Scripture of The Day
May 25, 2021
If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. (Romans 12:8, NLT)
By Ed Henderson (2015)
There has always been a debate about whether great leaders are born with great leadership skills or if they learn those skills somewhere along the path of life. I personally think it’s a mixture of both. I have worked for a lot of leaders in my life, some bad and some good, and the following are just a few attributes that I think could help you become a great leader. You have to learn to be a Servant before you can become a King (1 Samuel 17) King David started out as a servant. He tended sheep and served his father and older brothers. He served as a personal musician for King Saul. He was anointed by Samuel as a young boy to be King of Israel but he kept on serving until God promoted him. David could have easily thought more highly of himself than he ought but he chose to wait for God’s perfect timing and God’s promotion.
You have to learn how to kill the lion and the bear before you tackle giants (1 Samuel 17:37) David’s sheep was in danger of being attacked by a lion and a bear. David was a young shepherd boy. It was his responsibility to protect them and he did. God is big on OJT (on the job training). You cannot learn all leadership skills from a book or a classroom. You have to learn to conquer the little things before tackling the big stuff. You will never have any more authority than you are willing to submit to (1 Samuel 18-20)
Submission is not just a term reserved for women. It is a term for all of us, men and women. Submission is not bondage, but freedom. Colossians 3:22-23 says, “Obey your masters, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men”. David submitted to Saul even when Saul was threatening his life. Ed Cole said, “Perseverance will always outlast persecution”. In David’s case, he ended up
to be one of the greatest King’s and greatest leaders ever. He was not perfect, but he was a man after God’s own heart.
The journey is too great for you alone (I Kings 19:7) If you are going to be a leader you will need some followers. You cannot build anything great without help from other people. People are God’s greatest asset and His greatest problem. That’s just the way it is so get accustom to it. Choose wisely the people you want to be in business with. The more personnel you have in your business the more issues will arise. That is why you need assistance.
I had the honor and privilege several years ago of attending a six week course for business executives at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. One of our visiting speakers was Warren Buffett, the billionaire stock investor. After his talk he opened the classroom up for questions. Of course, the first question was about what process he used to select a stock he was going to invest in. His answer was quite enlightening. The following is his simple but profound response (it may not be exactly word for word but is pretty close per my class notes): “I don’t do business with people I don’t like. I look at their company, meet with their management, look at what they are doing and if I agree with their goals, management practices, and beliefs, I invest. I try to do business with people I can be friends with”. The man is a billionaire and he is still putting his emphasis on choosing the right people, right practices, right goals, and right beliefs. How refreshing and how simple.
Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:6-9, NLT)
