Thursday, April 25, 2013

Unpopular



All of us are leaders in our God-given capacity. Whatever our status in life is – we are all capable to lead. We can be leaders in school, church or any organization we belong to - the thing is how well we are as leaders?

They say in order to be a good leader, one must be a good follower – sounds so cliché but this is true. You become who you follow – and that’s the root of how well you will be as a leader.

Back in my elementary and high school days, I had the chance to lead various organizations. Being part of the cream section made it easier for me to lead. Fame, power, connections – these are some of the things that made the job even lighter. Somehow, this shows how the world views leadership: being able to influence because of my title.

People will follow you because you have a title – it’s all about ENTITLEMENT. You are a leader because of your title. But leadership is not about tenures or statures; it is never about who you know and never about your connections. People will initially follow you because of your title; the important thing is that they will continue to follow you because you are good. That’s how God defines leadership and He made Himself a perfect example of being such:  A SERVANT LEADER. It’s about the service we give to others, it’s about valuing others above ourselves - it is about our CHARACTER.  And that character is a result of having a cultivated relationship with God.

Being a leader is a continuous process. It is in our relationship with others that we show our character. And like Jesus who became a representation of how it is like to be a servant leader – we also need to have the same mindset as Jesus if we want others to follow us.

Being a leader is not about being popular 'cause leadership is not a popularity contest.