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THE QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP (1) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their
fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads o The Merriam-Webster Online dictionary defines the word “leader” as:
The dictionary does give other meanings of the word “leader.” The above few ones are the ones that are relevant to this reflection. Most leadership books will define the word “leadership” as essentially influence and impact upon others and your environment. This implies that you many not be in a physical position of authority or placed in charge to head a place, before you can be considered a leader. As human persons, leadership is in each of us and we are called to be of positive influence in life. The above not withstanding the reflections that follows have special applications for those in positions of headship in various human organizations. Positional leadership can be in small groups, prayer meetings, house fellowships, church groups, public corporations, schools, businesses, families, etc. Leadership writers have argued that being in a position does not necessarily make a good leader. The qualities of leadership must be cultivated and lived out, if someone is to be a good leader. This writer considers that one of the prime qualities of leaders is they use their spoken and written words to build and develop courage in people. Good leaders know the value of words. They don’t waste words. When they speak, they speak to the point. They are highly conscious of what they say or write. The words of a leader can either build or destroy. They can either inspire courage or instill fear. They can either make people to be hopeful or faithless. Leaders can either be optimists or pessimists. They can either be pro-active or re-active. They are models to be followed or examples to be repudiated. Long time ago, Moses sent 12 men to spy the land of Canaan. Each of these men was a leader in his tribe. They were people of influence. The people looked to them for guidance and direction. Their words contain power. They were sent because Moses believed in them Even God believed in them. They were trusted and respected. Israel’s destiny and future hung on their neck. The future of any group is on the qualities of its leaders. Where the leader goes the people are likely to follow. The spies were sent to spy the land of Canaan. They were to come back with a report for the people. Their report will determine what to do next. They went and scouted the land and came back with their report. Every report given by a leader is a power report. It could equally be a dangerous report that can destroy. When the group of 12 came back, the group was divided. Ten gave a report of failure and fear. Ten reported the difficulties they saw and why they believed the people cannot enter the land. Good leaders are solution seekers. They may see difficulties but they know there is a greater power that can help in overcoming difficulties. They are not blind optimists but they know a leader should be a good manager of crisis. The ten spies who gave an evil report should have known that they should have inspired faith and not fear. Human words are powerful. When people hear a report of fear they are likely to imbibe a spirit of fear. In response to the evil report the people of Israel revolted and complained against God and the leadership of Moses. Two of the twelve leaders disagreed with the other ten. They believed the land could be conquered. They too saw giants in the land but they believed they were giant killers. They knew there could be difficulty but they equally believed difficulties could be overcome. Leaders may see the same thing. But they will always see them from different perspectives. Good leaders are potentiality thinkers. They are positive thinkers. They are faith thinkers. They are big thinkers. They do not spin the report but they try to offer hope through the report no matter how bleak the situation. They polish the report not to make it a lie but to offer positive alternative to what seems to be a bad situation. Let me articulate some key points on what a good leader should inspire to be through his/her communications:
Prayer Point “God, may I always be conscious of my influence as a leader and through my spoken and written word may I inspire faith and courage in others. Amen.” TAKE MY WORD TO THE WORLD. |
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f the children of Israel…. And they brought up an evil report of the
land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in
it are men of a great stature…. And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel
murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would
God we had died in this wilderness! Numbers 13:1-3, 32 & 14:1-2.