Bishop Dag Heward-Mills
A leader must study leadership, understand leadership, and practise the appropriate principles of leadership. If not, you may lead people with the mind of a child because the leadership of a child is characterised by the inability to find solutions and has only one solution: to call mummy or daddy. My children have asked me for everything under the sun, believing that I have it in my room. From scissors, clippers, cello tape, batteries, chargers, thread, needle, money – they think I must have it hidden somewhere. A child lacks what the Bible calls ‘phronimos’ – meaning practical wisdom. This refers to being practically wise, sensible, shrewd and prudent.
As for my people, CHILDREN ARE THEIR OPPRESSORS, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
Isaiah 3:12
7. THE LEADERSHIP OF A CHILD IS CHARACTERISED BY THE INABILITY TO FIND PRACTICAL AND REALISTIC SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS.
Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he BY HIS WISDOM DELIVERED THE CITY; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Ecclesiastes 9:15
Children cannot practically fix things, arrange things, pack and organise things. It usually has to be done for them. When a child leader is working, he only thinks of getting money from somebody somewhere. When he has a problem he says, “It’s a lack of resources.
Many nations have demonstrated that they cannot find solutions to the problems of their people. Many former colonies have made a strong case for re-colonisation because of their ineptitude when it comes to finding practical solutions for the real problems of the people.
It is an open secret that many ministers of the state receive percentages and cuts of the contracts that they handle. These moneys are stashed away in foreign accounts to be used in the years ahead. One day at a forum, I suggested that these ministers of state be given a percentage of the huge contracts involving huge sums of money that they handle, to make them legitimately wealthy and taxable. This would be a form of extra income that they would be entitled to because of the government work that they do. This, I also said, would make them keep their wealth in the country since it would be legitimately earned.
Amazingly, people turned on me as though I was out of my mind. One person said, “His morals and his conscience would not allow him to do something like that.” People were simply outraged at the suggestion. Yet, because we reject so practical a solution to our endemic corruption and hypocrisy, we continue to have nations with ministers of state who are secretly millionaires and who keep their money out of sight.
8. THE LEADERSHIP OF A CHILD IS CHARACTERISED BY NOT BUILDING ANYTHING
And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, that he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and HE HATH BUILT us a synagogue.
Luke 7:4-5
You must study leadership, understand leadership, and practise appropriate principles of leadership, otherwise you may lead people with the mind of a child because the leadership of a child is characterised by using things without building anything.
A child is not a builder. A child plays games and enjoys what has already been built. If nothing has been built, he lives and abides in what there is and enjoys it, not understanding what he does not have.
Many third world countries have cities and villages which are not built up. These nations are dominated by people who are often incapable of acquiring land and starting developments. The stark difference between western cities, towns and villages and third world cities, towns and villages is the absence of buildings, roads and other infrastructure. Where the mind of a child rules, there are no buildings, no developments, no maintenance and no infrastructure.
A child is theoretical, so his leadership style is characterised by the lack of a practical and realistic approach to everything. Leaders without a practical and realistic approach are abstract, detached and idealistic. Most things are impossible to them. Numerous meetings and diverse speculations about viability and feasibility of projects characterise these leaders who get nothing done.
Woe to a country or a church that has a theoretician as its leader. “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish” (Matthew 25:1). Those who were not practical and sensible did not make it to the wedding supper. Similarly, those who are not practical and sensible do not make it in this life. Woe to your nation if it is led by a child!
THE ART OF LEADERSHIP
By Dag Heward-Mills
theaol@ymail.com