The Changing Face of Leadership

A blast from the past

How times have changed, and roles have been reversed. Can you imagine a situation when people were afraid to stand up for leadership roles? That is exactly how it was in the first century church, people were so scared to step up to leadership positions. The reason why people were so unwilling to become leaders is because there was a lot of danger in becoming one. A lot of wild animals were on the prowl and so leaders were always expected to be on the war front.

In those days a leader had to have a brave heart and mock danger in its face. This is why it was very difficult to have people willing to be leaders. To compound matters, leaders were expected to meet their own operational and travelling costs. Factor in accommodation costs and related expenses. All these were the costs a leader needed to carry on their own shoulders. So, people really had to have a sense of service more than anything. The leader was also expected to be the moral barometer of society. Leadership was not prestigious and lucrative. It was voluntary, costly and sacrificial.

Leadership Today

Let us flip on the page of leadership today and see what leadership has become. Leadership has come full circle. Leaders are now visible with their trade mark three-piece Pierre Cardin suits and James and James exclusive outfits, not to mention their hundred percent elephant shoes and some other colorful accessories dangling on their bodies. Some even have a number of body guards escorting them everywhere. Lest I forget the great cars which are now at their disposal. It is so powerful and flamboyant, so that you cannot help but aspire to become a leader. Gone are the days when leaders funded their own trips from the sweat of their brow. Now leaders are being paid to lead and to serve. Many leaders, especially in the public sector have become the Vasco da Gamas’ of this day, globe-trotting to no end. Their aim is no longer to serve. Instead, it is to save a lot of money in the form of travelling allowances and per diems. The purpose of leadership is to serve and not to be served.

The Leadership Bullies

Failure to understand the purpose of something leads to abuse, in the words of the late great Myles Munroe. This failure to understand the purpose of leadership is what has made the ugly face of failed leadership rear its head with contempt and gusto. African parliaments have been reduced to circuses. Can you imagine the irony of lawmakers breaking the law in the biggest law-making house, I mean the parliament? Lesotho legislators were at each other’s throat this past week. The August house was reduced to a brawling house. Spare a thought for Lesotho parliamentarians, they are not the worst of the lot. Fist fights are the order of the day in Kenyan and Ugandan parliaments. In Zimbabwe, a former backbencher once beat the living daylights out of the then Minister of Finance. Venezuela and other South American countries are also messed up with unending fights. If you think you have heard the worst of leadership, hold on a minute. A certain Vladimir Putin shocked the whole world when he woke up on the wrong side of the bed and his mighty Russia unleashed a torrent of bullets on a helpless neighbor, Ukraine. Talk about leadership bullies, Vladimir Putin sits on top of the chain. He is the ultimate example of dangerous leadership. But before we take the mighty Putin to the cleaners, consider one George Bush who attacked a helpless Iraq. I am against Putin and I am against Bush. I am against war, but unlike Dambudzo Marechera,I am not against those who are against war. Anyway, back to leadership. It is important that we look at what proper sound leadership looks like. In order to do that we ought to look at the ultimate leader who ever lived. Jesus Christ, in my opinion is the perfect prototype of a leader. It makes sense to review what made him excel as a leader. He knew the way, showed the way and went all the way.

?Jesus Christ the Master Leader

Jesus Christ is the pinnacle of leadership glory. He modelled leadership in a way no man ever did. This is why I consider him the ultimate leadership standard. A closer look at his servant leadership approach will show you three key attributes which made him walk tall among the giants. The first attribute is that he built on humility and epitomised humility. He taught that those who want to be great must serve the others. The way to the top is the way to the bottom. He modelled that true leadership is serving others. He equated greatness to the number of people whom you serve not the ones who serve you. Although Jesus Christ is God, he thought that it was not right to claim it by force. As a result of his humility God exalted him and gave him a name above all names. This is evidence that leadership humility immortalises a leader. People will easily follow humble leaders and snub puffed up leaders.

Leadership is loving people

Jesus taught and modelled love. He taught people to love God with all their mighty and strength. The secret to loving God is in loving people. When you love people, it becomes easy to love God whom you have not seen. Even those considered as societal misfits can fight against anything and everything but not love. A leader who loves people is a people’s magnet. People cannot resist the force of love. Love makes you an exceptional leader.

Leaders Serve

Most leaders could do with a master class in the Jesus leadership model. Maybe I will share it thoroughly one day but one standout factor about him is that he understood that leadership is service. He became relevant to facets of society through his extra-ordinary culture of service. He fed the hungry, he healed the sick and raised the dead. His service was always timely and an answer to a challenge. No wonder the Christian cliché says, “Jesus is the answer to it all.”

If leaders can learn to lead like Jesus, all the stupid and senseless wars will stop. All the unnecessary ego will become a thing of the past. No wonder he proclaimed himself the way, the truth and the life. He was not bragging, otherwise he would be a braggadocio, it was the truth. When we follow his way peace and prosperity are guaranteed.

May the leader in you rise to conquer. Next level is a reality and Jesus Christ is lord and the pinnacle of leadership excellence.

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