate the same seriousness to other gifts. Do not live like a slave when you have a royal blood running in your veins. You are destined to lead! Think it! Act it! Live it!
© TRANSFORMING WORDS SERIES
LEADERSHIP TONIC 14: THE INGREDIENTS (8)
“Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honour the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts……Such people will stand firm forever” Psalm 15:4,5b (NLT).
Reliability! The first time this scripture was read to me was in a leadership training seminar I attended during my undergraduate days. My eyes were really opened to the importance of making promises as a leader. It is easy to get so emotionally roused that you say a number of things and end up wishing you did not say them. I used to hear that it is important to keep your promises since childhood, but did not know how important it was until I encountered the scripture above.
I am going to deal with this issue on two fronts: Before and After making a promise is made. Reliability is so important because as a leader, the only collateral that the people have is the promise that you will lead them well. And your ability to keep the promise makes you reliable.
BEFORE A PROMISE IS MADE: As a leader, you really need to be careful in making promises. A lot of leaders, in a bid to win popularity with people make promises that are almost like building a castle in the air. Do not make a promise when you know you are not ready to keep them. Your reliability as a leader is tied to your ability to keep any promise made.
AFTER A PROMISE IS MADE: This is sometimes the very tricky aspect of this issue. You have made the promise, and you are willing to keep it. But somewhere along the line, the situation is no longer convenient for you to keep the promise. The average person will overlook the fact that he made a promise and move on. But that is not what a reliable leader should do. You have to do all that you can to make good your promise, even if it will hurt you so badly. That is what the Bible says. Nobody cares about why you did not keep a promise, the fact that you did not do as you promised is what matters. And for every promise you fail to keep, you gradually lose reliability and credibility as a leader. And if you continue, you will lose relevance.
I am not telling you this because it is ideal, but because it is realistic. However, it requires a conscious and deliberate effort and like some of the things I have talked about in this series, you will need God to help you to always.
Finally, the more reliable you become, the more God can commit bigger leadership responsibility to you.
“Leaders should be reliable without (necessarily) being predictable. They should be consistent without (necessarily) being anticipated” – Mike Krzyzewski.
NB: Words in parenthesis were not in the original quote but added for emphasis purposes.
© TRANSFORMING WORDS SERIES
LEADERSHIP TONIC 13: THE INGREDIENTS (7)
“But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hates bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten” Exo. 18:21.
Honesty! Oops! I am almost compelled to end this series after this one, but I still have a couple of other ingredients to share with us. It is no longer becoming funny, is it? (You can answer that). Did you just say “Now he is threading on a dangerous path”? Well, leadership is so serious a matter that some things cannot just be overlooked in dealing with it. Like I said in the last episode, I am seriously trusting God to help me in some of these issues. As a matter of fact, it is dishonest to claim absolute honesty. What do I mean? No one can say that he has been completely honest in all things.
I have to go to this new paragraph to buttress the point I just made. At this point, one question I am eager to get an answer to is this: If no man is completely honest, while is honesty a criterion for leadership? I know you are wondering with me too. I hope God helps us to clear this out within, and even beyond this episode.
It is interesting to know that all the men that have ever done exploits for God were not perfect men. At some point, Abraham had to selfishly withhold the truth, Moses had to disobey God, David had to break God’s heart, and Job had to utter negative words. What can I say about Peter, Paul and the other apostles? All these men had their short comings. But they vacant great because they loved and feared God.
I will not just sound like, but definitely be a hypocrite if I tell you that it is impossible to lie and be selfish. But if you love and fear God, He will continue to transform your life till it becomes extremely difficult for you to exhibit dishonest tendencies. It is at this point that He can now deem you fit to take up the responsibility of leadership. The degree of love and fear that you have for God will determine how honest you can be.
“No legacy is so rich as honesty” – William Shakespeare.
“Honesty is the cornerstone of all success, without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist” – Mary Kay Ash.
“Honesty is the best policy” – Benjamin Franklin.
© TRANSFORMING WORDS SERIES
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.
© TRANSFORMING WORDS SERIES
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.
© TRANSFORMING WORDS SERIES
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.
© TRANSFORMING WORDS SERIE
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.
© TRANSFORMING WORDS SERIES
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.
Transforming Word Series 