The Art of Leadership By Dag Heward-Mills
A leader must accept that there are times he will be alone in his decisions, in his ways and in his challenges. It is indeed lonely at the top! Often, many people around you cannot understand you because no one is in your position! To be a leader is to be alone many times! God created all things and is a great leader. He knows what you are doing or attempting to do. God can help you greatly in your work as a leader.
- When you are alone with someone, you become close and intimate. There is a certain amount of closeness that you cannot have when you are having a group meeting. When you are alone with someone, you develop a far closer relationship than when you are in a group.
A leader is not so close to God when he never has times with Him alone. When a leader is close to God, he will be close enough to see and handle the things of God – close fellowship.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
1 John 1:1-2
- When you are alone with someone, you develop a bond that cannot easily be acquired in public. Sometimes you cannot understand the bond that exists between people. These bonds are often created when people are together alone.
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:3
- When you are alone with someone, you acquire knowledge that you cannot acquire in public. You will know God in a much deeper way when you spend time alone with Him. Listen to Paul’s prayer: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:10).
- When you are alone with someone, you can receive an impartation that you cannot receive in public. The private impartation is often the most important impartation in your life. Through this impartation when you are alone, you can become very fruitful. Adam knew his wife, obviously not in public. “And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew” (Genesis 4:25). In 1988, I received an impartation of the anointing. It was 2.00am in the morning and I was all alone in my room in a remote town in Ghana.
- When a leader is alone with God, he can pray private prayers and make private petitions. Private prayers have promise of great reward. You may engage in public prayers. Spend time praying to God privately also. Jesus promised that we would have open rewards for secret prayers.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and THY FATHER WHICH SEETH IN SECRET SHALL REWARD THEE OPENLY.
Matthew 6:6
- When you are alone, you can fast and receive the greatest blessing of fasting. When you are fasting, you are alone with God and focussed on Him. The greatest blessing for fasting is revealed when you fast privately. A leader receives great rewards from God as he spends time with God during fasting. May you be blessed with open rewards as you fast privately!
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and THY FATHER, WHICH SEETH IN SECRET, SHALL REWARD THEE OPENLY.
Matthew 6:17-18
- The greatest blessing of giving is released when you give privately. As you can see, God has reserved special blessings for dealings that are done privately with Him. May you be a leader who has private dealings with God!
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and THY FATHER WHICH SEETH IN SECRET HIMSELF SHALL REWARD THEE OPENLY
Matthew 6:3-4
Dear leader, do not shy away from being alone with God. Just as there are great rewards from spending time alone with someone, there are many rewards for being alone with God. God will give you wisdom for all areas of your life. God can give you the wisdom to lead. Remember that spending time with God alone will lead to the greatest blessing. May you be a leader who spends time alone with God!
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