The Art of Leadership By Dag Heward-Mills
The Scripture below shows us that if you have certain “things” in you, you will not be unproductive. The “things” that make you productive are positive traits like diligence, faith, virtue, temperance etc. On the other hand, negative traits have the effect of making you unproductive and barren. These negative traits which are found in the lives of poor and unsuccessful people should not be named among leaders. Look carefully at the life of a good leader and you will notice an abundance of good traits.
For IF THESE THINGS BE IN YOU, AND ABOUND, they make you that YE SHALL NEITHER BE BARREN NOR UNFRUITFUL in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:8
Negative traits, on the other hand, create and perpetuate poverty. Let us look at one example of a negative trait which should not be found in a good leader: greed! Greed is the intense, selfish and excessive desire to acquire or possess more than you need or deserve. It is an insatiable longing for unneeded excess, especially for excess wealth, food, status or power. To be greedy is also to be covetous. Dear leader, the definitions here should not be used to describe you as a leader!
Why a Leader Must Avoid Greed
- Greed is a negative trait that will lead to violence in a leader’s life. “And THEY COVET FIELDS, AND TAKE THEM BY VIOLENCE; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage” (Micah 2:2).
Greedy people are so full of a desire for more that they are ready to kill and steal to have it. I have met Christians who are so greedy for money that they looked as though they were ready to kill to have more money. This is not what a leader ought to be!
- Greed is a negative trait that can shorten a leader’s life. Greed will get you into many difficult situations which can shorten your life. Most films depict greedy people struggling to get more money for themselves and eventually getting destroyed. This is a reflection of real life. If you want to be a good leader and not shorten your days, avoid greed.
The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but HE THAT HATETH COVETOUSNESS SHALL PROLONG HIS DAYS.
Proverbs 28:16
- Greed is a negative personal trait that leads to discontentment. The scripture below is frightening. My prayer is that it will not describe any leader.
Yea, THEY ARE GREEDY dogs which CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.
Isaiah 56:11-12
- Greed is a negative personal trait that can lead to the loss of your life. Greed can cause you to lose your life. More! More! More! The undisciplined pursuit of more is the cause of the downfall of many greedy people. Notice how the Scripture warns that greed can take away the life of its owner. In the story below, the greedy old man lost his life because he wanted more even though his life was in danger.
So are the ways of everyone that is GREEDY OF GAIN; WHICH TAKETH AWAY THE LIFE OF THE OWNERS THEREOF.
Proverbs 1:19
The Greedy Old Man
There was an old woodcutter who went up the mountain almost every day to cut wood. It was said that this old man was a miser who hoarded his silver until it changed to gold, and that he cared more for gold than anything else in all the world.
One day a wild tiger sprang at him and though he ran he could not escape from it. The tiger carried him off in its mouth. The woodcutter’s son saw his father’s danger, and ran to save him. He carried a long knife and as he could run faster than the tiger that had a man to carry, he soon overtook them.
His father was not much hurt, for the tiger held him by his clothes. When the old woodcutter saw his son about to stab the tiger he called out in great alarm: “Do not spoil the tiger’s skin! Do not spoil the tiger’s skin! If you can kill him without cutting holes in his skin we can get many pieces of silver for it. Kill him, but do not cut his body.”
While the son was listening to his father’s instructions the tiger suddenly dashed off into the forest, carrying the old man where the son could not reach him and he was soon killed.
How sad, for the greedy old man paid with his life for wanting more money. He should have thought of his life and not desired to have more. This is how greed takes away the lives of the owners thereof. theaol@ymail.com