A LEADER'S ATTITUDE - PART 1
From our earlier articles, we must have come to understand by now that Leadership is a designated position occupied by a person called a leader and is in order other to serve some people or certain entities, whether it be an organization, a community, a sect, a religious group, etc. Something we must first understand is that it is designed. According to Romans 8:29-30, we see that before the showing forth, there is always a predestination. Yes, no man was born a leader but present in us are certain qualities that make us thrive even as such. If we take a close look into the lives of our biblical patriarchs, beginning with Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David; all these men didn't just assume the post of leadership. At that point, there was a word that came in unto them that made to really walk in that Leadership plan of God. For Abraham, it was "get out of thy kindred to a place that I will show you, and I will make of you a great nation". For Moses, it was "I have seen the affliction of my people and now you are sent into their midst to rescue them from the hands of Pharaoh". Thus, by this, we see that Leadership is a Divine arrangement. Leadership is also the role a leader takes in order to serve his people. This we have seen in the course of our articles that no true leader just wants all things for himself, he is only there that the needs of others might be met. Yes, the objectives and the goals may come from him, being the leader; but through his leadership, others around must benefit i.e. find their own purpose. According to Bernard Law Montgomery: Leadership is the capacity and will to rally men and woman to a common purpose and the character that inspires confidence. In this definition, we see the true essence of leadership. You are not leading for yourself but for the men and women that are under you. This definition also makes us understand that a leader is someone who has already discovered his purpose or a problem and he is committed to solving it or addressing it with the help of men and women. I have come to understand that in the school of purpose or living out purpose; it's not one man's job. This is why the scripture teaches in Habakkuk 2:3paraphrased, there are some that will see the vision, write the vision and there are some that will run with the vision. This verse tells us clearly that in this school of fulfilling a vision, every one is valuable. So, a leader has the vision, but he certainly will not be able to fulfil the demands if there are no runners of the vision with him. Let us understand that it is not that the leader has to rely on the followers, NO. But in order,that the followers might also be made, there is a need to associate themselves with their leader. This is what True leadership and follower-ship mean. A branch that wants to keep bearing fruit must remain resident with the tree that is bearing the branch, the same way a tree cut away from the roots can never thrive alone. As a leader, there is always a serving you've got to do; one is either serving his gifts, serving his time, energy or resources, for the betterment of the vision and also of others who are running with it. Let us know that true leaders do not need followers to become a leader; the only reason is as we have stated earlier; in order that there might be runners together with the vision and that through his found light, others might come into that same light. We see from scriptures, whenever God wanted to speak to His people, He speaks through the mouths of certain persons. This persons don't need to have followers in order to hear or receive from God; because even from the realm without followers, they were receiving from God. Moses was just a shepherd boy when he got the light, David had been undergoing series of pruning in the wild before he became the King. A leader is someone who has prior discovered his gift and he gets committed to serving it, followers not withstanding.
We must also understand that in every follower, there is a hidden leader. We see this in the lives of our scriptural fathers. Elisha was a servant or a follower to Elijah but we see that he did not end there, he transcended into that level of Leadership. You are a leader when you are able to recognize a problem or situation confronting even others around and you see solutions, strive to proffer solution or go in search of the right answers. This is what makes a leader truly different from a follower (Nehemiah as a case study). The disposition to attack such situation is called ATTITUDE.
What then is ATTITUDE?
According to Oxford dictionary; Attitude is a disposition or a state of the mind. Attitude is the product of our belief system. It is the manifestation of our philosophy and our philosophy, the product of our ideas. Before any follower can transform into a leader, he must believe in his mind that he carries a leadership spirit within him. You are what you think you are(Proverbs 23). As a true leader, your attitude is never to the negative; where others see a stumbling block, you see a head way; where others see thick darkness, you see opportunities to shine the best. This is the mindset of a true leader. A true leader never gives room to the thoughts of "I cannot do it", " This is an entirely impossible task". "I'm sorry for leading you guys on a journey as futile as this". These are never the words of a true leader; but there is a level where he gets to in the class of Attitude before he can exhibit this dimension. He is always positive in his mindset, and this among others form the foundation of a good attitude. When you fill your mind with bad things, you end up with a bad attitude and vice-versa.
Therefore, Leadership is 80% mentality (Attitude) and 20% of skills. A leader looks at a problem and all he sees is solution while when a follower looks at problem, all he sees are obstacles and challenges. Leaders think differently from their followers and that is what makes them operate at this level of Leadership. Leaders don't just look into things, they see into things. This is why it is possible you can cause a follower to derail from a particular way He follows but it is very impossible to cause the one who leads to default out. Leaders don’t see through their physical eyes, they do through their beliefs and ATTITUDE.
TO BE CONTINUED
Thank you
The Men That Lead
Building Manhood
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