Leadership

My Philosophy of Leadership

We all are leader and master is better than servant (The writer said)

I always ask myself question is not there leader in the world. If there are leaders, why is there a big problem and small problem in the world, in our organizations, schools, churches, families, workplaces, and personal life? Isn’t there anybody who can fix this? Isn’t there anybody who wants to solve and to take the responsibility of this problem in everywhere? Isn’t anybody who cares it as his/her responsibility here? What is leadership? Who are leaders? Where are leaders? Do heroes even exist anymore today? The question is very interesting thing and it seems that something is needed.

Let me define first what leadership is and my definition of leadership before why these problems are appeared today and why the leaders could not solve the problem in his/her leadership community. Most scholars and writers already mentioned what leadership is in many books. H. Ross Pirot defines what leadership is “Leadership is motivation others toward a specified goal for the purpose and feel fulfilled and leadership means a set of actions for dealing with people-related issues, leadership is the capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose, and the character which inspires confidence and leadership is the ability to get a man/woman to do what you want him/her to do, when you want it done, in a way you want it done, because he/she wants to do it and so on.”[1]All these mentions are good and powerful for leadership. I also would like to add the definition of leadership which leadership is seeking the truth, new thing and making something from nothing. And who are leaders? A Leader is a person who knows the road, can keep ahead and pull others along, with no map and sign posts. Leader is counting people’s head and bringing the head of people to his/her organization or community. Effective leader depends on how many people’s head he can count or how many people’s head he can bring to his/her community. We, Burmese people also have the name of leader in our own language, called (khawng-sawng in Myanmar), which Khawng means head (the upper part of the human body) and Sawng means bringing. Actually I say, leader is bringer and counter (who counts human’ head) of human’s head.  That is why leader is very-very important so bad leader brings his/her people to back or the dangerous place. A good leader brings his/her people to forward (a beautiful and nice place or new place which they have never been there). If so, who are leaders? Let me answers simply, we all are leader. Why? And how can be? It is easy to say that you are not leader of a big organization or your church or your village and country and no one does not think and see as you are leader but you are really leader for you. If you are not a good leader for you, your body and heart, how can you lead your people? Leader is started insight yourself and you are already leader during you were in your mother’s worm. We all are leader but we all are not good leaders or effective leaders. In fact, the problem is grown day by day in our organizations, churches, families and us. My perspective on leadership to solve the problem will be mentioned as follows. Most writers and leaders emphasize on the lowest (servant) leadership rather than Master leadership. My philosophy of leadership, however, is a mixing leadership, not only servant-leadership but also master-leadership. Today we do not need leader in our organization but we really need the leader of leader in our faith community, Nation, Country, village, Church and family. 

Leader and Eagle 

My philosophy of leadership is that today leader should be like Eagle. Most people may argue this reason and ask question how human can be like eagle. We are already higher than that. Of course, I do not want to say it is wrong but I want them to know first what the quality of Eagle. Eagle is one of the birds but she has the best quality of leader. Among birds she is the one who can flow the highest space from earth. Her eyes are very bright and she can see the smallest thing on earth clearly from much far distance on sky. Whatever she looks at, she can see clearly so she is a visionary birds and she can see clearly what will happen in future.[2] In this reason, I would like to say leader should be a visionary leader and he/she have to see clearly what his/her vision is. If a leader do not known and see what his/her vision clearly, that leader will never become effective leader during living on earth. We can see how vision important for people, especially for leader. It is mention in the Bible “Where there is no vision, the people perish Proverb 29:18 (KJV).” Charles Swingdoll’s said “Leaders are the ones who dream the dreams. Leaders are the ones who are the visionaries.”[3] Vision is the first imperative material for leader. Leader without vision is a blind man who did not know where he goes and what he does. Today there are so many leaders in our organization but they are not effective leader who did not have vision for future. And some leaders have vision however they did not see their vision clearly. When we say about vision, we have to say even about strategy because both vision and strategy are important, but there is a priority to them. Vision is not next step but vision always comes first. Always. To have a clear vision is very important for leader. Mike Hyatt said “If you have a clear vision, you will eventually attract the right strategy. If you do not have a clear vision, no strategy will save you.”[4]  Of course, modern leaders should have a clear vision for our organization and for our future leadership. As Eagle sees her vision clearly and see and know what happen around her, leader must have clear vision and know what happen around the world like Eagle. If we lead our people like Eagle, we will not tire in our leadership and our organization also will be healthy organization, which means the problem will be end. It is mentioned in the book of Isaiah 40:31 “But those who wait for the Lord’s help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired.”  For our community will be healthy, we have to remember the strategy of eagles’ leadership. Vision is the first priority. 

Leader and Hornbill

Hornbill bird is a faithful bird among birds. She has a good example in her life because Male hornbill is a faithful for his wife and family, even female hornbill. If someone kills one male or female, left hornbill was killed her/himself. She did not want to be the wife of other hornbill as well as him. They are faithful each other. That is why we, Chin people in Myanmar put the image of hornbill on Chin’s flag. A leader also must be a good example and faithful for his family, church and community. If you are a leader in your church or community, you have to know yourself how you are important. If you do not know how you are important, you are already made wrong and you were going on the wrong way. If we do not know how we are important, whatever we want to do, we do. It is the main problem of leaders in his/her community. A leader should know his/her people looking at him/her and whatever he did. If a leader makes wrong thing and goes on the wrong way, his people will follow him. In fact, a leader should be example, model for all people wherever he goes and whatever he did. And then he knows himself how he is important for people. It can be said it is Christ-like leader. Our behavior and history is very important for the congregations. There is in my Myanmar proverb “your character is written on your face.” It means you cannot hide your character and behavior before congregations. That is why a leader should have a good character and behavior. It is meaningful for spiritual leadership than others because spiritual leadership is leading by example. When we say about example, everything regarding humility includes in it. It is mentioned in Proverbs 21:23 “Be an example in controlling the tongue.” Always tell the truth but do not be brutally frank. Think first what must be said and say, but withhold what is not helpful. Have to know when to talk, and when to keep silent. A leader never betrays a secret. Then a leader should learn the discipline of not saying more than what is necessary. Let me say a leader who cannot keep a secret never become an effective leader. And leader should be an example in keeping promise. It is very important in the realm of leadership. We can see it in the teaching of Jesus “always honor your word (Matthew 5:37).”  Honoring our word includes carefully keeping time. The best way is always start on time and end on time. If a leader who did not respect time ever becomes a good example for his people. Let me express my experience. I really detest missing appointment when we have appointment with someone for some reasons. Sometimes when my friends or co-workers did not get that place on time, I always say how time is precious for us to them, and then I tell them my status “I am a man of my word.” I will do as I said. It is better to be silent instead missing my appointment as I said to someone. I always try to fulfill whatever I said because I really honor and respect my word and time and includes respecting people. If you do not respect your time, it seems that you did not respect and honor your people.  It was mentioned by William B. Girao “coming late, especially if you are the leader, is lack of consideration for others. When you come late, you show lack of appreciation for the sacrifices of others. When you end late, you are being inconsiderate in making it impossible for others to do what they may have scheduled to do after the meeting.” Therefore a leader should be the one who honor his own word and respect time. Always start on time and end on time. Leader should be an example in faithfulness. It is crucial in leadership. A leader should be a faithful person to all people and to him. For example if you have given your word that you would come, be there come rain, come flood, come typhoon, come power blackout. Of course, it should be. And if you have promised to come, be there in spite of the tiredness of your body and the pressure of their duties. If we are faithful in everything, we are a trustworthy leader by not only our followers but all people. Be example in every perspectives, character, behavior, compassion, patient, and forgiving towards those who fail. The effective leader is direct relation to your moral example and your faithfulness to your word, to people and to the teaching of God’s word.[5] Professor Fairbank said in class lecture which leader needs two things character and strategy. If you want to do only one, you should drop strategy. In fact, we can say how character is important for leader. Your character will lead you and your people to where you have never been. 

Leader and Lion 

I believe that we all known about Lion. We may not wrong if we say like this Lion is the strongest among animals. He believe himself as stronger and has a big confident himself. He cares no one and what happen to him he did not care. When he has a plan to do something at the same time every difficult thing came to him even at that time he never loses his plan. Whatever happens to him he tries to get his plan and to success his ambition. Even leader should have like the mind of Lion and have confident. If a leader does not have confident himself, how he can lead many people. Having confidence is very-very important for leader. Without confidence a leader cannot make decision when the problem came to the community. In fact, I have said that a leader should not only servant but also master. The reason generally a servant does not have confidence himself, instead he always trust his master or Lord. It can be said that a master has more confidence than his servant.  Today we do not need to look at other people’s ability and to compare with other people. If we always compare with other people who are having more an ability than us and with great person, our confident will lose. If we do not have confidence on ourselves, how we can become effective leader in our community. Today our big problem is that we make mistake of comparing ourselves with other people. It destroys our vision.  A leader must to say I am I, I cannot become you. We have to satisfy on what we are. Dr. Maxwell Maltz has said “At least ninety-five percent of the people in the world feel inferior.”[6] Of course, it is our big problem in our leadership. A leader do not compare with other. He can determine his success in his leadership. And a leader must to think he is a number one every day. Today leader must have the mind of this “today I will realize that I am special and unique, and I will use my talents instead of wishing for the talents of another.”[7], As lion we have to have confident on our  own ability, it is sure that our leadership will close near with success. As we have noted above, decision-making is very important in leadership. But here we have to think carefully when we make decision. I have an experience which some leaders fear to make decision. It is a problem for leader. A leader quality is appeared on making decision when the problem happens to the community or organization. A leader should not fear his people but he has to respect and honor his followers. Leaders those who panic their followers or people never become excellent leader. Making decision is really necessary in leadership. It is said “decision-making is the process of choosing one alternative from a set of potentially viable options.”[8] That is why leader must believe himself to success his leadership and to become a successful leader in modern era. If a leader did not believe in himself or herself, he may not be a great leader or a successful leader today. It is said “you may success if nobody else believers in you, but you will never success if you don’t believe in yourself.”[9] John Maxwell said “Leaders need to inspire confidence, and they do that, not with charisma, but with competence.”[10]To be an excellent leader, believing ourselves is very important and we have to have confident. I am not you and you are not me. Our confident will lead us and our people to forward. A leader should be like Lion, he did not care anybody and he strongly believes in himself and have a big confident. He is number one. Even a leader is number one, no need comparing with other. Look at yourself and go straightly to get your target. A leader should not say it is not possible and I can’t. Instead a leader should say everything is possible and I can do everything all the times. 

Not exclusive and inclusive leader but ecumenical and plural leader (Pluralism)

Today most people abhor the term of ecumenical and pluralism because they think that they are so extreme liberal which means they did not believe Christ and respect and honor God, the being of Christianity. Today leader should not like these people who are so extreme in exclusive and inclusive. For those leaders, a problem appears day by day all over the world. They cannot accept non-Christians in their community and if somebody did not believe as their belief, they cut their relationship with them. In Christian perspective, Christian leader want to stay separately, they did not want to mix with all people. And they think their community is the best community and they did not care anybody when they come to their community. In modern era, it should not be our leadership style. Today leaders have to have more eyes, hands and wide mind than ordinary people. Today leader should be the one who can accept everyone who want to join to his community weather Christians or non-Christians, it is not matter.  Leaders need to know everyone has talent. Here let me say it may be difficult leaders who did not have more people or followers to become great leader or effective leader. Without people what leaders will do? For more people come to our community, we have to have ecumenical mind not exclusive mind. Let me mention what exclusive, inclusive, ecumenical and pluralism. Exclusive leaders mean that it is for only for great persons or rich people and they neglect poor and lowest people. They want reach people and great people to participate in their community. They did not accept poor people and ordinary people. Inclusive leaders mean that they have limit in their community. They make rule for their organization which is only Christians can participate in our community. For example, only Nazarene can participate in our community and can study here and can get book free, other denomination cannot join with us and cannot study in Nazarene seminary. Ecumenical leaders mean that they can accept all denominations in the world. When they are doing something, they did not think it is only for that denomination, for example they did not say it is only for Baptist. Instead whatever they did are for all Christians. They try to combine all Christians in the world in one family. They can accept all Christians to join with in their community. And pluralism leaders mean that they can accept not only Christians but also non-Christians. The one whoever want to join in their community they can join and participate in their community and everyone can lead their community. It does not matter Christian or non-Christian. Everyone can use each of their talents in community. Among them the fourth leader should be today leader. Today our leadership style only base on Christian perspective, our leadership will be last. Today leaders should practice Christian perspective on leadership and secular perspective on leadership in his/her leadership. That kind of leadership style can change the world. Our leadership should be combined on Christian leadership and secular leadership as we cannot separate body and spiritual. As Mind, body and spirit are combined to become human being, our leadership also has to mix to become excellent leaders. 

Today Leaders have to know:

Leader learn from others, but they are not made by others and is influencing, equipping, committing, training, building, building, challenging, motivating, empowering, energizing, coaching, facilitating, inspiring, developing, strengthening, encouraging, enabling (Robert A. Orr).

If your dream depends a lot on luck, then you are in trouble. If it depends entirely on luck, you are living in fantasyland. (John C. Maxwell).

You can only make others by being good yourself (Hugh R. Haweis).

Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools (Napoleon Bonaparte)

Leaders must grow personally. It is a fact of life for leaders that they have to get better. Great leaders learn to find a defeat in every victory and a victory in every defeat. (Chris Brady).

Be careful of your thoughts. They may break into words at any time.  Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Take what comes. Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact (Zig Ziglar).[11]

Today leaders should be like Eagle. They have vision which they have to see it clearly and they have to know what will be happened in future. Leaders should be like hornbill. They have to be an example for others. It is said the best teacher is experience and the best leader is an example. Your good behavior will lead you and your people to a head where you have never been. Today leaders should be lion. They have to have confidence on his/her ability. They believe themselves wherever they arrive. Your confidence and belief on your ability will make you a great leaders and excellent leader in modern era. Today leaders should be neither exclusive leaders nor inclusive leaders. It is rather ecumenical leaders and pluralism-leader, which means not only practice Christian perspective in his leadership but also Secular perspective in his leadership.  To be successful leaders, we have to mix our leadership. Not only servant leadership but master-leadership will lead us to become great leaders in coming era. I believe that it will solve today’s problems in our organizations, communities, churches, families and us. Not only servant but also master. I am not you and you are not me. I can. 

By

Anthony B. LianThang

                                                                                                                                           

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[1] Robert A. Orr, The Essentials for Effective Christian Leadership Development: Mastering Leadership Principles and Management Skills For a Successful Ministry (Canada: Leadership Essentials Press, 2001), 100-03.

[2] Rev. Robert Mang Hre, Zumtu Nun, vol. 2 , pages 7-8.

[3] Charles Swindoll’s, Favorite Stories and Illustrations (Manila: OMF Literature, 2003), 333.

[4] John C. Maxwell, Put Your Dream to The Test: 10 Questions that will help you see it and seize it (Dallas: Thomas Nelson, 2009), 25.

[5] William B. Girao, Servants Not Masters (Manila: OMF Literature, 2005), 21-26.

[6] Zig Ziglar, Steps to the Top (Malaysia: Advantage Quest Publication, 2005), 13.

[7] (Ziglar 2005, 13)

[8] (Orr 2001, 152)

[9] (Maxwell 2009, 13)

[10] John C. Maxwell, Leadership Gold: Lessons Learned From a Lifetime of Leading (Dallas: Thomas Nelson, 2008), 148.

[11] (Ziglar 2005, 100.01)