The Art of Leadership By Dag Heward-Mills
What is a distraction? A distraction is something that interrupts what you ought to be doing and takes up your attention and prevents you from concentrating on what you should be doing. A distraction is therefore something that takes your attention away from what you are doing. It ends up delaying the completion of your task. A distraction is the enemy to the leader’s desire to maintain his aim.
- A leader should avoid the distraction of false brethren.
False brethren are people who are sent by the enemy to take up your time. The time that should be spent with real sheep is spent on these false sheep that have sucked up all your time and energy. These are the very people who will turn around one day to accuse you and be ungrateful. They will not remember the hours you spent investing in their lives.
- A leader should avoid the distraction of leaders and people who are not as committed as he is.
There are different types of leaders. Even within the group of the same type of leaders, there will be some who will be more alike. Leaders may gravitate towards each other because they have the same kind of burden or they are dealing with the same kinds of issues. In his interaction with other leaders, a leader can sense those who are on the same level as he is.
When I relate with ministers who have my level of commitment, they sharpen me and I also sharpen them. Relating with people who do not care about the things of God as much as you do will make you wonder if you are normal. Such a leader can curb your zeal or commitment. It will be wise to avoid other leaders who are not as committed as you are so that you do not retrogress.
- A leader should avoid the distraction of unproductive arguments and quarrels.
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strife.
2 Timothy 2:23
This is good advice, especially, for a busy leader. Unproductive arguments are going nowhere. They will waste your time and you gain nothing from them. I hate arguments and rarely have time to debate an issue. I love the Scripture that says you cannot do anything against the truth.
For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
2 Corinthians 13:8
This means that arguments, shouting and proving your point do not affect the truth of the matter. The truth will outlive every lie! Arguing about the truth ends up making you an enemy of the one you argued with.
Dear Leader, bear this in mind and stay away from unproductive arguments and quarrels! They will only steal your time. You cannot afford to turn away from your course by following unnecessary arguments.
- A leader should avoid doing other people’s jobs.
Many leaders are distracted into doing unnecessary things to compensate for nonperforming or irresponsible workers. That ought not to be. Some leaders have a problem of not being able to delegate. This could be because they have not trained people to do the job. This could also be because they do not have appropriate people to do that work. In the end the leader ends up doing other people’s work – this is a distraction from his work.
This is one of the greatest distractions of leaders. If you employ someone to take care of your security and you have to go around checking the doors yourself, then you are doing someone else’s job in addition to yours.
Pastors who are called to spiritual things must avoid doing secular and administrative jobs that others can do. I am a pastor so I don’t see why I should become an accountant, banker, security man or a protocol officer. The disciples were faced with this very situation. When the people complained that they were not being well taken
care of, there was a problem to resolve. For the disciples to step aside to do this work would have been a clear distraction of their real work. They had to avoid this distraction. This is exactly what Peter did when he ran away from the job of serving tables in order to prevent distraction from prayer and the ministry of the Word.
Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
Acts 6:2,4
A distraction is clearly detrimental to any leader’s progress. May nothing be able to distract you from your goal and track! May you be steadfast! May God help our leaders to avoid all forms of distraction!
Culled from “The Art of Leadership”
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