Christian Leader

 

THE MARK OF A CHRISTIAN LEADER

Choosing a leader is risky business; because the future of all the people is at stake. As a voter,  it is your job to make sure that your future is secure. Bad leaders are easy to spot. But how do you choose between the good, and the best leader? They all have a vision, skill and the will to lead… The best leader in our eyes may not be the one God would choose. Man looks on the outside; God looks on the inside. The two are like night and day.  But what does God look for? This list is not final; but it will guide you on what to look for in a leader God would choose and use for your own good.

#1 KNOW GOD

Anyone who claims to be a Christian must know Christ. Christ claimed to be God. By extension, anyone who claims to be a Christian must know God. So you will ask me "how I will know that he knows God?".  First, the leader will confess with his mouth and believe in his heart that Christ is lord. He will be in communion with Christ. But, you say," those are mere words". True, there is a second part of this equation that is also critical. God must know him. Of Christ, God said; "this is my son of whom I am well pleased". Christ said; "if you will not believe by my words, then believe by my works. They point to the one who sent me." Paul says "you have faith, I have works. I will show you that I have faith BY my works." Christ and Paul call their works to witness of their knowledge of God and that God knows them.

#2 DOES WHAT GOD WANTS

What is the leader's agenda? What does he want to achieve? Christ's example is amazing He says; "I do nothing except the will of my father". These are the words of Christ; the leader of Christians.  "My food is to do the will of my father". This is the agenda of the Christian leader.  This means that the leader must do what God wants done; not what he may feel needs to be done. When Christ was going to the cross he said; "Thy will be done". He had a choice. As a man, he did not feel like dying. There is evidence that if he had his own way; death would not have been his choice. Thank God, it was Gods option.

#3 LEAD PEOPLE TO GOD

Moses led the people out of Egypt. They were glad to be free. But his job was not to take them to the Red Sea. It was to lead them to God. His mission was not complete until he had led them to God. He led them to face God. He led them back to God. He wanted them to know God as he did. It is one thing to escape a wicked ruler; and it is quite another to worship the true God. It is one thing to lead people out of trouble; and quite another to lead them to God. Christ says "feed my sheep… tend my lambs". Many leaders have good skills; but where do they lead the people? Do they lead the people to God; or do they lead people into or out of trouble? 

#4 STEWARDSHIP

When Christ gave an account of his work on earth he said; "I have kept all those you gave me; apart from the one". He gave an account of what God had given him to work with. He gave a report of what he had done; and the one who was to be lost. A leader must report what he or she has done. A leader gives an account of what he has been given. A steward must be faithful with what he has. Is your leader a good steward of what he has? Is he faithful? The first place you may want to check is with his family and his job.

#5 A MARK ON HISTORY

The true leader will change history. Things will never be the same. His mark will be a turning point in the affairs of men. The mark of a leader is his life. His or her life will change the future. The leader says follow my example. Christ said "… If you believe in me; greater things will you do". Paul says "do as I do...follow me, as I follow Christ."  Will the leader, you choose, work with God to change the future?  Can you trust the leader with Gods plan for your life?

CONCLUSION

Many good leaders have one or two of these marks. The best leaders have all five. But the real question is not the leader you choose. The question for you and me is; will we choose to work with God or against him? If God chooses one; and we choose another; my pity is not with the one who lost. My pain is with the one who chose to oppose God. That mark depends on you!  Your vote will be your mark in history. 

 

Allan Bukusi, April 2010

 

LEADERSHIP STYLES

And consequentially "types" of leaders

There are four basic leadership styles;

1.       Dictatorial,

2.       Authoritative,

3.       Consultative and

4.       Participative.

                Managers have the option to choose and use a leadership style in a given situation. And there are arguments that leaders act in reference to their people so it is the people who determine the type of leadership style that's good for them. There may be some truth in this, but here we focus on the managers' leadership initiative alone. Managers usually adopt a predominant leadership style in their approach to management. The ship-theory below describes the atmosphere in the leaders Ship.

The Dictatorial leaders-ship

                A manager who routinely makes all the decisions within his span of responsibility can be said to be dictatorial. Matters requiring decisions steadily pile up awaiting the managers attention. This indecision jam causes backlogs, delays and very short tempers. ... This ship tends to be very sullen and quiet. Most people on board are waiting for something to happen. The ship maintains a steady, slow questionable course.

The Authoritative leaders-ship

                The authoritative manager is more flexible than the dictator. This manager backs other people's opinions only if the opinions agree with their own. Authoritative managers feel that years of service, expertise, position or some other innate quality (which others are supposed to recognize) gives them the right to lead. They therefore feel justified to retain the right to the final say in all matters.....  An organization with authoritative managers will quickly polarize work around power bases and internal political influence. Work only gets done if it is sanctioned by "power brokers". ...Resources are issued as rewards for loyalty. There is actually a tendency toward misuse of resources as resources are diverted to political sideshows rather than goal achievement....

The Consultative leaders-ship

                ...The manager retains veto power on key issues and makes a decision after weighing options. This manager will delegate more duties and tasks and focus on building his team. The manager is inclined towards recognizing and acknowledging the contribution from all members of staff...  The use of resources in this style of management is likely to be towards optimal because of the spread of decision-making powers through delegated authority.

The participative leaders-ship.

                ...The role of the manager is one of facilitating the teams' highest possible performance. Each members unique capabilities are tapped and allowed to influence team decisions... In this style of leadership, responsibility and resources are placed in the hands of the expert. The expert being the person best suited to do the job. Appropriate authority and decision-making power is found at every level of organization. Individual responsibility is high and individuals contribute value to team success. On this ship issues are resolved through structured agreement. This ship attracts a lot of attention from other ships. The ship appears to have a sense of purpose as it moves towards its destination with periodic stops to celebrate progress.

 

There are two more types of leadership you may find interesting…

 

The Leaderless-ship

                Managers who actually avoid practicing leadership at all. They consult endlessly and never take any decision. On this ship managers just let the situation unravel. They make guessing games out of the decision process. And raise an occasional shout when a guess turns out to be okay. Shipmates are as blank as they are indifferent. They have no idea what is going on. There must be some purpose for this type of leadership though I can think of any right now. The ship always seems stationary whether it is in port or caught in a storm on the high seas.

The Popular leaders-ship

                These managers fear loosing favour amongst staff and also fear to appear authoritative. These managers make "popular" decisions or avoid making decisions altogether. Popular decisions are characteristic of politicians making unrealistic election promises. The ship has an automatic concentric circle navigational system. Moving from one orbit to the next depending on the expediency of the circumstances.

 

Allan 1997

The Leaders Job

 

The leaders job

We can define a leader in many ways. And we can spend many hours in debate over what leadership is. But, in order to understand the leader's job, we must define it in terms of its function, and how it adds value to all of us together. We must be able to identify with it for us to know what it is and what it means to be a leader.  A car is a piece of metal with four wheels. But unless you define it as a means of transport, it can be anything but a car.  A cow has four legs and two horns, but unless you use the terms "milk" and "beef" it means little sense to anyone. A man has a body with a head, arms and legs, but unless you tell me that his mind sets him apart from every other being, you have not told me who a man is.

A leader's job is to lift people from the depth of despair to soar above the clouds of human misery and make them see their eternal destiny.  A leader opens the eyes of the blind, not only to who they are, but to who God made them to be. A leader brings light to darkness and hope to the hopeless. A leader works hard to transform the lives of his people and serve his customers. It is the leader's job to see and help others to see what can be and not just what is. And works hard to bring what can be to be. Leaders do not fight; they foresee.

The first level of leadership must be to identify with you and me. A leaders who does not, cannot be. A leader descends to the people and identifies with their struggles. He examines the challenges they have and studies their needs. Jesus was such a leader and so was Mother Teresa. But these leaders are also found in classrooms, offices, farms and laboratories. They go by the names, shopkeeper, nurse, teacher, doctor, researcher and worker. Their job is to deal with the problems of the people. They study their needs and create solutions to the problems of the people they serve.

However, the leader must ascend to another level. The leader may be born in a slum, but chooses not to live in it. He picks up litter, does the right thing, speaks well of his neighbor even if the person speaks ill of him. He turns the other cheek. He lives above the misery of humanity by a higher law. He makes people to realize that what is; does not have to be. This leader does not tell people what to do, he does it himself.  The leader sweeps, cleans and is an example. Jesus was such a man, but many others live by his example. Mothers, fathers, entrepreneurs and artists are not sustained by what is, but by what they know can be. They work hard for a better life for their children. They make sacrifices to make things better.

But the leader must rise yet again, above himself, and help people see their eternal destiny. The leader helps people see their true identity. The leader shows them who they were meant to be. Leaders help people see that we are all children of God. Jesus was such a man. But so was Rosa Parks, John the Baptist, Desmond Tutu, Jomo Kenyatta and Nelson Mandela. And so will you and I be; if we all chose to reach out to our enemy.

The leaders' job is to lift the souls of men from the struggles of today to the possibilities of tomorrow and the reality of eternity. It is to work with the hopeless until hope catches fire; it is to strengthen the hands and the heart of the weak until faith burns bright. It is to work with the oppressed until they walk in dignity. It is not to fight, but to shed light on what is right. Jesus never fought for what was right, but shed enough light to make things right. This is the leaders' job; to help restore things to what they were meant to be. Do not fight the empire, the government or your boss. They are people like you and me. Be the leader that sheds enough light to put things right. A someone said to me; where can we find such a one. And I said to him; you are that man, you are that woman.

Allan Bukusi, April 2011

Culture

 

Can you see the elephant in the room?

The elephant is a crafty animal that appears and disappears at all forms of gatherings. It finds its way into all rooms. From the boardroom to the changing room.  It is found in the men's room, the ladies room and even the bedroom. Despite its obvious large size, it has never had its entry challenged. It can even pass through the eye of a needle. It walks uninhibited among the unsuspecting people. It is found along the corridors of power and the avenues of poverty. The elephant walks through supermarkets and shopping malls without disturbing the shelves. Unlike the bull in a China shop that has to move carefully lest, it upsets something. The elephants moves whether people are upset or not. The animal is very rarely seen or caught. It has on occasion been known to be tamed.  It has one genuine trunk and four other trunks that engage the strongest minds among us. Many believe they are separate and unrelated tree trunks and deal with them as such. It has clear points of view in three different directions. The fact that it is heavy is never in question. Its tiny brain can engage the most educated minds for weeks on end. Its size should not fool you it treads softly and carefully even the most trained of ears cannot hear it lumber past. It arrives at meetings and disperses with the people. At these meetings, it is discussed as issues or may even appear as an agenda. Yet despite these clues, the visually challenged do not seem to have any advantage over those who see things clearly. The elephant is crafty, not because it is stupid, but rather that it knows its craft very well. The elephant is never invited; it simply comes along with the people. Very few people ever see the elephant.   Can you?

If you have seen the elephant, tell me its name.

Allan

May 2011

Give your boss what she wants

Give your boss what she wants.

Not knowing what your boss wants from you is very frustrating. Most people believe that the boss just wants their skills. While this is partly true, the boss really wants five specific things from you. You need to know what they are, especially if you want to keep your job. The best way to understand what your boss really wants is to think like her. If you do, you will be pleasantly surprised to find that you can supply everything she really needs.

 Time

The first thing your boss wants is time - your time. The boss expects you to use your time to turn out value. If you hired someone to work for you, the first thing you would check out is how he or she uses their time. It is the easiest way to find out if you are getting value for money. So be punctual, productive and present when you need to be, and you will impress your boss and meet a craving need.

 Talent

You would not have been hired if the boss did not think you could do the job. Your boss checked out your CV for signs that you have the talent to do the work she wants done. It is your job to show that you have that talent. Talent is the ability to do a job very well. Every boss desperately needs talent to run the department. Talent is so rare that the boss will hang on to every person they can find who has it. Your talent does not just make the boss feel good; it makes her look like she is talented. Who wouldn't want that?

 Teachable

In the beginning, your boss knows that you do not know everything about the job. Your boss loves to show teachable people how to work well. Surprisingly, if you are a great learner, she will sometimes do the job for you. By giving her the opportunity to teach you, you get to know the job and win her respect at the same time. Many people do not get along well with the boss because they are poor learners. If you are teachable, it helps the boss do her job better. Moreover, because you get to learn so much, your boss will begin to think that you should be promoted.

 Turnover

Some people are given more work than others. Some people do more work than others. Some sales people get more sales. Some staff get more reports done. Some people turnover more work than others. People who do more than others are first in line for reward, a raise or bonus pay. Its natural, any employer will pay more for more work done. More work helps your boss look good and your employer get rich. You have to do more to get noticed. Your high work turnover makes the boss look like she is doing her job. Only one standard is used to pay people more money anywhere in the world; the more work you do, the more money you can ask for.

 Trust

The boss gives you work to do and trusts you to do it well. She trusts you with staff, materials and tools to get the work done. The boss hopes you will not misuse, steal or lose what she gives you to work with. She prays that you will not waste resources. This may come as a surprise to you, but your boss actually wants to trust you. Do not give her a reason to believe she cannot trust you. It is bad for her business and bad for your career.

BONUS

Every boss loves a bonus. Every boss wants staff with great ATTITUDE. She would rather hire a person with average skills and great attitude, than a person with great skills and a poor attitude. The boss knows that skills can be learned. She also knows that attitude is a choice; you either have it or you don't. If you honestly cannot give the boss what she wants, I suggest you quit.

Allan Bukusi, May - 10 - 2011

Your Career Peak

 

Your employment career will peak at 35 years

What will you do next?

The reason you need to carefully plan your career is that for more than 80% of the people in this room, your employment career will peak at 35. There will be no more corporate challenge for you in the organization that you work for after this. By this time, you will have obeyed the Peter Principle, and have reached your highest goal or have hit the glass ceiling. A few will make it to manager, director and perhaps CEO, by age 45. For most people however this will not be an option. Does this mean you are a failure? Absolutely not.

Perhaps you never wanted to be the CEO of a bank anyway. Perhaps you could set up your own bank. And why not?  If you manage your own career and not let your employer determine your future, you can chart your own path and I dare say it will be a much happier and more fulfilling path.  But to do so you must be committed to your personal development and appreciate when it is time for you to move from employment to self employment to  enterprise and yes, know when it is time to create an institution that will outlive you!

Allan

12-2-2012

 

 

The Mind Body Soul & Spirit of Leadership

Developing Leadership

 

Under natural circumstances, the human being develops in all four-core aspects of his being. However not all four aspects of his development are equally empowered. The Mind Body, Soul and Spirit do not develop in tandem or symbiotically. Indeed whereas the body grows under natural conditions to peak performance anywhere between 25-35 years of age before graduated decline takes over, there can be no such assumption made for the other core elements of human nature.

The mental or intellectual development of a person, for example, is aided by stimulation through training and education. However, most people cease to invest in the development of their mind once they finish school or college. Employers will judge a person's mental development (suitability) for a position by their level and type of schooling. The unstated assumption is that is possibly the limit of his or her mental competence. The wise continue learning reading books and investing in their mental development and refuse to be limited in growth or peak their mental capability at their last level of formal education.  Assuming that the average person obtains 8-12 years of schooling, the mental age of a person can be said to peak in early teenage.

The Soul or social development of a person is never fully developed until person leaves the comfort of family, interacts with others and forms social habits at young adulthood. This would mean that the development of the average socialized person peaks as a young adult between 20-25. If no further energy or effort is put into developing the persons soul, that will be the peak of the development of the soul for life. The social dynamics may define his behavior or culture

The spiritual development of a person is where values and personal beliefs are nurtured. On average, the existence of God is never questioned by a child until well after the first six years of their life. Of all the people willing to accept the idea of God, a child is the most believing.  However, this naturally peaks at the age of around six. After this, the battering and the realities of the world puncture and begin to ridicule and lay folly to a person's belief and claims in God. Indeed, by teenage those who have not been schooled in Godly ways begin to be embarrassed to identify with God, godly or spiritual things. The average person's spiritual age, if not nurtured, stagnates at about 6 years old. For the rest of their lives if they take no initiative to learn about God, there is no further development.

A cursory view of great men and women will show that they were all highly developed in all four human core competencies. They may have gone to school quite young, in the case of many African leaders went to church early, and later mission schools where their physical and intellectual competencies were challenged. Even though they may have seemed to rebel later in life and choose pursuits in one line or other, all will have much higher than average mental, spiritual, physical and social competencies than the people they lead in life. The lesson for leaders is to become consciously engaged in the development of their full beings and realize their full potential before they can hope to lead others successfully. Lack of investment in personal development will lead to stunted. It is possible to have a physically mature 50-year-old man with the spiritual maturity of a six year old, the mental development of a teenager and the emotional maturity of young adult (in university). This would make an unstable leader.

Allan Bukusi

13/11/11