Becoming A Leader:- The Price And The Principles

Avoiding the danger of wasting time with definition(s) of leader/leadership,we are going to look at the concept not through the definition but through the price to be paid to be a leader and the principles to apply for effective leadership. Many at different occasions have defined a leader /leadership in different ways.


 Some in terms of qualities and some in terms of designs and styles. Unfortunately, a leader /leadership is one of concepts that has defiled human definition, even the Bible does not give a clear definition, though it gave examples of good leadership. Bearing this in mind let us now consider the two headings in our quest to becoming a leader. Remember no one is born a leader "everyone can do it". Let us first consider the price to be paid in becoming a leader.


The Price 
Let us consider (first Mark 10:35-40).
Leadership is a good and noble responsibility to be desired, as much as one understands the purpose of God, and the sacrifice it entails. Consider the request of James and John and the response of our Lord Jesus. In it, the Lord revealed to us what looks like a qualification and a condition that every one desiring to have any part in God's work, must go through, in order to be acceptable for either any responsibility or any leadership position.


According to Jesus, there is a cup, and a baptism that every aspiring servant of God must compulsorily drink and be baptized with, before heavens may agree to include his or her name in the heavenly records. But it is to be done not with eye on the carnal reward that seems to be clipped before our faces. Remember Jesus said,
....But to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give....
We are exploring this cup because we want to drink it. Appointment to leadership positions in the church is not the issue. My prayer is that you will understand that genius revival is not the one that emphasises the "man of God or the leader ''. Revival has nothing to do with working or ministering "big".


It has all to do with His working through men. When revival comes, men are forgotten and Jesus increases. When revival comes, men go fit God rather than themselves. When genuine revival comes  people will do silent earnest labors. As great as the revival in the New Testament was, we did not read about clash of personalities, rather we only saw service.
As long as there exists dark sports of the flesh and egoistic individualism in your personality, God cannot release any tangible measure of His sacred trust into your hands. All such impurities of the flesh must be extracted.


 The process of firing a metal and soaking it in an acid , is to cause the metal component to come together resemble the kind of baptism and cup our Lord prescribes for any disciple, who truly desires to win God's approval for appointment into a position of servant leadership in the Body of Christ. A candidate for leadership must possess first and foremost a wholesomeness of life, symmetry of character and integrity. A life that is every with dependable, predictable and projectable. Integration is the sum of every tiny variable of life to make an unbreaking  non-cracking, regular, cohesive and beautiful personality.


Everything in him and about him is integral with what he says and does. Every segment of his life is congruent with his overall outlook in life, and bond is repulsive. All has been tempered and tamed in this process of the cup and the baptism. For the two sons of Zebedee all they saw the was the high places. They never envisaged the processing, the training, the taming and regular testing that quality men for those leadership positions.
God does not just fill them up with any available person, unless he or she met this "Cup and Baptism " conditionality.


There is a process which Christ Himself went through, to gain that position and to walk in it. The baptism with death was a necessary price for Him to bring forth much fruit and many sons until glory. (Hebrew 2:9) His being crowned with glory and honour was not arbitrary. God was only responding to a conditionality Christ had met.


When God was ready to appoint Jesus as the king, and Captain of our salvation, it became necessary for God to subject Him to this process. There was no short cut to the throne, even for Him. It was not because of sin that this conditionality was necessary. (Hebrew 2:10) God still needed to make Him perfect when it came to becoming a leader, a pioneer and a captain, through sufferings.
When God wants to make you a leader That is fit to lead others to the kingdom of God, it is proper for Him to subject your life to death and suffering so that you might be a perfect and correct leader fit to lead others unto heaven.


 Do not be wary of the process of becoming what God desires and designed you to be. Do not keep dodging and running away from the process otherwise in another ten years, you will still be on the same spot. God decided and told Him, He cannot save people or be allowed to handle an issue that He had not experienced. He could not be imposed over people that have more experience in life than Himself. No man can lead others beyond where he himself has reached in his walk with God.


People you can influence are people of your own level. There are two components that make for spiritual leadership : the divine nature that comes by the anointing, and the maturity of human experience for you to become a perfect leader that will fit you for a particular office. The making of a leader is quite a matter! God does not overlook it. Leadership in God's church must not be by official status. The man must be made, constructed, prepared and equipped to bear the challenges and responsibilities of the office. It is what He has become that matters, rather than what he is called by title.

Leadership hinges on two anchors:
1) Identification and familiarity with the led in every way.
2) Equal weight, it is to be a winner, a conqueror and a victory out of all the rubble.

This record must be engraved in your life and character. All the examples of good leadership in the Bible are men and woman of high passion as you are. They affected their generations because they were individually affected.


Do not let where you stand today in your walk with God become your destination. There is a place where men are cut for spiritual responsibility in God's service. It is not for the sales of posts and positions at the right hand or left hand. It is to become an eligible candidate for spiritual leadership in the body of Christ, for service and His people.


The Principles
There are certain principles and precepts that must be present and developed if the leader is to deploy and maximize his full potentials. Check yourself against the following principles and review them as you endeavour to incorporate each principle into your life and leadership:


Purpose : you must possess a deep guiding purpose, and a sense of destiny for your existence. You must know the meaningful significance for your life.


Vision : you must have personal and corporate vision. A committee cannot create a great vision.


Love :  you must live to serve others with a hunger to see their lives improve and to maximize their potentials.


Goals Setting : you must be goal oriented with documented, clearly defined personal and corporate goals that you intend to achieve. Care more for the accomplishment of the task than who gets the credit. You must give more than is expected of you and take pride in every task.


Cultivation Of Spiritual Reserves : There must be intimate, personal relationship with God and the Lord Jesus Christ. You must reserve regular times for quiet time, prayer and deep meditation to replenish spiritual reserves.


Teachable : there should be no assumptions, that all you know is all there is to know. You must assume that all you have learned is not all there is to know. You must be teachable. Be always ready to learn from mistakes.


skills Refining : there must be constant development and refining of your skills through an ongoing program of study, understanding that mastery and absolute competence is mandatory for a leader.


Tolerance : A leader must be patient, allowing others to fail and grow, understanding that potential is more valuable than behaviour.
Honesty And Integrity : A leader must maintain the highest standard of integrity. Honestly integrating words, feelings, actions and thoughts into one complete whole.


Communication : A leader must communicate his vision. What is to be done, who is to do it, and how it is to be done.


Vasatility : A leader must read widely and continuously and consistently sharpening and increasing your knowledge base. Keep up with current issues by reading the best literature, magazines, books, journals, etc.


Time Management : Deep sensitivity to the value of time and meticulous selection of priorities is very important in the ministery of leadership. Avoid procrastination and embrace active responsibility.


Enthusiasm : A leader must radiate positive energy with an optimistic attitude and an enthusiastic spirit, full of hope and faith.


Value Others : believe in other people and appreciate their value and worth.


Proper Conditioning : maintaining a balanced, moderate, regular program of exercise and proper diet to enhance your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being.


Courage : you must make decisions and be fully aware of and accept the consequences of your decisions. Initiate new ventures and welcome new ideas without fear of challenging convention and tradition.


Self Assessment : measure your performance and success only against your potential and your purpose without comparing yourself or achievements with other people.
If you will be a successful leader, you must feel the need of others and help them I'm achieving their desires and goals. Your success depends on helping other people achieve what is important to them.


Now consider these:
My Purpose - why I exist .
My Vision - where I intend to go.
My Goal - what I intend to do.
My Objectives - how I intend to do it.
My Plan - procedure .
My Strategy - co-ordination of resources