Leaders
lead with life examples
By: Dr.
Jeff Fuller
We
are seeing more and more campaigning as we head toward the magic month of June
and then on to November. So many have
seen fit to throw their hats into the political arena as they hope and pray for
support at the ballot box for national, state, and local elections.
Recently
it came to dawn on me that the person elected is only as good as the issues he
takes a stand on. Issues are important
to me, as well as a majority of the people who are registered to vote. Needless to say, the candidate who takes a
strong stand on certain issues important to me, is a candidate who will get me
to vote for them when it comes time to mark the ballot on Election Day.
While
where the candidate stands regarding issues is important, how that individual
lives and leads is just as vital to what he or she will be when they take the
elected position to which they aspire. This
is a better way to understand the place of a leader in the political arena:
“Political
leaders are elected because they have proven they can guide us down a good
path, represent us as they serve as statesmen, committed to a better quality of
life for the constituents they represent.”
According to Webster, a leader is “something
that leads” such as “a primary or terminal shoot of a plant.” Also, the word is used as “a
person who leads: as guide, conductor; a
person who directs a military force or unit; a person who has commanding
authority or influence.”
Someone penned, “Some people are leaders, and some people are
followers.” True! Not all who aspire to be leaders, political
or otherwise, will make great leaders.
These are more likely to be a follower or even an imitator of a great leader. The problem I see here is that sometimes
these leaders who are better followers end up following the wrong person down
the wrong path, imitating their ways and lose credibility with their own
followers.
“Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.”
Proverbs 27:17 (HCSB)
“How happy is
the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or
take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers! Instead, his
delight is in the LORD’s
instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree
planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. The wicked
are not like this; instead, they are like chaff
that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked
will not survive the judgment, and sinners will not be
in the community of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way
of the righteous, but the way of the wicked
leads to ruin.”
Psalm 1:1-6 (HCSB)
In an internet article titled, “What
Is A Leader,” F. John Reh writes, “At the most basic level,
a leader is someone who leads others…A leader is a person who has a vision, a
drive and a commitment to achieve that vision, and the skills to make it
happen.”
A true leader will see the problem
needing to be fixed or a goal to achieve and give single-minded determination
to the problem or goal. Someone else may
have not desired to attack it, others may have swept it under the rug, or it
has been pushed to the bottom of the agenda because it would cost someone
votes. Yet a true leader will step up to
the plate and attack, giving it their full undivided attention.
For a true leader, this becomes a
passion, with total commitment. They
will move forward despite obstacles, what people may say, turning a deaf ear to
excuses with perseverance.
A leader will exhibit qualities, which
some people are born with and others must develop. These are: integrity; a people person; and is
positive. Skills of truly successful
leaders include: Effective communication - it's more than just being able to
speak and write. A leader's communication must move people to work toward the
goal the leader has chosen; Motivation - a leader has to be able to motivate
everyone to contribute. Each of us has different "buttons". A leader
knows how to push the right buttons on everyone to make them really want to do
their best to achieve the leader's goal; Planning - the leader has a plan to
achieve the goal. He or she does not get too bogged down in the details, that is
what managers are for, but rather uses a high level plan to keep everyone
moving together toward the goal.
“Leaders dream dreams. They refuse to
let anyone or anything get in the way of achieving those dreams. They are
realistic, but unrelenting. They are polite, but insistent. The constantly and
consistently drive forward toward their goal.”
Being a political leader means more
than winning enough votes to get seated; it means being able to do a job,
making wise decisions, and not being concerned with always making people
happy. When it matters enough to the
elected official, it will matter to the constituents who elected them. Being a true leader will bring with it much
sorrow, but doing the work to honor God will cause great rejoicing and
multitude of blessing.
How
desperately we need leadership in our government agencies! Now more than ever! On the local level, the state level and on
the national level. We need men and
women who have integrity, passion, and positive influences and outlooks.
“Without initiative,
leaders are just workers in leadership positions.”
Bo Bennett
Until
next time…
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