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.