Some of our friends might be asking, "Why bring the topic about Leadership here? What does leadership got to do with the Kingdom?" Well, it is my intention to make it clear that Leadership is paramount; and is one of the major keys or elements of the Kingdom message!
As what I've been repeatedly saying, the Kingdom is tantamount to "dominion," and such word actually means "to govern, to rule, to control, to have authority over, to master, to manage, and to lead."
The subject of Leadership is a very popular one nowadays, that our libraries are replete with books and information about the matter. It is even part of the curriculum in our schools and universities that its evolving nature had been progressed into a course of expertise with its masteral and doctoral degrees thriving well. Emerging gurus are popping out from every places that the subject is near to being well commercialized and profited by large number of entrepreneurs.
Why, then, is there a need for leadership? The fact that the subject is getting prominent everywhere only implies that the thirst, longing, craving, desire, and need for leadership is imminent among the people worldwide. Such inclination is quite understandable because if we try to collect and sum up all the conclusions of every experts on the subject, these will all boils down into one thing: "that good leadership is a potential catalyst that sparks change and solves human problems." And that is what we, as human beings, are aiming and hoping for to achieve.
The big question now is: "Are we reaching our goal?"
Why is it that despite the enormous information made available in our arsenal, human problems in every aspects keep on escalating and most are even getting worse? Are we getting the right stuff on leadership, or are we still experimenting?
One notable expert on leadership admitted the weakness of writing a book on the subject considering that revision makes it necessary to be opted immediately after few months have past. New information keeps on emerging swiftly which is capable of making, what you've published earlier, obsolete and outdated.
That only goes to show that we're still experimenting. Yes, even on the subject of Leadership. Yes, even with the smartness of our so-called modern-day experts, we are still experimenting. The question now is, "Why experiment when we already have the means to find the way - the ones that are fix, established, and unchanging?
Can I make myself an honest but bold declaration with you? The world's definition on leadership is weak, fragile, and perpetually headed towards an experimental mode.
"But, Ed, where, then, can we get and secure the most reliable source or person that would lead us to the right stuff?" someone may ask. "We seem to be just wasting time and resources attending seminars and buying books with its accompanying demands that are too laborious and tedious at the expense of making the few rich... while we are still here, poor and depressed."
Where else can I lead you but to the Original..
The greatest Jewish Rabbi who had ever lived once said, "Come to me all you who labour and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, let me teach you... and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Yeshua (Matt. 11: 28-30)
Far from getting too religious, where can I lead you, but to the originator and restorer of leadership. Through the Holy Spirit, the Governor, He shall give you the right, constant, tested, unchanging, and universal principles concerning leadership that no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, and no mind has ever conceived. This originator even said, "I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven..." - Matt. 16:19
This Rabbi and guy from Jerusalem will never buy in to this idea holds dearly by most leading experts of this time - and which I, myself wrongfully embraced before:
"If you think you are leading but without no one following, then you are simply taking a walk." - Chinese proverb
Although the above proverb is very much prominent among the leadership experts of this time, such idea is bound to be refuted by the Jewish Rabbi, Yeshua, taking into consideration the principles he left us to follow.
Yes, leadership is, indeed, about influencing others. But just because no one is following you, initially, at the onset of your venture or cause, that does not necessarily mean, you are getting off track on true leadership. Keep in mind that unlike what we've been traditionally taught, leadership is not about collecting followers. It is not centered on how many people are following you. True leadership has its focal point on serving one's gifts while in the pursuit of fulfilling one's mission or purpose.
Let me give you a simple, yet profound definition of leadership which I selected and found standing out from among others. According to Dr. Myles Munroe, "Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration, motivated by a passion, generated by a vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose."
The above definition of Dr. Munroe about Leadership has the complete ingredients necessary for anyone to know, learn, and execute leadership in one's vocation, family life, business, government, and any area of influence. Unless the elements of purpose, conviction, vision, passion, and inspiration - areas that we are going to discuss on later dates - are present in one's venture, influence is remote. Hence, no true leadership is present.
Allow me now to share with you about the essence of leadership:
The true essence of Leadership is becoming and deploying yourself serving your gifts for an appointed assignment, until your Creator says, "It is finished!"
There are a number of necessary elixirs in the above statement that are essential to constitute and determine the true essence of our subject. Unless these components are present and active, the true essence of leadership is missing and vague:
1. Becoming
Becoming or to become is derived from the Greek word "ergon," which is the same as the word "work." Work is a component that's significant for genuine leadership. However, it doesn't necessarily mean, to become busy or to have something that will occupy your time, nor does it imply something for you to receive payment or salary in exchange for service given. Work is different from a job.
Your job is what your employer pays you to do, while your work is what God designed you to do - the real purpose of your existence.
In like manner, work is not a matter of doing; work is a matter of becoming. Do not work in order to acquire; work in order to become. Do not work in order to accumulate; work in order to expand... because expansion, and not accumulation, is the real purpose of work.
Robert Stevenson, a British essayist, is right when he narrated, "To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming is the only end in life."
2. Deployment
Deployment, and not employment should be our ultimate goal in life. Employment looks after a paycheck and pay bills in a perpetual cycle, while deployment looks after making a difference.
They can fire you being employed, but they can never fire you being deployed. You deploy yourself, utilizing your inherent gifts, in the pursuit of your mission; and not in pursuit of riches and wealth. Wealth just simply comes along as you seek first your assignment.
The Book of Matthew says, "God will give you all you need from day to day, if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." - Yeshua (Matt. 6:33)
You were not born just to make a living. You are here to live out an assignment on this planet. You were born to make a difference in the world.
3. Service/ Serving/ Servant
The scripture has this statement in Matthew which states, "Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant." - Yeshua (Matt. 20:26)
The word servant or service here has two Greek words, namely: doulos and diakonos. The former refers to voluntary service while the latter refers to servitude.
In the above verse, doulos - voluntary service, was the word used by Yeshua.
Voluntary service of one's gifts is what will make anyone great in God's sight... and unlike what we've been traditionally taught to in our religious background, greatness is not an evil or bad thing. Seeking for greatness is a good pursuit, as long as it's pursued in the context of doulos.
Yeshua despises servitude, while upholding voluntary service.
4. Appointed Assignment
Just because you belong to a well-to-do family and have lots of money doesn't necessarily mean you already are on the right track towards your appointed assignment. You might be in the wrong place at the right time. One renowned minister wisely observed, "The greatest failure in life is being successful in the wrong assignment."
I remember one mentor who said, "Your assignment is always the problem God has designed you to solve for others."
Keep in mind that there is something for you to start that is ordained and destined for you to finish.
King David of the Book of Psalms once encouraged himself when he said, "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me..." - Ps. 138: 8
5. Knowing Your Creator
You should never ever attempt venturing into the avenue of life disregarding or ignoring God. I tell you, you will never ever like it being ignored and despised by God, as well.
God, Himself spoke to this effect when He warned, "Those who honor me, I will honor. But those who ignore Me will be rejected." - 1 Sam. 2: 30b
The highly esteemed Blaise Pascal once said, "Man is created in the image and likeness of God. That's why there is a God-shaped vacuum in his heart that only Jesus Christ could fill."
Sir Pascal is right because it was Yeshua, Himself who said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me." - Rev. 3:20
God is persistently, but gently knocking at the door of your heart; let Him come in, and dine with you.
Take note of this: You can only lead genuinely effective when the inherent gap, void, and vacuum in your heart is properly filled-in... and I think by this time, you already knew who is authorized to fill and occupy it.
6. It is finished/ Completion
I will never forget this particular verse in scripture when Yeshua said to His Father, "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do." - John 17:4
In here, completion of one's appointed assignment is utterly important. That's the only venture which will bring genuine glory to God.
Retirement is not an option, for God does not retire His people. Instead, He re-fire His people. He puts His fire back in them, giving them fresh new motivation.
Moreover, let me say this: I come to figure out that Sir Irving Berlin, a Jewish-American composer and lyricist, is correct when he disclosed, "Life is 10 percent how you make it, and 90 percent how you take it."
The taking portion is more important, and this particular article that I am sharing with you, will serve the purpose. You may ask, "But what about the other 10 percent - the making portion?" Well, take them from your leadership books and mentors.
Likewise, remember this: You can only become successful in your Leadership mandate when you are richly and rightly endowed with the aforementioned elixirs and components, which are tested principles, that will never get obsolete nor outdated.
Finally... what lies ahead of us, and what lies behind us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
"Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you!" - Luke 17:21
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