Rev Chris Oyakhilome Defines Success As Impacting the World with the Investment of Your

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Leadership is influence over others at various capacities which may be in ministry or secular world. The leadership role could be formal or informal. The ability to perform this role actively, will determine the quality of leadership one is providing which could be effective or ineffective, successful or unsuccessful.

Rev Chris Oyakhilome defines success as “impacting the world with the investment of your personality”. The investment in your personality underscores the importance of personal development in providing qualitative leadership.

When we study leaders in the old testament, we find that when leaders heard from God and follow God, they led Israel to greatness. Leaders make a difference. Good leaders have a positive effect and bad leaders have a negative effect, but every leader will have some type of effect. The prophetess Deborah, sang in Judges 5:2 “when Israel’s leadership take charge, and the people gladly follow”.

Aside from Jesus, there is probably no leader more important and influential in the new testament than Apostle Paul. God used Paul in profound ways to expand the church. Paul moved the vision beyond Jerusalem and beyond the Jewish converts. He took the gospel to the gentiles and personally planted several churches through Asia minor. Paul also laid a good foundation of leadership in elders and bishops who would ensure the future growth and maturity of the church. God used Paul as a leader to raise the level of the church, to take the church to places it had never gone and to challenge the status quo, the religious world of that day. For Paul to achieve this feat, he made valuable deposits in his personality that caused him to be appreciated.

The prime cause for success or failure is your perception of yourself. It controls your mind just as your mind controls your heartbeat. This means that you need to have a picture of you at your best with potentials brought to the fore. You must then retain this picture in your heart such that it is always before you till you desire it with all of your being. You meditate on it, it is all you can think about till it motivates you to act. Your success in any undertaking will never be greater than your desire.

You must take total, personal responsibility for the results you are getting; as a result Christian leadership is an awesome responsibility to be taken seriously. A Christian leader is to lead by example. Paul in his letter to the church at Corinth said “Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ” 1 Corinthians 11:1(KJV). John Maxwell said “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them”. A leader makes things happen through motivating others.

1.1 RESPONSIBILITIES OF A CHRISTIAN LEADER

A leader is a person others depend on for answers. In a crisis situation people look to the leader for directions and ensure that order is restored. For the Christian leader, he or she is able to achieve this through the anointing of the Holy Spirit that is his helper, counselor, standby, Comforter and Teacher.

To be anointed means to be rubbed in such a way as to become one. The bible says “That he that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit” 1 Corinthians 6:17. When Moses stood before the red sea and God said to him Moses, stretch your hand over the water and divide it, He obeyed God and stretched His hand over the water, he was able to restore order and gave direction to the Israelites. At that moment, he ceased to be Moses, he became a divine creation when he stretched forth his hand, the hand of God was stretched forth in him. The endowment of the Holy Spirit, generates and extraordinary anointing, wisdom and strength.

Leaders in the bible that provide quality leadership have an attribute that comes to them. This attribute is their intimacy with God based on unconditional love. Qualitative Christian leadership today, must be based on the love relationship with God. This love must also exist between the Christian leader and the followers. The ability to love and care for people is what distinguishes the Christian leader from other leaders. The bible says” A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34) KJV.

A Christian leader should submit to the authority of God. God bore witness to Abraham’s trust and submission. God said “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord” (Genesis 18:19). Rev Chris Oyakhilome always says when God tells you to do something, do it. The primary reason you are doing it is because God said to do it, and this is how to honour God. The Christian leader radiates peace and calmness even in difficult times he uses the bible as his standard and stands firm on the side of the truth and encourages others to do so. He leads by example and this tends to motivate followers to reach greater heights in the work of the Lord. The Christian leader must serve God with a loyal heart.

1.3 EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP.

J. S. Benjamin in his effective Christian leadership skills for evangelism says “ A leader is a person who influences a group of people to accomplish a purpose”. It is possible to have a position of leadership without functioning as a leader. Below are scriptural examples of people who did not function as leaders:

King Saul 1 Samuel 15 Saul was the leader of the armies of Israel but Saul failed to function as a leader. He succumbed to the fear of people-his own soldiers.

It is possible to function as a leader without having the function of leadership, 2 Kings 5 speaks of the young girl in Naamans household who was a captive in an alien land. She had no position whatsoever as she was a slave girl whose situation seemed hopeless. Yet she influenced her mistress and her master Naaman the commander of the Syrian army. She accomplished the goal of securing healing for her master. Jesus did not have any earthly position either. He earned His credibility through what he did and said. Many who followed Jesus gave up their earthly positions and they were reckoned to have turned the world right side up. All of them had unique characteristics. They are purpose related characteristics: Persistence and resistance; people related characteristics: servant hood and sensitivity to others; Personal characteristics: Consistent example, self mastery, active private life and confidence, teaching ability, positive attitude and faith are some of the qualities of a Christian leader.

1.4 LEADERSHIP QUALITIES

Timothy stands out in scripture as a stereotypical misfit for a leadership position. From what we know about him, he was timid, a bit sickly, and perhaps reticent t o do the work he had been called to do. But when Paul wrote to this young man, his letters reflected the heart of a mentor who perceived his protégés leadership potential despite the younger mans naturally timid disposition. (2timothy 1:7)

Throughout his ministry with Paul, Timothy proved his mettle. Paul regarded him as “ my true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2) and “My son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:17). This young man overcame his natural limitations to become one of the early churches most significant leaders. His leadership character (Philippians 2:19-22) far outweighed the limitations of his physical presence.

Titus like Timothy was an associate of Apostle Paul’s. Titus like Timothy was identified by Paul as “ My true son” in the faith( Titus 1:4). Titus unlike Timothy was a goal getter, a passionate leader and one who was eager to take on a tough assignment. What was true for Timothy and Titus is still true for today, character and hard work are essential for anyone who wants to lead. When God looks for leaders, He does not necessarily look for the tallest, best looking, most articulate or most charismatic among us. Paul told his two young associate to closesly examine those who aspired to leadership. He required that such candidate pass the test of character.

Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife temperate, self controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (if any one does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?). He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devils trap.

Deacons likewise are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truth of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. In the same way their wives are to be women worthy of respect not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. (1 Timothy 3:2-12)

Before stepping into a leadership role ourselves, or elevating others to leadership positions, we need to do some testing to see how well we or they measure up to the qualifications God has for leaders. While the traits identified by Paul refer specifically to leaders in the church, any leader who possesses them will have the kind of leadership character of which God approves.

The list of qualifications Paul sent to Titus is similar:

“An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless-not overbearing, not quick tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trust worthy message as it has been taught so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it “.(Titus 1:6-9)

Notice that Paul is focused more on qualities of the heart than abilities. Skill-sets are important, but ultimately who you are is more fundamentally important than what you do. Of course what we do is important, but our behavior ought to flow out of who we are. Rather than being the reservoir, we ought to be a river. We draw our life from Christ and allow His life to flow through us on an ongoing basis.

The summary statement for each of the lists above say, “The overseer must be above reproach” ( 1 Timothy 3:2) or the “ elder must be blameless” (Titus 1:6). Leaders in the church are to have no moral or behavioral handles that others can grab unto and say, ”This disqualifies this person from leadership”. A careful determination of the leaders qualification reveal someone who has his or her private (family) and public life in balance. This person exercises moderation and humility while maintaining a good reputation with those outside the church.

One more thing, Paul believed those who enter into the initial leadership role(deacon) should first be tested”.(1 timothy 3:10). The time to discover if someone can lead is not after they assume the role but before. That is still the best policy today. This level of character takes time to develop. It takes years to develop a good reputation. While nobody perfectly measures up to the leadership qualifications in these passages, we should all strive to achieve them.

1.5 HOW TO BE A BETTER LEADER

Nobody is a know-it-all

Ask those below you about things you don't understand. Don't express your approval or disapproval lightly. Be a pupil before you become a teacher. Ask questions and get the advice of those around you before making decisions. Act on the correct ideas. Listen also to mistaken views from those you are leading. Don't shut people up because you disagree with them or they have wrong ideas. Next time, they might . have the right idea. Listen to all ideas, but act only on the ones you think 2. Raise the political level of those you lead

Sometimes, members spend too much time on "bochinche" and talking behind people's backs. In meetings, some problems are passed over, but as soon as the meeting is over, people talk. Some people confuse a social agency and a political organization. Some become so active in day-to-day work that they fail to read and study the basic questions and issues that confront us--they can't see the forest for the trees. Some think we just have to keep shouting "Fight Discrimination" and don't deal with the concrete ways our people suffer discrimination and what they can do to guide those concrete battles. All these problems come from lack of political education. NCPRR leaders should allot time to study how society works if we want to change it.

3. Every committee and member should have one central task

Some people say, "What meeting is there tonight?" They belong to three or four committees but don't do a good job in any. Some committees have four or five things to do but never decide what is their central task. That doesn't mean you should do just one thing. It means that if you have four things to do, one of them is central, and you should pay most attention to it, work the others around it. Especially in a volunteer organization, with members having limited time, this is important.

4 Ask for criticism and give yourself criticism

There are no supermen and wonderwomen among us. We all make mistakes. The important thing is to find our mistakes before they get too big. All committee leaders should ask "What criticism do you have of me?" to their members. If you jump on people when they start to criticize, they will shut up. Then, when you are drowning and need help, they will keep quiet and watch you go down for the third time. If you criticize yourself, that's even better because some members will miss the mistakes that only you can see. The aim of criticism is not to attack or hurt a person. Criticism is like soap and a good brush, to clean away dirt, How-do you feel about a person who doesn't bathe regularly? Criticism is a bath for your mind.

5. A team is everybody working together

Some people are power hitters, some are good fielders, some good runners. Some start well, but finish lousy. And some start slowly but finish in a blaze. Not everybody can write a leaflet, or repair a boiler or car, speak at a rally, or agitate a meeting, or defend a grievance hearing, or cook a good meal, or organize a dance. A good leader is not the one with the biggest mouth, but the one who can get everyone working together as a team and get each person to contribute to the maximum. A good leader makes everyone feel he or she is worthwhile and is contributing, and helps those who are having trouble to improve.

6. Build strong committees

In some committees, one person makes all the decisions, monopolizes the conversation and loves to hear themselves talk even though people may start to fall asleep. Those that are quiet attend the meeting in body only. Some differences between members are never resolved and so people are united in name only. To make committees strong, all members present should be encouraged to put their ideas out fully. All major problems should be put on the table, decisions made and carried out. When there are strong differences, the principle of majority vote must be followed, or if the problem is not urgent, time should be given for more consideration. At the same time, we should watch out for ultra-democracy, the method of everyone getting equal time and an equal say before every decision. Both monopolizing of a meeting and ultra-democracy are no good. Often in committees, a "permanent opposition" develops, a member or two who disagree with most everything that happens. Leaders should seek to pull such discontented members to the side, meet with them individually, seek to resolve problems that the whole group should not have to spend time on. Sometimes, these individual sessions will solve the problem. While an open airing of views is important, wasting everyone's time on the discontent of one or two people can weaken a committee.

7. Beware of opportunism among the people

In the capitalist society that we live in, a small section of our community have been corrupted and believe that they should get everything for nothing. These persons may try to use our organizations then give nothing back to the community. All leaders should uphold the principle that work is good and honorable, that the hardest-working people are the best people, and that laziness and opportunists should be called what they are.

8. Unite with those who disagree with youWe have come together from all parts of the country. We should not expect to all speak the same language and look at things the same way, or enjoy the sameamusements. If we agreed on everything' then our problems would have been solved long ago. But pay special attention to uniting and working with those who disagree with you. It is easy to work with someone you agree with, but the harder job is the more important. 9. Remember class differences and look at the whole. There are no millionaires in the NCPRR, but some are better off than others. Some are professionals, some own businesses, some are students, some office workers, factory workers, some unemployed or on public assistance. Those especially who make a little more money should remember that they are a minority. When they plan an event or a fundraiser, they should remember that just because you can afford it, doesn't mean that others can. To those who have nice homes or apartments, fighting for decent housing is not such a big problem, but to those who don't have a good house, it's the biggest problem. Some make a little more money, but have a big family; and sickness and hospital bills have them in a bad way. Some have a good job, but fall unemployed or sick and then have a rough time. Some are concerned only about their family and don't care about the children or problems of others. A good leader will urge others to take the attitude "All of us, together will rise." The NCPRR is for all Puerto Ricans who are oppressed, but especially for the most oppressed. We should never forget that and always look at the whole situation. You should be sensitive to the personal problems of those you lead.

10. Guard against arrogance - look at both sides

The more success you have, the more you must watch against arrogance. For anyone in a leading position, this is a matter of principle. Arrogant people create divisions, because those who have made mistakes feel bad around them and do not show their faces. Flattery and exaggerated praise are a bad habit, but leaders should commend those who have done good work; and members should commend leaders who have provided good direction. In judging any activity, organization, or individual, always look at both sides, the positive and the negative. It is 70% good and 30% bad, then it is good. If it is less than 70%, there are serious problems. But we should always strive for Q% or better, which is excellent.

If you study these hints and try to practice them, chances are your leadership will improve. No one is born a leader of the people. After the first steps of anger at oppression and love for the people, you must learn everything else. Leadership of the people in their fight for equality and freedom is a science. Only by studying methods of good leadership, practicing them, can you become better.

CHAPTER TWO