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.
