The Art of Leadership
Are you a leader? Get ready for envy, jealousy and betrayal as you rise to prominence. To survive all these, you need determination and a great deal of faith. As you go higher in your life, in your ministry and in your vocation, you may attract a lot of envy and jealousy. In fact, you will even encounter envy from your own friends, your brothers and your sisters. Some leaders have suffered this lot and you can too.
“Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.”
Genesis 37:3,4
Joseph obtained favour from his father and was given a coat of many colours. Soon he attracted the hatred of his own brothers. The bible says that his brothers could not even speak peaceably to him. But a leader must survive the envy and jealousy of his brothers.
The people who have said some of the nastiest things about me are ministers of the gospel in my own city. Things have a way of getting round to you. A minister told me, “If you knew what a pastor said about you, you would never ever go to his church again.”
Joseph
A leader thrives in the midst of petty jealousies and hatred. Joseph survived the test of slavery. He survived going to prison. He survived the lies and bad stories of Potiphar’s wife.
A leader is a survivor! Joseph’s ability to lead Egypt in a time of crisis was partly because of his ability to survive the envy and jealousy of everyone around him.
David
David’s first problem began when he killed Goliath. The Bible says that Saul eyed David after that victory. Sometimes it feels as though people want you to apologize for being blessed. How can you apologize for the blessing of God upon your life? You may have many things which have come to you, even though you did not ask for them. Are you a leader? Do not be intimidated by the hatred of those around you.
“And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, they have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands; and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.”
1 Samuel 18:7-9
Jesus
Jesus’ ministry survived the betrayal by Judas. Betrayal is part of life. No matter whom you are or what type of leadership you have, you will experience betrayal. If Judas is anything to go by, then one out of 12 people may be disloyal. I recently heard of a church that voted for a new pastor. This new pastor received ninety-one per cent of the votes. What did that mean? It meant that nine per cent of the people did not really want the new pastor. This poor pastor will not even know who voted against him. However, he can be sure that the disapproving group will be within the congregation.
All leaders may have a level of disloyalty within the ranks of their followers. Keep disloyalty to a minimum and survive the rebellion that comes against your leadership. Do not cry about it. Do not moan about it. That is leadership. Jesus was betrayed. And Paul was betrayed. How can it be that you will not experience the same? You may have very close friends – people you have eaten with, lived with and played with who will turn against you in bitter hatred. See what the bible says:
“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”
Psalm 41:9
Times will come when you will feel that you cannot survive the betrayal. The betrayal of some friends will cut through you like a knife through the heart. You may even be taken ill because of the lies and slander of a dear friend. When this happens to you, think of Moses, Joseph, David and the like. But you must survive! A leader is a survivor! A leader is not someone who has had things rosy. Be determined, dear friend, to be a survivor. You will live through whatever storm you are experiencing!
Remember that a leader cannot please everyone. A leader has to do what God has told him to do! In your bid to do what God has told you to do, you will meet with different types of problems and stresses. You must maintain your aim! You must survive!
theaol@ymail.com
By Dag Heward-Mills