The Prime Leader Sells His Vision

“Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint” – Proverbs 29:18

When any leader gathers up a group of people around him, he has a vision (under normal circumstances). For some, it is an idea they have had playing in their minds over and over and now they come to the part where they act towards it. The smarter ones have written it down clearly and have a clearer picture of where they are going. The excellent ones have not only written it down, but have visualized it vividly in their minds and experienced the reality of the achieved goal. They have seen it, felt it, tasted it, heard it and smelt it. They have practically visited the achieved goal and are now affirming themselves around that goal. They are already giving thanks to God for the achievement and absolutely excited about bringing into physical reality what they have seen in their spirits.

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doth not first sit down and count the cost, whether he have wherewith to complete it? Lest haply, when he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all that behold begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, as he goeth to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and asketh conditions of peace.” – Luke 14:28-32.

Taking the step of building a team around himself, the Prime leader realizes that if he will achieve what he needs to achieve, his team will need to vibrate at the same frequency as himself. The people in the team need to own the vision just as much as he does. They need to have the same kind of excitement that will propel them in the same direction as the leader. Without being able to see that vision, the team will cast off restraint and everyone will pursue their own agenda. Imagine having a football team where one wants to show off their juggling skill, someone else wants to dribble around everyone, the other wants to show off his ability to shoot from long range! That team will not go far. We have seen it with our national team that comprises of stars playing in the premier leagues in competitive countries. When they come together and are not in camp together for long enough, they will put up a terrible show. The team needs to shoot towards the same goal.

The leader deliberately paints his picture of the realized goal in colorful and bright pictures. He gives the goal a great desirable sound and a tantalizing feeling. Everyone in the team sees exactly what the leader is seeing and catches the excitement. Some will catch it before others, and those not inspired by that vision will drop out. It is better to have one committed partner than a multitude of self centered hirelings. When one is completely sold out into the vision, they are more motivated by the desire to see it fulfilled than the desire to get paid in monetary terms. When people see the big picture they are more committed because they identify their unique contribution to the ultimate. On the other hand, when one only knows his small portion, he is not aware of the implications of their ineffectiveness.

Once, I was leading a cell group in the city that consisted of around seven people. I knew we were supposed to submit reports every week of our attendance and what we did. I thought it was a burden and sometimes I would pick a day when I would sit down and try to remember what transpired in the last five or six weeks then submit all reports at once. When I attended a certain meeting where it was explained to me how the information is compiled at increasing levels to give feedback to the Senior Pastor of our church, I immediately realized the need for timely submission of reports. I was more diligent in making accurate reports in order to give accurate information now that I knew the relevance of the information to the decision making level of the church. Knowledge brings responsibility. He who knows how will always be at the mercy of him who knows why.

In larger groups, the Prime Leader creates structures that facilitate the flow of information to the lowest level of participants. This flow should include constant sharing of the vision. He casts the organization’s vision and allows all levels to come up with their version of the same vision that applies to their unique department. Each department will own their version that they came up with and as a result, they take full custody of that vision. Everyone at every level understands their unique contribution and are not prepared to be the weakest link because they know the consequence that their malpractice will have on the big picture; the ultimate vision.

Everything else may change, but the vision will remain the same. Changing the vision will confuse the entire organization. Small alterations may be made preferably where the scope of the vision is enlarged. Growth is inspiring, the reverse is death. When ever the team members seem to be slacking, they need to be reminded of the vision again. A systemized way is more effective, where for instance once every month a meeting is held to review progress towards the vision and to adjust course as may be relevant to ensure better progress.

The human mind is a goal seeking organ, and without a goal, it wonders wildly and will find another goal that may not be consistent with the cooperate goal. It is therefore imperative to avail the goal to everyone in order to tap into their creative genius. The Prime leader knows this and wants to elicit the maximum contribution from each person in his team.

Affirmation: My goal is clear in my own mind. I am excited at my goal. I can see, feel, taste, smell and hear everything around my achievement. I can communicate it to anyone with enthusiasm.

The Prime Leader Loves His Flock

“No longer do I call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I heard from my Father, I have made known unto you.” – John 15:15

The Prime Leader is determined to add value to the people that he/she leads. This requires genuine heartfelt love to be exuded from the leader. An encounter with him will leave the subordinate inspired to do more, give more, and be more valuable. Unfortunately, a lot of leaders see themselves esteemed high up on a pedestal unreachable to the subordinates. They look down upon and talk down their subordinates in a way that breeds a form of fear to resonate within them ultimately suppressing their creativity. The true value of the individual is in their creativity rather than their routine work because anyone can be trained to do a routine task, but creativity is unique to the individual and is only volunteered.

To love the flock is to be concerned of not only the people’s use in the organization but also other areas of their lives that might affect their productivity. The aim of the Prime Leader should be beyond just the productivity of the organization but the ultimate growth of each person that passes through the organization. This means that he should be prepared to allow those people to one day spread their wings and fly. Doing this will often times result in growth rather than depletion of the organization as everyone will want to be a part of that organization that changes people’s lives. No one wants to be a slave, but rather a friend. Slaves work by the clock and down tools as soon as it is time to knock off. Friends stick it out to do what is necessary to achieve the goal. They serve not out of bondage, but out of the mutual love existing between them and their leader.

To love the flock is to appreciate that people are more important than things. It is to create a relationship that allows every person serving in the organization to feel a sense of belonging. The reason why gangs are powerful is that they provide a sense of belonging (families as it were), security and discipline. This is no different from the real family and should not be for an organization. Every family needs a father figure and a mother figure. In my experience, the head of the organization fills the father figure whilst the human resources management fills in the mother figure. The personnel manager does the hiring and makes sure all affairs are well with the employee (a form of birth and nurturing). The leader is the head, running with the vision that he ably imparts into the family.

Love seeks to give, even at the expense of self. Lust seeks to benefit self, even at the expense of others. The leader who operates by lust will soon demotivate everyone as the momentum of lust sucks out everything around him to create a vacuum that inevitably suffocates him into a premature death. A negative osmosis oozes out of his speech and conduct that repels and extinguishes the flame of exuberance from the young talented souls waiting to contribute meaningfully to the good of the organization. Frustration from abuse inevitably drives this human resource away to places where their potential can be tapped. Lust will never benefit, it can only result in detriment.

Being the loving leader does not make him a softy doormat leader. It simply means that he seeks to benefit the subordinate as passionately as he want to benefit himself. The ultimate Prime Leader said:

“The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth them: he fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me, even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” – John 10:10-15.

From this passage, we see that the leader has the tenacity to face the wolf even to his detriment that he might save the flock. He values the flock immensely and has its best interest at heart.

Balance is the key to life. Loving the flock is not being suicidal. I am not advocating that the leaders become suicide bombers. The principle is to go for win-win scenarios. Often, some leaders go for win-lose first and if the subordinate does not negotiate, the company rips him apart like a kid in the mouth of a lion. Win-win is tougher than either win-lose or lose-win. It is a more mature way of handling business that builds a reputation of trust. Trust is an asset that is also called good-will. Without trust, there can not be a meaningful relationship for you never know when friend will turn around to be foe. Trust is the basic building block for synergy.

“But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13. Seven times the bible records, “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Leviticus 9:18, Matthew 19:19, Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14, and James 2:8 – American Standard Version). That’s enough times for each day of the week. It is enough times to show that we ought to love with no end. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” – 1 John 4:7, 8.

Affirmation: I am a Prime Leader and I love all that God has given me stewardship over. I choose to be a good shepherd.