Genesis chapter 1
Today we are walking in: The Power of Character In Leadership: Preface
Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
The Torah Testifies.............................
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The prophets proclaim...............
Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.
The writings bear witness.............
2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword
THE POWER OF CHARACTER IN LEADERSHIP
Preface
The most valuable component of leadership is not power, position,
influence, notoriety, fame, talent, gifting, dynamic oratory, persuasiveness, intellectual superiority, academic achievement, or management skills. It is character. Character is the cradle of credibility for the leader. Without the element of strong, noble, honorable character, leadership and all its potential achievements are in danger of cancellation. Every leader is only as safe and secure as his character.
I offer this series as a resource on this often-neglected aspect of leadership, which is personal but also extremely practical. Having a foundation of ethics is central to the success and longevity of one’s leadership.
Many leadership training seminars and academic programs focus on vision, skills, management, organization, teamwork, and many other helpful subjects. Yet few of these courses address the topic of the leader’s character. The subject is either downplayed or never covered at all. This oversight is tragic. Not only has it permitted the encroachment of an unhealthy atmosphere of negative attitudes and practices among leaders, but it has also led to destructive consequences for individuals, societies, and nations.
Character is the most powerful force a leader can cultivate because it protects leadership. It will enable you to be a success, personally and professionally, as you carry out your purpose, vision, and goals in life.
The Power of Character in Leadership is for...
Leaders who are currently pursuing a vocational calling and desire to be the very best they can be. You will learn how to establish yourself solidly as a leader and reach your goals as you cultivate enduring influence.
Those who are emerging leaders or who aspire to lead. You will discover how ethics and values free you to carry out your singular purpose in life.
Leaders who have failed—perhaps in a major way—due to a character flaw of some kind. You are probably asking yourself, “How did I get to this place? What do I do now? Do I still have a future as a leader?” You will see how to rebuild the foundation of your life. Ethically, you may be on shaky ground right now, but you can begin the process of developing a renewed mind-set and a solid code of ethics that will lead to sound moral character. If you’ve fallen, this series explains how to “fall up” by making changes that will transform you from the inside out.
Anyone who is concerned about the lack of moral force in leadership today. Having leaders of character on the local, national, and global levels is the key to solving a myriad of problems in our world. This series reveals a process for rebuilding our leaders so they can tackle the issues of our day.
People who don’t yet understand that they are leaders. If you believe that leadership is for only a select few, you have accepted a false idea about leaders. Every person on earth is a leader in a particular area of gifting—and character development provides the foundation for discovering how you were born to lead.
In relation to the last point, the focus of my leadership training has always been the transformation of followers into leaders, and leaders into agents of change. There are millions of people who have tremendous potential for leadership, but no one has ever encouraged them to express it and develop it. In fact, many people are being told that they are “nothing.” Eventually, they believe it, so they do not fulfill their purpose in life.
If that has been your perspective, this book will help you to understand what it means to be a genuine leader and how to develop your leadership potential.
Regardless of your background, I invite you to discover the remarkable power of character in leadership—and how values, morals, ethics, and principles affect both the development and the outcome of your personal leadership success.
The Divine destiny connection, the chain that links us together.
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
Monday, August 5, 2024
WE MUST BECOME ACCOUNTABLE
Spirit of Leadership!!! Part 16 We Must Become Accountable!!
Exodus 18
We are walking in today: Spirit of Leadership!!! Part 16 We Must Become Accountable!!
Witness answer throughout the Bible: H6030 'anah--to make answer, to answer, respond to
Job 20:3 I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer. H6030
Torah: Genesis 18:27, 27:37, 30:33, 35:3; Exodus 4:1,19:8; Deuteronomy 1:14
Prophets: 1 Samuel 1:15; Isaiah 46:7, 50:2, 66:4; Jeremiah 7:27; Ezekiel 14:7; Haggai 2:14
Writings: Joshua 1:16, 7:20, 24:16, 5:29; Ruth 2:11; Psalm 108:6, 119:42; Proverbs 15:28
Zechariah 3:4 And he answered H6030 and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
The Torah demands Accountability--The Torah demands accountability and is loath to accept excuses. The generation that does not feel itself accountable to the past or to the future fails miserably in its role as being the conduit of walking the life of holiness. "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching [Torah]." (Proverbs 1:8 My son, do not forget my teaching [Torah], but keep my commands in your heart". (Proverbs 3:1) Yah will hold us all accountable on the Day of His Visitation so what Bible verses reflect a believer’s accountability? What is Accountability? The word accountability means to be held accountable, liable, answerable, or be held responsible for what a person has been given. This is a combination of several secular definitions of this word and it should get every believers attention for we will all be held accountable before the Lord someday for our actions, for what we did with what we have been given, and for what we didn’t do that we should have done. What does the Bible say about a believer’s accountability before the Lord? Moral Accountability--one day we will all have to give an account
before Yah for what we have done in this life, whether good or bad (Matthew 25:31; Romans 2:5; II Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12). Human beings have free will and a moral conscience. Free
will means we have responsibility; moral conscience means that Yah designed us to be able to discern between right and wrong. Those two together mean we have moral accountability. Right and
wrong should be “written in our conscience” (Romans 2:15). However our consciences have been distorted evil influences. Therefore Yah gave us the perfect moral law in the Bible: first in the Torah, especially The Ten Commandments; then the Prophets, Writings, and restated eloquently the Renewed Covenant. Our consciences must be re-calibrated according to the universal moral laws found in the Bible. Moral conscience should match the moral law. The “Torah” of the full Biblical,
moral revelation is promised to be written on our hearts in the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:33). A young man once asked Yeshua what he needed to do to receive eternal life. YAHUSHA told him simply and directly to keep all of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), – “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will
be measured back to you.” This is your personal accountability. This language implies that people will be judging others. But we must take care what we think and say about others, for each of us will
be held to the standard we impose upon others. We are instructed in other verses of the Bible to use judgment in the context of delivering others. As the judge who presides over the case had the ability to send the accused to jail or to declare them innocent and set free. We too are to give others the benefit of the doubt and seek for their good and not make unrighteous judgments according to opinion and not the instruction of the Torah!!
Paul chided believers in Corinth who went to the judicial system instead of making decisions according to scripture themselves (1 Corinthians 6:2). He said it was shameful to avoid making judgments in the matters that were before them (verses 4-5). Be accountable or yourself you should not judge. Referring to the discernment of spiritual matters, Paul said, “But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one” (1 Corinthians 2:15). The Greek for “judges” and “judged” is anakrino, which comes from the same root as the word Yeshua used in Matthew 7. It means “examine or judge,” “to investigate, examine, enquire into, scrutinize, sift, question,” “specifically in a forensic sense of a judge to hold an investigation,” “to interrogate, examine the accused or witnesses,” “to judge of, estimate, determine (the excellence or defects of any person or
thing)” These laws are beyond “religion.” They are universal and moral. The world is sinking into depths of terrorism, sexual perversion, corruption and rebellion. The Synoptic gospels testify that on several different occasions Yeshua called for active listening with the refrain: “Let anyone with ears to hear, listen” (Mark 4:23; 7:16; Matthew 11:15; 13: 9, 34; 25:29; Luke 8:8; 13:9; 21:4.) It is particularly interesting to look at Yeshua’s parable in Mark 4:1-20 (and its parallels) with its different soils and harshly realistic quotation from Isaiah 6: 9-10. How significant is it that Yeshua opens with
the command: “Listen!” (verse 3) and concludes with the refrain: “Let anyone with ears, listen”(verse 9)? Commentators are convinced that Yeshua raises the threshold for hearers. Cranfield likens it to way the daily Shema opens (Deut. 6.4). It is “both an appeal to hear aright and at the same time a solemn warning of the possibility of a wrong hearing.” “By it the hearers are summoned to hear at a
deeper level than mere sense perception, to take hold of the meaning of the parable, to apply it to themselves and thus ultimately to hear the word of Yah which can save them (Ezk. 3:27).” It seems
that hearers bear some responsibility for being seeded in ‘good soil’ accepting and “bearing fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” “Let anyone with ears to hear, listen” is not an empty ritual refrain but an urgent encouragement that listeners need to listen with more than their ears with spiritual apprehension. It calls for holistic listening. Hearers have a responsibility to be willing to live in new ways. It involves an intensity of response that at first glance appears one may miss to its peril. Hearing words and not putting them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house upon sand
(Matt.7: 26). For “faith comes from what is heard” (Romans 10:17.)
You catch the urgency, for example in 1 Cor. 15:51, “Listen, I will tell you a mystery! Hearing opens up a dimension of responsibility that echoes throughout the ages (Rev.2: 7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22)
and complements our accountability. We are held accountable of what we hear and listen to. “Let anyone with ears to hear, listen” directly related to how words worked in an oral culture. At the center
of YAHUSHA discipling were sounded out words which created a community of the ear. Indeed, “The authority of word as sound”. How can we justify our own resentment, anger, gossip, lust, pride
and disrespect? Have we become more dedicated to entertainment, pleasure and comfort than to serving Yah The Most High (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Let us repent truly and deeply in our hearts, so that we will be ready to give an account for our lives before God.
It's called being accountable. The purpose of a parents Torah is to teach and bring the children to maturity. If the Torah is violated out of disrespect or defiant disobedience, the child is punished. If the
child desires to follow the instructions out of a loving obedience but falls short of the expectations, the child is commended for the effort and counseled on how to perform the instructions better the next time. Unlike Torah, law is a set of rules from a government and binding on a community. Violation of the rules require punishment.
With this type of law, there is no room for teaching, either the law was broken with the penalty of punishment or it was not broken. Yah, as our heavenly Father, gives his children his Torah in the same manner as parents give their Torah to their children, not in the manner as a government does to its citizens. We have a responsibility and that's sharing in you being your own accountability. Moses models for us the importance of being open and responsible to those we serve. In the times in which we live, his behavior is also a call for us to hold our leaders accountable and demand transparency. In doing so, we hope and pray that justice and truth will flourish and that we working together, we can change our systems so they truly work for all people. "Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your Torah" (Psalms 94:12) The apostle Paul warns the community against the evil of judging one another concerning certain doubtful or debatable practices, where one
holds one opinion and another a different opinion. He then concludes this portion of his argument with a reminder of every one’s accountability at the Judgment Seat of the Most High. But why do
you judge your brother or sister? Or again, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of The Most High. 11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every
knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to The Most High.” 12 Therefore, each of us will give an account of himself to The Most High (Rom 14:11-12).. The stark reality of Scripture is
that every person, is accountable before a sovereign God (see Rom. 3:9-19) and will one day have to bow before YAHUSHA(Phil. 2:9-11). Yeshua said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). Many reject this declaration of Scripture by all manner of human rationalizations and bias, but their rejection cannot alter human behavior in judging. YAHUSHA emphatically taught that a day
of judgment is coming when every person will have to give an account. For instance, in a context where the Pharisees had spoken evil of Yeshua by attributing His miracle to HaSatan, YAHUSHA
condemned them as a brood of vipers who could never say anything good since their hearts were evil. He then went on to make the point that people are responsible for all their actions and words, which will acquit or condemn them on the day of judgment. In Matthew 12:36 He said, “I tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak.” Unfortunately, however, man is a rebel who wants to do his own thing without any or very little accountability for his actions. Since the fall of man (Gen. 3), this has been the case, but a worldwide phenomenon of our day is a defiance of any form of established authority whether religious or secular, social or political. This sad reality has colored the beliefs and actions of our present society worldwide. Without a sense of accountability to a sovereign Yah,the world can quickly gravitate in the direction of the ruthless acts and tyranny seen in the various dictators and rulers throughout history. When Yah either does not exist in the beliefs of men or when the truth about God is distorted into man’s own image of who and what Yah is like, everything is permitted, morally speaking. Today, we live in a time when, having fundamentally rejected the absolutes and clear teachings of Scripture, man seeks to make Yah accountable to him for his comfort and pleasure. Thus, people are not only doing what is right in their own eyes, but the prevailing attitude is ‘Do your own thing. You are only accountable to yourself and your own self-fulfillment.’
This is a shift from Yah -centered perspective of life to a man-centered perspective. This is all part of man’s attempt to dismiss any accountability to God. The reality is that when men seek to ignore accountability to Yah and others, they leave themselves vulnerable to the cold misery of slavery and eventually to the menace of a dictator. Accountability Yah and to one another according to the directives of Scripture is the foundation for freedom and liberty. But what is true freedom and wherein lies its source? Freedom is not the right to do as one pleases as a capricious child. Certainly it means the capacity to exercise choice, but never so that it is devoid of responsibility or accountability. Freedom is both the responsibility and the ability, by the grace of Yah, to do what is right according to the absolute and righteous standards of truth as given to us in God’s Holy Word. Many see freedom as the right to abandon accountability to Yah and men in order to do what they please in the promotion of self gratification. But that is not freedom. It is slavery, or at least leads to slavery. Speaking of false teachers who either twist Scripture to their own self-centered objectives or deny its authority altogether, Peter writes, “…promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved” (2 Pet. 2:19). Beliefs or one’s world view always has consequences. It is like a train which is free to do what it was created to do as long as it is on its track. Accountability is one of the means Yah uses to bring about solid growth and maturity with the freedom to be what God has created us for. But as we’ve just stressed, the problem is that we live in a society that has become very individualistic. The prevailing attitude is be your own man or woman, do your own thing, be your own boss, and often this attitude is promoted or stated in a way that undermines accountability to God and others. The Bible in no
way denies our individualism. Indeed, it promotes it, but in a way that holds us each accountable to others. Proper individualism leads to a certain amount of inventiveness, ingenuity, and freedom, but it can also breed license and irresponsibility without accountability. The fact is you can’t make disciples or produce growing and mature believers without accountability. So again, true freedom is not the
ability to do as one pleases, which is license, but the power by Yah's grace to do as one ought. But what do we mean by accountability? We are not talking about coercive tactics, the invasion of privacy, or bringing others under the weight of someone’s taboos or legalism or manipulative or dominating tactics. Rather, by accountability we mean developing relationships with other believers that help to promote spiritual reality, honesty, obedience to Yah, and genuine evaluations of one’s walk and relationship with God and with others. We are talking about relationships that help believers change by the Spirit of Yah and the truth of the Word of Yah through inward spiritual conviction
and faith. Being what we are, sheep that are prone to wander, accountability to others is simply one of the ways Yah holds us accountable to Him. Left to ourselves, there is the great temptation to do mainly what we want rather than what God wants and what is best for others. So what is meant by accountability? We are talking about teaching, exhorting, supporting, and encouraging one another in such a way that it promotes accountability to Yeshua and to others in the body of Christ, but never by manipulation or domination.
To believe you can make disciples or develop true maturity in others without some form of accountability is like believing that you can raise children without discipline, run a company without rules,or lead an army without authority. Accountability is to the Great Commission what tracks are to a train. So, what are some of the reasons for establishing some form of accountability?
(1) Accountability is an essential part of a functional society.
(2) Accountability helps to promote biblical controls or checks and balances. It provides the necessary discipline and support needed to see people reach godly goals. While we are all ultimately accountable to God, as stressed in Romans 14:7-12, God has established other levels of accountability to aid us in the matter of control, support, and growth. God has given the Word and the
Holy Spirit as His agents of control to help provide direction and controls on our lives, but accountability to other believers becomes another key instrument to aid in bringing about self-discipline and inner controls.
(3) Accountability is necessary because like sheep we tend to go our own way. We are all self-willed. We want to protect our comfort zones and avoid having to deal with certain issues that are important to becoming obedient believers, which is one of the goals of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). Making disciples means teaching others to obey The Most High and this is very difficult without some measure of accountability. Accountability is part of the means God uses, as will be demonstrated below.
(4) Accountability promotes servant-like leadership in keeping with the pastoral mandate to watch over the flock (Eph. 4:11; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). One of the key requirements of a servant leader is faithfulness to the things entrusted to him (1 Cor. 4:1-2). So, in 1 Timothy 2:2, Paul told Timothy to entrust what he had learned to what kind of men? To faithful men. The fact he was to selectively train only faithful men suggests accountability. Is it not a strange paradox that we generally accept accountability in most aspects of life as something which is necessary, but when it comes to the Kingdom of Yah many fight accountability, especially, if it begins to affect their comfort zones or their self-willed agendas.
(5) Accountability is protective to both leaders and to the flock. The biblical model for church leadership is a collective leadership which provides a structure for genuine accountability. Shared,
brotherly leadership provides needed restraint on pride and greed.
Multiple leaders, therefore, will serve as a ‘check and balance’ on each other and serve as a safeguard against the very human tendency to play God over other people.”Shared leadership provides close accountability, genuine partnership, and peer relationships—the very things imperial pastors shrink from at all costs. As to the flock, Hebrews 13:17 tells the flock to submit to their leaders because they keep watch over the souls of Yah's people. People too often understand this primarily in a negative way, but keeping watch not only means correcting people when they fail to walk with the Yah but helping them to do so. As shown below, the goal of accountability is not riding herd over people like a task master—something completely contrary to Scripture. Rather, the goal is to help people grow in Christ and learn to find Him as the source and force and course of life. The Justification for Accountability, Is biblical, there are numerous New Testament passages which teach the concept of accountability of the flock to the leaders (1 Thess. 5:12; 1 Tim. 3:1-5; Heb. 13:7, 17; 1 Pet. 5:2-3). But the elders are limited in their capacity to effectively promote accountability throughout the Kingdom of Yah As the Lord was focused on only a few, the twelve and then the three, so the leaders should follow his example. The need for accountability goes beyond the leadership and falls into the realm of the “one another” concept of the New Testament. Submission, which certainly includes accountability, is applied to the whole body of Christ as a Spirit-produced and mutual responsibility to promote obedience to Christ. “Submitting” is hupotasso, a military word used of soldiers submitting to their superior or slaves submitting to their masters. In the middle voice as here, it carries the idea of voluntarily submitting or subordinating oneself. As a specific application of the various areas of accountability, is applied in relation to God in 1 Corinthians 15:28, Hebrews 12:9, and James 4:7, to Christ in Ephesians 5:24, to wives in Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18, Titus 2:5, and 1 Peter 3:1, to parents in Luke 2:51, to masters in Titus 2:9 and 1 Peter 2:18, to secular authorities in Romans 13:1, and in a general sense of a voluntary submission to others in the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 16:16, 1 Peter 5:5, and here in Ephesians 5:21. Included in the word ‘submission’ are the ideas of authority and accountability to another. “In Scripture it appears in contexts describing servanthood, humility, respect, reverence, honor, teachableness, and openness.”
But we should quickly add that such submission or accountability is to bring about greater and greater obedience to YAHUSHA as those first and foremost accountable to Him. 1 Peter 5:5 In the same
way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Thus fiveamprayer we should be not be running from but seeking true biblical accountability!
Exodus 18:20-25
20 You should also teach them the laws and the teachings, and show them how to live their lives and what work they should do. 21 But you should choose from among all the people competent men who are God-fearing, honest and incorruptible to be their leaders, in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Normally, they will settle the people’s disputes. They should bring you the difficult cases; but ordinary matters they should decide themselves. In this way, they will make it easier for you and share the load with you. 23 If you do this — and Yah is directing you to do it — you will be able to endure; and all these people too will arrive at their destination peacefully.” 24 Moshe paid attention to his father-in-law’s counsel and did everything he said. 25 Moshe chose competent men from all Isra’el and made them heads over the people, in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
Goal Setting
If you think you can do it, that’s confidence; if you do it, that’s competence.
A leader understands how to set the right goals. This is a vital attitude to cultivate because your future and your life depend on the goals you set—either consciously or subconsciously. Where you end up in life is a result of the goals that you set or did not set for your life. Success comes from the discipline of goal setting according to one’s purpose.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PURPOSE AND PLANS
The book of Proverbs says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” According to the wisdom of this statement, we can understand three things about the relationship between purpose and plans (goal setting):
1. Purpose is more important than plans.
2. Purpose is more powerful than plans.
3. Purpose precedes plans because the Creator established our purposes even before we were born.
We have to know and focus on our purposes before we can begin planning, because plans that don’t get you to your purpose are counterproductive. Purpose is God’s original intent for you. Therefore, you need to know your destination.
PROTECT YOUR GOALS
Goals protect us from the undue influence of other people. True leaders are always zealous for and jealous of their goals because these goals represent their lives. When our goals change, our lives change, so we must carefully guard our goals.
If you don’t have any goals, other people will run your life. The great king of Israel, Solomon, declared, “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.” If nothing controls and orders your life, then you are open season to other people and you won’t accomplish your purpose. Remember that the more successful you become, the more people will compete for your time, so you have to guard your goals even more carefully.
WHAT IS A GOAL?
• A goal is an established point for achievement that leads to a greater accomplishment.
• A goal is a point of measure for progress toward an ultimate purpose.
• A goal is a prerequisite for the achievement of an ultimate plan.
THE POWER OF GOALS
Goals give us a structure for accomplishing our plans one step at a time. They give us a starting place and an ending place, and they help us to focus. Here are some of the benefits of goals:
• Goals separate achievers from dreamers.
• Goal setting is the art of discipline.
• Goals are the skeleton of the plan.
• Goals give specifics to the plan.
• Goals create targets for our energy.
• Goals protect us from procrastination
THE PRINCIPLE OF GOALS
It is helpful to have some guidelines for the development and recording of our goals because, otherwise, we can easily lose sight of them and their relationship to our purposes:
• Goals must be defined.
• Goals must be simplified.
• Goals must be written.
• Goals must be visual.
• Goals must relate to the ultimate purpose.
• Goals must be measurable.
• Goals must be flexible.
The secret to leadership success is living a very focused life in line with your purpose.
Teamwork
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. —Henry Ford
True leaders possess the attitude of teamwork because they do not care who gets the credit. They move people from their personal and private goals to serving the needs of the common good. A team spirit manifests the difference between ambition and the pursuit of a Yah given destiny: Ambition is a private thing that you want to do only for your own benefit, while destiny is a big picture that involves benefiting others. A leader is always a team player. True leaders are always cognizant that no great accomplishment has ever been achieved by one individual.
PRINCIPLES OF TEAMWORK
Teamwork is defined as the ability to work together toward a common vision. Because it directs individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives, teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.
Let’s look at some principles of teamwork:
1. PARTNERSHIP IS THE CREATOR’S IDEA.
When the Creator first brought mankind into the world, he had the idea of partnership inmind: “The Most High said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’”
2. TEAMWORK IS NECESSARY FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF PURPOSE.
Again, at creation, Yah said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion.” The mandate of dominion over the earth, which requires the spirit of leadership, was given to both males and females. This means that teamwork is a built-in requirement for the fulfillment of our purposes in the world.
3. TEAMWORK IS THE CREATOR’S PLAN FOR LEADERSHIP.
While God often calls individuals to carry out his purposes, he doesn’t want them to pursue their callings alone. Even Moses, who was called the friend of God and did extraordinary things, needed leadership help. In the book of the prophet Micah, God said, “I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.” Moses did not rule alone, but was given the help of his brother and sister. At a time when Moses tried to take on too much responsibility, his father-in-law reminded him that he needed to delegate responsibility or the work would be too much for him. We also see the idea of teamwork in the first-century church with the traveling teams of Paul and Barnabus, Peter and John, and Priscilla and Aquila. When Paul worked with the churches he founded, he often had many coworkers who assisted him.
4. TEAMWORK WAS EMPHASIZED BY YAHUSHA
YAHUSHA himself did not carry out his ministry alone but instead gathered a group of twelve disciples to assist him and learn from his example. When he sent out his disciples to minister, he told them to go two by two.
EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK
• Start with team goals.
• Select the right people.
• Define everyone’s roles.
• Empower the team. (Authorize the power of decision.)
• Open your talent bank.
• Appreciate style differences.
• Establish ground rules.
• Create a relaxed atmosphere.
• Prepare a work plan.
• Get the work done.
• Hold efficient meetings.
• Build external networks.
• Resolve conflicts effectively.
• Build a climate of trust.
• Communicate—and communicate!
• Get everyone committed.
• Make decisions by consensus.
• Reward team results.
• Assess team performance.
• Celebrate team accomplishments.
“There is no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
The spirit of true leadership is always manifested in an innovative attitude. The very nature of leading demands an innovative spirit as leaders take followers to an as-yet undiscovered world of vision. Innovation is the creative reserve of true leaders.
THE MIND-SET OF INNOVATION
Leaders don’t allow the past to dictate or entrap the future. They possess the capacity to combine old ideas and concepts in order to create new ones. They never believe that there is only one way to accomplish any task. True leaders are never prisoners of tradition.
THE CREATOR’S INNOVATIVE SPIRIT
Our ability to innovate comes from the fact that we are made in the image and likeness of our Creator. The firstcentury writer Paul said that we are to “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” This means that the more we are transformed into the image of the One who created us, the more innovative we should be.
The Most High—
• created with diversity; he never repeated anything in creation.
• never did the same miracle twice in the same way.
• always solved problems in unexpected and untraditional ways.
• challenged humanity to think beyond its current experience.
• never believed anything was impossible.
• never dealt with humanity according to its norms and expectations.
YAHUSHA THE INNOVATOR
One of the greatest examples of the leadership spirit of innovation is the ultimate leader, the young Hebrew Rabbi YAHUSHA During his time on earth over two thousand years ago, he demonstrated the same innovative spirit as the heavenly Father. His creativity was manifested throughout all his work among men. In performing his miracles, he never repeated any single method but always used a different approach to solve every problem.
For example, he healed the blind using several different methods. For some, he merely touched their eyes and they were made well. For another, he laid his hands on the person’s eyes and put mud on them, and then laid his hands on them again to cause the person to receive his sight. For still another, he simply spoke the words, “Go, your faith has healed you,” and the person was healed.
FORGET THE FORMER THINGS”
Having a predetermined mind-set hinders the leadership spirit of innovation. In the book of the prophet Isaiah, Yah said, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” We can apply these statements in our development as innovators.
Whenever you encounter a project, a challenge, or a problem, practice thinking in new ways and with a different mind-set. Ask the Creator to give you a fresh perspective, and see what happens!
Accountability
Authority is 20 percent given and 80 percent taken. —Peter Ueberroth
The spirit of true leadership always possesses a sense of accountability and responsibility. True leaders readily embrace submission to authority and are conscious of their stewardship of the trust given to them by those whom they serve.
The spirit of leadership seeks to be faithful to the sacred trust of the followers rather than doing what will please the leader!!!
In this chapter, I want to address a potential danger that leaders fall into and what we can do to prevent it. As I said earlier, the key to good leadership is the power to influence through inspiration, not manipulation. The danger of leadership is its potential for wielding power without answering to anyone else.
Dictatorship and tyranny occur in the absence of a leader’s submission to authority. The protection of leadership, therefore, is in a voluntary submission to a trusted authority. The spirit of accountability is the active manifestation of submission to authority. The spirit of accountability is the active manifestation of submission to authority.
LEADERS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
A true leader is always conscious that he is not a law unto himself but should uphold established laws and treat others with respect as people made in the image and likeness of the Creator. He also listens to the advice and input of credible authority.
WHAT IS ACCOUNTABILITY?
In a nutshell, accountability is giving a reckoning for one’s conduct and reporting on one’s progress. It is also an admission of motives and reasons for taking certain actions.
THE ACCOUNTABLE LEADER
In Paul’s letter to the people of Philippi, he explained that Jesus was willingly accountable to the Father when he was on earth.
YAHUSHA continually referred to his accountability to the Father, making statements such as “My food...is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” and acknowledging the Father’s affirmation of his leadership: “The very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.” “On [the Son of Man] God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” In developing the spirit of accountability, we can have no better example than his.
HOW TO BE ACCOUNTABLE
The following are some guidelines for incorporating accountability into your life:
• Commit yourself to be accountable to your personal convictions.
• Establish the Word of God as your final judge and authority.
• Appoint and submit to a group of tested, respected, credible, and mature people for advice, correction, rebuke, and instruction.
• Choose friends who are committed to the high standards of the Word of God and give them the right to judge you by it.
To manifest the leadership spirit hidden within you, you must embrace the attitude of accountability. Always be conscious that you are responsible to those below and above you for everything you say and do. Be cognizant that whatever you do as a leader may be personal, but it is never totally private. Your ultimate accountability is to the Creator of all leaders, who knows the thoughts and attitudes of your heart.
Exodus 18
We are walking in today: Spirit of Leadership!!! Part 16 We Must Become Accountable!!
Witness answer throughout the Bible: H6030 'anah--to make answer, to answer, respond to
Job 20:3 I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer. H6030
Torah: Genesis 18:27, 27:37, 30:33, 35:3; Exodus 4:1,19:8; Deuteronomy 1:14
Prophets: 1 Samuel 1:15; Isaiah 46:7, 50:2, 66:4; Jeremiah 7:27; Ezekiel 14:7; Haggai 2:14
Writings: Joshua 1:16, 7:20, 24:16, 5:29; Ruth 2:11; Psalm 108:6, 119:42; Proverbs 15:28
Zechariah 3:4 And he answered H6030 and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
The Torah demands Accountability--The Torah demands accountability and is loath to accept excuses. The generation that does not feel itself accountable to the past or to the future fails miserably in its role as being the conduit of walking the life of holiness. "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching [Torah]." (Proverbs 1:8 My son, do not forget my teaching [Torah], but keep my commands in your heart". (Proverbs 3:1) Yah will hold us all accountable on the Day of His Visitation so what Bible verses reflect a believer’s accountability? What is Accountability? The word accountability means to be held accountable, liable, answerable, or be held responsible for what a person has been given. This is a combination of several secular definitions of this word and it should get every believers attention for we will all be held accountable before the Lord someday for our actions, for what we did with what we have been given, and for what we didn’t do that we should have done. What does the Bible say about a believer’s accountability before the Lord? Moral Accountability--one day we will all have to give an account
before Yah for what we have done in this life, whether good or bad (Matthew 25:31; Romans 2:5; II Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12). Human beings have free will and a moral conscience. Free
will means we have responsibility; moral conscience means that Yah designed us to be able to discern between right and wrong. Those two together mean we have moral accountability. Right and
wrong should be “written in our conscience” (Romans 2:15). However our consciences have been distorted evil influences. Therefore Yah gave us the perfect moral law in the Bible: first in the Torah, especially The Ten Commandments; then the Prophets, Writings, and restated eloquently the Renewed Covenant. Our consciences must be re-calibrated according to the universal moral laws found in the Bible. Moral conscience should match the moral law. The “Torah” of the full Biblical,
moral revelation is promised to be written on our hearts in the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:33). A young man once asked Yeshua what he needed to do to receive eternal life. YAHUSHA told him simply and directly to keep all of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), – “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will
be measured back to you.” This is your personal accountability. This language implies that people will be judging others. But we must take care what we think and say about others, for each of us will
be held to the standard we impose upon others. We are instructed in other verses of the Bible to use judgment in the context of delivering others. As the judge who presides over the case had the ability to send the accused to jail or to declare them innocent and set free. We too are to give others the benefit of the doubt and seek for their good and not make unrighteous judgments according to opinion and not the instruction of the Torah!!
Paul chided believers in Corinth who went to the judicial system instead of making decisions according to scripture themselves (1 Corinthians 6:2). He said it was shameful to avoid making judgments in the matters that were before them (verses 4-5). Be accountable or yourself you should not judge. Referring to the discernment of spiritual matters, Paul said, “But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one” (1 Corinthians 2:15). The Greek for “judges” and “judged” is anakrino, which comes from the same root as the word Yeshua used in Matthew 7. It means “examine or judge,” “to investigate, examine, enquire into, scrutinize, sift, question,” “specifically in a forensic sense of a judge to hold an investigation,” “to interrogate, examine the accused or witnesses,” “to judge of, estimate, determine (the excellence or defects of any person or
thing)” These laws are beyond “religion.” They are universal and moral. The world is sinking into depths of terrorism, sexual perversion, corruption and rebellion. The Synoptic gospels testify that on several different occasions Yeshua called for active listening with the refrain: “Let anyone with ears to hear, listen” (Mark 4:23; 7:16; Matthew 11:15; 13: 9, 34; 25:29; Luke 8:8; 13:9; 21:4.) It is particularly interesting to look at Yeshua’s parable in Mark 4:1-20 (and its parallels) with its different soils and harshly realistic quotation from Isaiah 6: 9-10. How significant is it that Yeshua opens with
the command: “Listen!” (verse 3) and concludes with the refrain: “Let anyone with ears, listen”(verse 9)? Commentators are convinced that Yeshua raises the threshold for hearers. Cranfield likens it to way the daily Shema opens (Deut. 6.4). It is “both an appeal to hear aright and at the same time a solemn warning of the possibility of a wrong hearing.” “By it the hearers are summoned to hear at a
deeper level than mere sense perception, to take hold of the meaning of the parable, to apply it to themselves and thus ultimately to hear the word of Yah which can save them (Ezk. 3:27).” It seems
that hearers bear some responsibility for being seeded in ‘good soil’ accepting and “bearing fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” “Let anyone with ears to hear, listen” is not an empty ritual refrain but an urgent encouragement that listeners need to listen with more than their ears with spiritual apprehension. It calls for holistic listening. Hearers have a responsibility to be willing to live in new ways. It involves an intensity of response that at first glance appears one may miss to its peril. Hearing words and not putting them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house upon sand
(Matt.7: 26). For “faith comes from what is heard” (Romans 10:17.)
You catch the urgency, for example in 1 Cor. 15:51, “Listen, I will tell you a mystery! Hearing opens up a dimension of responsibility that echoes throughout the ages (Rev.2: 7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22)
and complements our accountability. We are held accountable of what we hear and listen to. “Let anyone with ears to hear, listen” directly related to how words worked in an oral culture. At the center
of YAHUSHA discipling were sounded out words which created a community of the ear. Indeed, “The authority of word as sound”. How can we justify our own resentment, anger, gossip, lust, pride
and disrespect? Have we become more dedicated to entertainment, pleasure and comfort than to serving Yah The Most High (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Let us repent truly and deeply in our hearts, so that we will be ready to give an account for our lives before God.
It's called being accountable. The purpose of a parents Torah is to teach and bring the children to maturity. If the Torah is violated out of disrespect or defiant disobedience, the child is punished. If the
child desires to follow the instructions out of a loving obedience but falls short of the expectations, the child is commended for the effort and counseled on how to perform the instructions better the next time. Unlike Torah, law is a set of rules from a government and binding on a community. Violation of the rules require punishment.
With this type of law, there is no room for teaching, either the law was broken with the penalty of punishment or it was not broken. Yah, as our heavenly Father, gives his children his Torah in the same manner as parents give their Torah to their children, not in the manner as a government does to its citizens. We have a responsibility and that's sharing in you being your own accountability. Moses models for us the importance of being open and responsible to those we serve. In the times in which we live, his behavior is also a call for us to hold our leaders accountable and demand transparency. In doing so, we hope and pray that justice and truth will flourish and that we working together, we can change our systems so they truly work for all people. "Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your Torah" (Psalms 94:12) The apostle Paul warns the community against the evil of judging one another concerning certain doubtful or debatable practices, where one
holds one opinion and another a different opinion. He then concludes this portion of his argument with a reminder of every one’s accountability at the Judgment Seat of the Most High. But why do
you judge your brother or sister? Or again, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of The Most High. 11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every
knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to The Most High.” 12 Therefore, each of us will give an account of himself to The Most High (Rom 14:11-12).. The stark reality of Scripture is
that every person, is accountable before a sovereign God (see Rom. 3:9-19) and will one day have to bow before YAHUSHA(Phil. 2:9-11). Yeshua said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). Many reject this declaration of Scripture by all manner of human rationalizations and bias, but their rejection cannot alter human behavior in judging. YAHUSHA emphatically taught that a day
of judgment is coming when every person will have to give an account. For instance, in a context where the Pharisees had spoken evil of Yeshua by attributing His miracle to HaSatan, YAHUSHA
condemned them as a brood of vipers who could never say anything good since their hearts were evil. He then went on to make the point that people are responsible for all their actions and words, which will acquit or condemn them on the day of judgment. In Matthew 12:36 He said, “I tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak.” Unfortunately, however, man is a rebel who wants to do his own thing without any or very little accountability for his actions. Since the fall of man (Gen. 3), this has been the case, but a worldwide phenomenon of our day is a defiance of any form of established authority whether religious or secular, social or political. This sad reality has colored the beliefs and actions of our present society worldwide. Without a sense of accountability to a sovereign Yah,the world can quickly gravitate in the direction of the ruthless acts and tyranny seen in the various dictators and rulers throughout history. When Yah either does not exist in the beliefs of men or when the truth about God is distorted into man’s own image of who and what Yah is like, everything is permitted, morally speaking. Today, we live in a time when, having fundamentally rejected the absolutes and clear teachings of Scripture, man seeks to make Yah accountable to him for his comfort and pleasure. Thus, people are not only doing what is right in their own eyes, but the prevailing attitude is ‘Do your own thing. You are only accountable to yourself and your own self-fulfillment.’
This is a shift from Yah -centered perspective of life to a man-centered perspective. This is all part of man’s attempt to dismiss any accountability to God. The reality is that when men seek to ignore accountability to Yah and others, they leave themselves vulnerable to the cold misery of slavery and eventually to the menace of a dictator. Accountability Yah and to one another according to the directives of Scripture is the foundation for freedom and liberty. But what is true freedom and wherein lies its source? Freedom is not the right to do as one pleases as a capricious child. Certainly it means the capacity to exercise choice, but never so that it is devoid of responsibility or accountability. Freedom is both the responsibility and the ability, by the grace of Yah, to do what is right according to the absolute and righteous standards of truth as given to us in God’s Holy Word. Many see freedom as the right to abandon accountability to Yah and men in order to do what they please in the promotion of self gratification. But that is not freedom. It is slavery, or at least leads to slavery. Speaking of false teachers who either twist Scripture to their own self-centered objectives or deny its authority altogether, Peter writes, “…promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved” (2 Pet. 2:19). Beliefs or one’s world view always has consequences. It is like a train which is free to do what it was created to do as long as it is on its track. Accountability is one of the means Yah uses to bring about solid growth and maturity with the freedom to be what God has created us for. But as we’ve just stressed, the problem is that we live in a society that has become very individualistic. The prevailing attitude is be your own man or woman, do your own thing, be your own boss, and often this attitude is promoted or stated in a way that undermines accountability to God and others. The Bible in no
way denies our individualism. Indeed, it promotes it, but in a way that holds us each accountable to others. Proper individualism leads to a certain amount of inventiveness, ingenuity, and freedom, but it can also breed license and irresponsibility without accountability. The fact is you can’t make disciples or produce growing and mature believers without accountability. So again, true freedom is not the
ability to do as one pleases, which is license, but the power by Yah's grace to do as one ought. But what do we mean by accountability? We are not talking about coercive tactics, the invasion of privacy, or bringing others under the weight of someone’s taboos or legalism or manipulative or dominating tactics. Rather, by accountability we mean developing relationships with other believers that help to promote spiritual reality, honesty, obedience to Yah, and genuine evaluations of one’s walk and relationship with God and with others. We are talking about relationships that help believers change by the Spirit of Yah and the truth of the Word of Yah through inward spiritual conviction
and faith. Being what we are, sheep that are prone to wander, accountability to others is simply one of the ways Yah holds us accountable to Him. Left to ourselves, there is the great temptation to do mainly what we want rather than what God wants and what is best for others. So what is meant by accountability? We are talking about teaching, exhorting, supporting, and encouraging one another in such a way that it promotes accountability to Yeshua and to others in the body of Christ, but never by manipulation or domination.
To believe you can make disciples or develop true maturity in others without some form of accountability is like believing that you can raise children without discipline, run a company without rules,or lead an army without authority. Accountability is to the Great Commission what tracks are to a train. So, what are some of the reasons for establishing some form of accountability?
(1) Accountability is an essential part of a functional society.
(2) Accountability helps to promote biblical controls or checks and balances. It provides the necessary discipline and support needed to see people reach godly goals. While we are all ultimately accountable to God, as stressed in Romans 14:7-12, God has established other levels of accountability to aid us in the matter of control, support, and growth. God has given the Word and the
Holy Spirit as His agents of control to help provide direction and controls on our lives, but accountability to other believers becomes another key instrument to aid in bringing about self-discipline and inner controls.
(3) Accountability is necessary because like sheep we tend to go our own way. We are all self-willed. We want to protect our comfort zones and avoid having to deal with certain issues that are important to becoming obedient believers, which is one of the goals of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). Making disciples means teaching others to obey The Most High and this is very difficult without some measure of accountability. Accountability is part of the means God uses, as will be demonstrated below.
(4) Accountability promotes servant-like leadership in keeping with the pastoral mandate to watch over the flock (Eph. 4:11; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). One of the key requirements of a servant leader is faithfulness to the things entrusted to him (1 Cor. 4:1-2). So, in 1 Timothy 2:2, Paul told Timothy to entrust what he had learned to what kind of men? To faithful men. The fact he was to selectively train only faithful men suggests accountability. Is it not a strange paradox that we generally accept accountability in most aspects of life as something which is necessary, but when it comes to the Kingdom of Yah many fight accountability, especially, if it begins to affect their comfort zones or their self-willed agendas.
(5) Accountability is protective to both leaders and to the flock. The biblical model for church leadership is a collective leadership which provides a structure for genuine accountability. Shared,
brotherly leadership provides needed restraint on pride and greed.
Multiple leaders, therefore, will serve as a ‘check and balance’ on each other and serve as a safeguard against the very human tendency to play God over other people.”Shared leadership provides close accountability, genuine partnership, and peer relationships—the very things imperial pastors shrink from at all costs. As to the flock, Hebrews 13:17 tells the flock to submit to their leaders because they keep watch over the souls of Yah's people. People too often understand this primarily in a negative way, but keeping watch not only means correcting people when they fail to walk with the Yah but helping them to do so. As shown below, the goal of accountability is not riding herd over people like a task master—something completely contrary to Scripture. Rather, the goal is to help people grow in Christ and learn to find Him as the source and force and course of life. The Justification for Accountability, Is biblical, there are numerous New Testament passages which teach the concept of accountability of the flock to the leaders (1 Thess. 5:12; 1 Tim. 3:1-5; Heb. 13:7, 17; 1 Pet. 5:2-3). But the elders are limited in their capacity to effectively promote accountability throughout the Kingdom of Yah As the Lord was focused on only a few, the twelve and then the three, so the leaders should follow his example. The need for accountability goes beyond the leadership and falls into the realm of the “one another” concept of the New Testament. Submission, which certainly includes accountability, is applied to the whole body of Christ as a Spirit-produced and mutual responsibility to promote obedience to Christ. “Submitting” is hupotasso, a military word used of soldiers submitting to their superior or slaves submitting to their masters. In the middle voice as here, it carries the idea of voluntarily submitting or subordinating oneself. As a specific application of the various areas of accountability, is applied in relation to God in 1 Corinthians 15:28, Hebrews 12:9, and James 4:7, to Christ in Ephesians 5:24, to wives in Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18, Titus 2:5, and 1 Peter 3:1, to parents in Luke 2:51, to masters in Titus 2:9 and 1 Peter 2:18, to secular authorities in Romans 13:1, and in a general sense of a voluntary submission to others in the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 16:16, 1 Peter 5:5, and here in Ephesians 5:21. Included in the word ‘submission’ are the ideas of authority and accountability to another. “In Scripture it appears in contexts describing servanthood, humility, respect, reverence, honor, teachableness, and openness.”
But we should quickly add that such submission or accountability is to bring about greater and greater obedience to YAHUSHA as those first and foremost accountable to Him. 1 Peter 5:5 In the same
way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Thus fiveamprayer we should be not be running from but seeking true biblical accountability!
Exodus 18:20-25
20 You should also teach them the laws and the teachings, and show them how to live their lives and what work they should do. 21 But you should choose from among all the people competent men who are God-fearing, honest and incorruptible to be their leaders, in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Normally, they will settle the people’s disputes. They should bring you the difficult cases; but ordinary matters they should decide themselves. In this way, they will make it easier for you and share the load with you. 23 If you do this — and Yah is directing you to do it — you will be able to endure; and all these people too will arrive at their destination peacefully.” 24 Moshe paid attention to his father-in-law’s counsel and did everything he said. 25 Moshe chose competent men from all Isra’el and made them heads over the people, in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
Goal Setting
If you think you can do it, that’s confidence; if you do it, that’s competence.
A leader understands how to set the right goals. This is a vital attitude to cultivate because your future and your life depend on the goals you set—either consciously or subconsciously. Where you end up in life is a result of the goals that you set or did not set for your life. Success comes from the discipline of goal setting according to one’s purpose.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PURPOSE AND PLANS
The book of Proverbs says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” According to the wisdom of this statement, we can understand three things about the relationship between purpose and plans (goal setting):
1. Purpose is more important than plans.
2. Purpose is more powerful than plans.
3. Purpose precedes plans because the Creator established our purposes even before we were born.
We have to know and focus on our purposes before we can begin planning, because plans that don’t get you to your purpose are counterproductive. Purpose is God’s original intent for you. Therefore, you need to know your destination.
PROTECT YOUR GOALS
Goals protect us from the undue influence of other people. True leaders are always zealous for and jealous of their goals because these goals represent their lives. When our goals change, our lives change, so we must carefully guard our goals.
If you don’t have any goals, other people will run your life. The great king of Israel, Solomon, declared, “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.” If nothing controls and orders your life, then you are open season to other people and you won’t accomplish your purpose. Remember that the more successful you become, the more people will compete for your time, so you have to guard your goals even more carefully.
WHAT IS A GOAL?
• A goal is an established point for achievement that leads to a greater accomplishment.
• A goal is a point of measure for progress toward an ultimate purpose.
• A goal is a prerequisite for the achievement of an ultimate plan.
THE POWER OF GOALS
Goals give us a structure for accomplishing our plans one step at a time. They give us a starting place and an ending place, and they help us to focus. Here are some of the benefits of goals:
• Goals separate achievers from dreamers.
• Goal setting is the art of discipline.
• Goals are the skeleton of the plan.
• Goals give specifics to the plan.
• Goals create targets for our energy.
• Goals protect us from procrastination
THE PRINCIPLE OF GOALS
It is helpful to have some guidelines for the development and recording of our goals because, otherwise, we can easily lose sight of them and their relationship to our purposes:
• Goals must be defined.
• Goals must be simplified.
• Goals must be written.
• Goals must be visual.
• Goals must relate to the ultimate purpose.
• Goals must be measurable.
• Goals must be flexible.
The secret to leadership success is living a very focused life in line with your purpose.
Teamwork
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. —Henry Ford
True leaders possess the attitude of teamwork because they do not care who gets the credit. They move people from their personal and private goals to serving the needs of the common good. A team spirit manifests the difference between ambition and the pursuit of a Yah given destiny: Ambition is a private thing that you want to do only for your own benefit, while destiny is a big picture that involves benefiting others. A leader is always a team player. True leaders are always cognizant that no great accomplishment has ever been achieved by one individual.
PRINCIPLES OF TEAMWORK
Teamwork is defined as the ability to work together toward a common vision. Because it directs individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives, teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.
Let’s look at some principles of teamwork:
1. PARTNERSHIP IS THE CREATOR’S IDEA.
When the Creator first brought mankind into the world, he had the idea of partnership inmind: “The Most High said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’”
2. TEAMWORK IS NECESSARY FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF PURPOSE.
Again, at creation, Yah said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion.” The mandate of dominion over the earth, which requires the spirit of leadership, was given to both males and females. This means that teamwork is a built-in requirement for the fulfillment of our purposes in the world.
3. TEAMWORK IS THE CREATOR’S PLAN FOR LEADERSHIP.
While God often calls individuals to carry out his purposes, he doesn’t want them to pursue their callings alone. Even Moses, who was called the friend of God and did extraordinary things, needed leadership help. In the book of the prophet Micah, God said, “I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.” Moses did not rule alone, but was given the help of his brother and sister. At a time when Moses tried to take on too much responsibility, his father-in-law reminded him that he needed to delegate responsibility or the work would be too much for him. We also see the idea of teamwork in the first-century church with the traveling teams of Paul and Barnabus, Peter and John, and Priscilla and Aquila. When Paul worked with the churches he founded, he often had many coworkers who assisted him.
4. TEAMWORK WAS EMPHASIZED BY YAHUSHA
YAHUSHA himself did not carry out his ministry alone but instead gathered a group of twelve disciples to assist him and learn from his example. When he sent out his disciples to minister, he told them to go two by two.
EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK
• Start with team goals.
• Select the right people.
• Define everyone’s roles.
• Empower the team. (Authorize the power of decision.)
• Open your talent bank.
• Appreciate style differences.
• Establish ground rules.
• Create a relaxed atmosphere.
• Prepare a work plan.
• Get the work done.
• Hold efficient meetings.
• Build external networks.
• Resolve conflicts effectively.
• Build a climate of trust.
• Communicate—and communicate!
• Get everyone committed.
• Make decisions by consensus.
• Reward team results.
• Assess team performance.
• Celebrate team accomplishments.
“There is no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
The spirit of true leadership is always manifested in an innovative attitude. The very nature of leading demands an innovative spirit as leaders take followers to an as-yet undiscovered world of vision. Innovation is the creative reserve of true leaders.
THE MIND-SET OF INNOVATION
Leaders don’t allow the past to dictate or entrap the future. They possess the capacity to combine old ideas and concepts in order to create new ones. They never believe that there is only one way to accomplish any task. True leaders are never prisoners of tradition.
THE CREATOR’S INNOVATIVE SPIRIT
Our ability to innovate comes from the fact that we are made in the image and likeness of our Creator. The firstcentury writer Paul said that we are to “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” This means that the more we are transformed into the image of the One who created us, the more innovative we should be.
The Most High—
• created with diversity; he never repeated anything in creation.
• never did the same miracle twice in the same way.
• always solved problems in unexpected and untraditional ways.
• challenged humanity to think beyond its current experience.
• never believed anything was impossible.
• never dealt with humanity according to its norms and expectations.
YAHUSHA THE INNOVATOR
One of the greatest examples of the leadership spirit of innovation is the ultimate leader, the young Hebrew Rabbi YAHUSHA During his time on earth over two thousand years ago, he demonstrated the same innovative spirit as the heavenly Father. His creativity was manifested throughout all his work among men. In performing his miracles, he never repeated any single method but always used a different approach to solve every problem.
For example, he healed the blind using several different methods. For some, he merely touched their eyes and they were made well. For another, he laid his hands on the person’s eyes and put mud on them, and then laid his hands on them again to cause the person to receive his sight. For still another, he simply spoke the words, “Go, your faith has healed you,” and the person was healed.
FORGET THE FORMER THINGS”
Having a predetermined mind-set hinders the leadership spirit of innovation. In the book of the prophet Isaiah, Yah said, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” We can apply these statements in our development as innovators.
Whenever you encounter a project, a challenge, or a problem, practice thinking in new ways and with a different mind-set. Ask the Creator to give you a fresh perspective, and see what happens!
Accountability
Authority is 20 percent given and 80 percent taken. —Peter Ueberroth
The spirit of true leadership always possesses a sense of accountability and responsibility. True leaders readily embrace submission to authority and are conscious of their stewardship of the trust given to them by those whom they serve.
The spirit of leadership seeks to be faithful to the sacred trust of the followers rather than doing what will please the leader!!!
In this chapter, I want to address a potential danger that leaders fall into and what we can do to prevent it. As I said earlier, the key to good leadership is the power to influence through inspiration, not manipulation. The danger of leadership is its potential for wielding power without answering to anyone else.
Dictatorship and tyranny occur in the absence of a leader’s submission to authority. The protection of leadership, therefore, is in a voluntary submission to a trusted authority. The spirit of accountability is the active manifestation of submission to authority. The spirit of accountability is the active manifestation of submission to authority.
LEADERS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
A true leader is always conscious that he is not a law unto himself but should uphold established laws and treat others with respect as people made in the image and likeness of the Creator. He also listens to the advice and input of credible authority.
WHAT IS ACCOUNTABILITY?
In a nutshell, accountability is giving a reckoning for one’s conduct and reporting on one’s progress. It is also an admission of motives and reasons for taking certain actions.
THE ACCOUNTABLE LEADER
In Paul’s letter to the people of Philippi, he explained that Jesus was willingly accountable to the Father when he was on earth.
YAHUSHA continually referred to his accountability to the Father, making statements such as “My food...is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” and acknowledging the Father’s affirmation of his leadership: “The very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.” “On [the Son of Man] God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” In developing the spirit of accountability, we can have no better example than his.
HOW TO BE ACCOUNTABLE
The following are some guidelines for incorporating accountability into your life:
• Commit yourself to be accountable to your personal convictions.
• Establish the Word of God as your final judge and authority.
• Appoint and submit to a group of tested, respected, credible, and mature people for advice, correction, rebuke, and instruction.
• Choose friends who are committed to the high standards of the Word of God and give them the right to judge you by it.
To manifest the leadership spirit hidden within you, you must embrace the attitude of accountability. Always be conscious that you are responsible to those below and above you for everything you say and do. Be cognizant that whatever you do as a leader may be personal, but it is never totally private. Your ultimate accountability is to the Creator of all leaders, who knows the thoughts and attitudes of your heart.
Saturday, August 3, 2024
THE BENEFITS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MENTORSHIP, DELEGATION AND SUBMISSION
THE BENEFITS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MENTORSHIP, DELEGATION AND SUBMISSION
Genesis chapter 1
Today we are walking in: The Benefits and Responsibilities of Mentorship, Delegation, and Submission
Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
The Torah Testifies.............................
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The prophets proclaim...............
Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.
The writings bear witness.............
2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword
IN the beginning Elohiym created את the heavens and את the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Ruach Elohiym moved upon the face of the waters. And Elohiym said, Let there be light: and there was light. And Elohiym saw the light, that it was good: and Elohiym divided the light from the darkness. And Elohiym called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And Elohiym said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And Elohiym made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse: and it was so. And Elohiym called the expanse Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And Elohiym said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And Elohiym called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and Elohiym saw that it was good. And Elohiym said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and Elohiym saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day. And Elohiym said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for appointed feasts, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And Elohiym made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And Elohiym set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and Elohiym saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. And Elohiym said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that has life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open expanse of heaven. And Elohiym created great dragons, and את every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and את every winged fowl after his kind: and Elohiym saw that it was good. And Elohiym blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And Elohiym said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And Elohiym made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and את everything that creeps upon the earth after his kind: and Elohiym saw that it was good. And Elohiym said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So Elohiym created man in his own image, in the image of Elohiym created he him; male and female created he them. And Elohiym blessed them, and Elohiym said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. And Elohiym said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and את every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creeps upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given את every green herb for food: and it was so. And Elohiym saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. BERE'SHIYTH (GENESIS) 1:1-31 את CEPHER
The Interdependent Nature of Authority
The Benefits and Responsibilities of Mentorship, Delegation, and Submission
Authority is a team effort rather than a solo activity. Although each individual has a personal authority, the nature of authority is such that people’s purposes are interrelated and function interdependently in corporate life. It is a foundational principle that we need each other’s authority to fulfill our own authority.
Every Person on Earth Yields to Authority
In teaching 5, we saw that nothing the Creator made can exist without submission to some authority because, by its nature, authority involves both dependence and interdependence. First, everything depends on the Creator to exist because everything in life flows from Him and is maintained by Him. Second, the lives of living things are naturally interwoven for their existence and growth. Third, we all need to submit to the personal authority of others in order to function in life, and we all naturally yield to others’ authority. I used the everyday example of submission in which we trust the dentist’s authority to safely and effectively work on our teeth. There are hundreds of other examples, such as needing to stop at red lights or yield to other cars when we are driving. Much of common courtesy is actually a form of submission to others for their benefit.
Although interdependence is a natural state of life, the give-and-take of genuine authority has often been lacking. Misuse and abuse of authority have given rise to misconceptions about leaders and followers and the characteristics of submission, causing people to steer clear of situations in which they feel they are “taking orders” from others. Compounding this mind-set is the fact that many people have felt overwhelmed by circumstances in their lives that have made them feel powerless.
Again, because many of our parents, teachers, employers, and other authority figures did not understand authority and misused it in relation to us, we are afraid to submit to others and therefore find it difficult to release our own true authority. Consequently, many of us have dreams, goals, and gifts trapped inside us.
Despite their past experiences, those who resist genuine submission and the concept of delegation rob themselves of the benefits and opportunities connected with interdependent relationships. They unfortunately restrict themselves from experiencing Yah’s purpose and will for their lives by their attitudes about what they perceive as “authority.”
A Time to Delegate, a Time to Submit
At various times in your life, you will be called upon to delegate to others based on your authority. At other times, you will be called to submit to others based on their authority. This is just a part of life. It is not something you need to be uncomfortable about, whether you are on the giving or receiving side.
Some people are as uncomfortable about directing others as they are about taking orders because they don’t want to feel as if they are “bossing others around.” Not wanting to exercise false authority is a commendable attitude, and their concern would be valid if delegating were the same thing as acting like a tyrant or having the “boss spirit.” It is not. Instead, delegation is a natural aspect of legitimate authority. We need to recognize this truth, because the role of directing and mentoring others may be an integral part of fulfilling our own personal authority. Therefore, understanding true delegation and true submission will free all of us to experience the Creator’s purposes and plans for our lives.
As we survey the topics of delegation, mentorship, and submission in this chapter, let us keep in mind the following foundational points:
1. Our Ultimate Authority is Yah; we are to submit to Him and His purposes for us.
2. We “submit” to or live according to our inherent domains—the authority, dreams, and gifts Yah has given us—instead of trying to be someone we aren’t or to succeed with improper motivations.
3. We submit to others’ Yah-given authority in relationship and community.
4. To function properly either in the role of delegator or delegatee, it is vital that we clearly know our own self-worth. We must know that we are of great value to Yah and that He has given us special gifts and abilities to contribute to corporate life, or we may be overly influenced by other people’s opinions or demands and be unable to fulfill our authority.
Let us now look at what it means to delegate authority and submit to authority, as well as the responsibilities and benefits connected with each role.
Principles for Delegators and Delegatees
We were all created in the image of Yah, and He Himself is a delegator. He has delegated authority to each of us for our individual purposes and pleasure in life. Yah “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17). Similarly, part of Yah’s delegation of authority is to give people the ability to release the authority of others through mentorship and the pursuit of common goals.
Human delegation is therefore the transfer of authority. It is taking the permission you have from the Creator to use power and sharing it with someone else. Delegation gives the other person the right to function in that authority.
The following are essential principles for delegated authority.
Authority Is Legitimate Only If It Has Been Delegated
Unless authority has been given to you, you don’t have it. It cannot be seized and still be legitimate. Authority is given for specific reasons and purposes, and these can’t be carried out if someone is unauthorized. This is why all authority must come from Yah as the Ultimate Authority, and why any authority we administer as human beings must be Yah-given, as well.
Authority Is Given so that It Can Be Shared
Authority is not given to be kept but to be distributed. The authority you have received from Yah was bestowed on you to share with others to achieve positive results. While this principle is true for anyone in his personal authority—all gifts and abilities have been given to benefit not only ourselves but also others—it is especially applicable to those who have areas of oversight or power to delegate to others. Delegation of authority is the transfer of legitimate power to enable others to exercise or operate in their authority. Perhaps the highest form of delegation is that which empowers people to empower still others for the benefit of all. Anyone who hoards his authority and refuses to delegate it is violating a natural principle of authority. Like the manna that was hoarded by the Israelites, authority that is not used for its intent becomes corrupt. (See Exodus 16:13–20.)
Yahusha Hamachiach perfectly exemplified the principle of shared authority. He always delegated His authority for the purpose of benefiting others. As Yah’s Son, the Word made flesh, He seems to have progressively received authority from the Father. But whatever authority He received, He always used and delegated in service to others. Here are some examples:
Yahusha’ obedience up to the time of and including His baptism by John brought His Father’s affirmation: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). He was one in purpose with the Father.
After Yahusha overcame the temptations of HaSatan, He “returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). He was given both authority and power for His ministry.
Yahusha manifested that authority and power: “Yahusha went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23).
After Yahusha had demonstrated that He had the power and authority of the Father, He delegated it to His disciples: “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness” (Matthew 10:1).
Yahusha delegated authority to still more of His followers: “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go” (Luke 10:1).
Through His obedient life and sacrificial death, Yahusha qualified for “all authority.” After His resurrection, He said to His followers, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20). Note that in response to all authority being given to Him, He told His disciples, “Therefore go.” He immediately delegated His authority. He didn’t control, hoard, or sell it. He didn’t say, “All authority has been given to Me; therefore, I will use it all Myself.” He distributed it.
Yahusha promised additional authority to His followers: “To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations” (Revelation 2:26).
Yahusha was constantly transferring authority to fulfill His purpose, to release the purposes of others, and to benefit the community and the world at large. We who have been given authority are to do the same.
Authority, whether it is personal or corporate, is always to be used to serve, benefit, or improve others. Paul wrote of “the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down” (2 Corinthians 10:8). If someone is a legitimate authority, it shows by how much his authority benefits people’s lives. If someone in a position of authority doesn’t help others, he is not exercising genuine authority but merely power.
Authority Should Not Be Delegated Based on Favoritism
Delegation of authority should not be motivated by partiality or favoritism. This is in keeping with the nature of our Creator. “Yah does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right” (Acts 10:34–35). Paul wrote to his mentee, Timothy, “Do nothing out of favoritism” (1 Timothy 5:21). And we read in the book of James,
My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Yahusha Hamachiach, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?...But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as
lawbreakers.(James 2:1–4, 9)
You don’t give authority just because you like someone but because his unique gifts, talents, and personality correspond with the tasks or supervision that needs to be delegated for a certain project. In this way, you are being responsible for the authority that was delegated to you.
Authority Should Not Be Given to the Untested
Authority and its accompanying power should never be delegated to someone who is immature or someone who is a novice in the area of oversight. Instead, delegated power must be invested in increments and installed as a result of trust that the delegatee has earned over time. Before delegating authority, therefore, you should first evaluate a person’s maturity by learning how that person has functioned under authority in the past. Does the person work well with others, or is he always fighting direction and openly or subtly contentious? A person cannot receive from an authority he doesn’t submit to.
The one receiving the authority must also allow the delegator to lead and support him. Paul wrote, “If [a person’s gift] is leadership, let him govern diligently” (Romans 12:8). In other words, let the person whom Yah called to be the visionary or overseer be the visionary or overseer. The delegatee shouldn’t give him a hard time. If the delegator is forced to become something he’s not because of the resistance of those whom he’s trying to delegate to, it is going to cause problems for the whole organization. Let him remain in his authority.
Those who are untested in regard to submission make potentially dangerous leaders. Why? We come to trust someone as a result of assessing that person’s attitude toward power, fame, popularity, pride, and so forth. All these attitudes are dangerous for someone in a position of leadership and need to be dealt with before a person is given authority. We have witnessed the tragic outcomes in nations throughout the world after someone has been thrust into authority or has seized a leadership role for which he was not qualified.
Remember that Yahusha Himself was tested and proven trustworthy in three areas before He began to fully embark on His life’s purpose. These tests occurred during His temptation by HaSatan in the desert right after He was baptized by John. (See Matthew 4:1–11.) Anyone in leadership must pass these same tests:
1. The appetites test. This test includes drink, food, and sex. HaSatan wanted Yahusha to gratify His hunger more than any other considerations, including His relationship with Yah the Father. A person must be able to manage his physical desires before being given authority and power.
2. The fame and popularity test. When HaSatan challenged Yahusha to jump off the pinnacle of the temple, the courtyard below was filled with a quarter of a million people who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. The whole point of this test was to see if He would desire instant fame rather than be obedient toward Yah and receive “all authority” at the right time, after His sacrifice and resurrection. (See Matthew 28:18.) If a person hasn’t passed the test of popularity and desire for instant fame, he shouldn’t be trusted with authority.
3. The power test. HaSatan told Yahusha that if He would worship him, he would give Him all the power of the kingdoms of the world. No one should be given power until he doesn’t desire power for its own sake.
The three qualifications established by Yah, therefore, for one to be trusted with exercising authority, as well as delegating it to others, are control over one’s appetites, a willingness to go through the process of submission and obedience to earn trust and respect rather than seeking instant fame, and a desire to serve rather than a desire to wield power.
Note that even though Yahusha had already been affirmed by Yah the Father as His Son because of Yahusha’ submission and obedience, Yah still tested Him. After passing the tests, “Yahusha returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). He received the empowerment of increased authority. And He never used His authority for personal gain, for destroying anyone else— including His enemies—or for fame. He used it for the redemption, advancement, development, and protection of other people. Yahusha is our clear example that the ultimate purpose of authority and power is service—serving the interests and needs of others. It is never self-serving. Such an attitude toward one’s authority is so crucial that the testing is necessary.
True success in life, therefore, requires submission to legitimate authority. The spirit of genuine submission and humbleness will always bring favor with Yah. Likewise, a person’s success as a delegator will depend on his own ability to submit to genuine authority, to learn from it, and to serve. It’s only when we learn submission that we can become true leaders.
We can decide whether we want to succeed or fail in Yah’s eyes by our attitudes toward authority.
Delegated Authority Must Be Preceded by Preparation
Before you delegate authority to someone, you must prepare and train him. The delegatee first needs to be taught the true purpose and responsibility of authority. People must be prepared to receive power since the use of power is the highest form of responsibility. Until a person understands the danger of power, as well as its benefits, he should never be given authority. This is why a prerequisite for using the power of authority is the quality of humility. Humility is a consciousness of one’s vulnerability. You cannot fully trust a person who doesn’t know his own weaknesses or is unwilling to counteract or compensate for them. The delegatee also needs to be trained in the various aspects of his future oversight responsibilities.
An essential role of someone in a position to delegate authority, then, is to know when a person is ready to receive authority. Authority must not be delegated prematurely.
Delegated Authority Should Not Be Abandoned
Authority and power should be delegated in installments and never abandoned. The delegator continues to be answerable for them even after sharing them with someone else.
Authority is always responsible for the authority it delegates. When Yahusha gave authority to His disciples, He did leave not them on their own to figure out what they were supposed to do next. He said, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18), and “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Those to whom you delegate authority may be in charge of various areas, but you are still responsible for those areas in the end. This is why you need to monitor, assess, and regulate delegated authority on a consistent basis. Delegation always has an accountability factor. If I delegate authority to someone, I must remain conscious of the fact that what I gave that person was on loan to me, as well. So, even though I delegate authority, I am using borrowed power. Again, everyone under authority is answerable to the Ultimate Authority.
Delegated Authority Is Always Delegated Authority
Likewise, if authority has been delegated to you, it isn’t a license for you to begin to function totally on your own. Always remember that your authority is a trust that has been given to you and that you are responsible to the one who gave it. To put it simply, authority is synonymous with responsibility. The need to report to your delegator is built-in. We can respond constructively to the authority of others as we recognize their own inherent Yah-given authority.
Delegated Authority Should Be Authentic
A delegator should never attempt to force a delegatee to violate or neglect his personal domain of authority and thus be rendered unauthentic. In other words, we shouldn’t make people operate in domains that are not natural for them; we shouldn’t expect orange trees to yield apples. A person is given gifts by His Creator to be used “in proportion to his faith” (Romans 12:6), so a leader needs to allow people to use their true gifts. Let people be themselves, not images of your own making. The benefit will be happier, more productive delegatees instead of complaining, contentious ones.
Delegated Authority Is Protected by the Delegator
Just as the Creator supports and protects us as the recipients of His authority, the person who delegates authority is responsible for protecting the one to whom he delegates it. The delegatee should be allowed to carry out the authority he has been granted. However, he must also be given the assurance that he may, when needed, refer to or appeal to the delegator, who should make it a priority to offer assistance, wisdom, direction, and encouragement. If problems arise, they are ultimately the delegator’s responsibility.
Delegated Authority Can Be Recalled
The one who is in authority should never be afraid to recall delegated authority when necessary. Authority is a privilege and not a right. It is permission to use someone else’s power. Someone who is functioning outside of his delegated authority is illegal and cannot be fully trusted. Yahusha told a parable in which a rich man discovered that his manager had squandered his resources, and he told him, “You cannot be manager any longer” (Luke 16:2). Even though the manager ended up redeeming himself in the eyes of his employer, Yahusha was telling us that authority can be withdrawn for misuse. If someone disappoints, he can be dis-appointed.
Since delegated authority is always borrowed, the person who distributes it is responsible for how, when, and to whom that authority is delegated, and he will have to give an account for it. Sometimes, the delegator has to remove someone from a position of authority for the very reason that he is accountable before Yah and it’s the responsible thing for him to do for the protection and benefit of all those involved.
There were a number times in the history of Israel when the people were misrepresenting Yah as their Source to such a degree that they, in a sense, had to be temporarily recalled from this function until they returned wholeheartedly to Him and to their assignment of revealing His nature and purposes to the world. Even during their periods of “recall,” Yah was working in the lives of individual Israelites to continue His purposes, but the nation was not functioning as it was intended to.
To return to an earlier example, if I am the leader of a nation and give you authority as an ambassador to another nation, then the power, or backing, to carry out your assignment comes with it. What gives it authorization is the fact that I gave it to you. And you have to use that authorization for the specific reason it was given, or it’s a misuse of power. In this case, I can recall you from that other nation and hold you accountable for your lack of representation. If you change your attitude, I may send you back to finish your assignment. If you refuse to represent my policies, I can take away your assignment and give it to another who will carry it out.
Benefits of Genuine Submission
When it is our position to submit to the authority of others, how should we think about our role? Again, submission is a voluntary and natural act as part of the interdependent nature of authority. It is not the same thing as surrender, in which a person succumbs to another through manipulation and fear.
Genuine submission is one person’s willing and conscious yielding to another person’s Yah-given personal authority. The Scriptures say that Yahusha was “faithful to the one who appointed him” and that He was honored for submitting to His life’s mission, even to the point of paying the ultimate sacrifice for us.
[You] who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Yahusha, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all Yah’s house. Yahusha has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but Yah is the builder of everything.(Hebrews 3:1–4)
Let us fix our eyes on Yahusha, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne
of Yah. (Hebrews 12:2)
The first Adam did not submit to Yah, but Yahusha, the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45), did. We are to focus on Him as the “author and perfecter” of our faith and authority. He is qualified to be the Author and Perfecter because He submitted completely to the authority of Yah the Father.
Let’s return to the scene of Yahusha’ baptism in order to highlight the benefits of submission to Yah and those to whom He has delegated authority. Remember that Yahusha submitted to John in accordance with the authority John had received from Yah to baptize.
As soon as Yahusha was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of Yah descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Then Yahusha was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by HaSatan. (Matthew 3:16–4:1)
From this account, we can glean these benefits of genuine and faithful submission:
Heaven, or the presence and resources of Yah, opens over your life. You have access to the privileges of true relationship and connection with Him.
You are “introduced” to others by Yah Himself. You don’t need to scramble for self-promotion, because Yah will bring promotion to you as you faithfully follow in His ways.
You are confirmed by Yah Himself. Yah the Father called Yahusha “my Son, whom I love,” and as we pattern our lives off Yahusha, we will be affirmed in a similar way as a member of Yah’s family. Yahusha said, “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister” (Matthew 12:50).
You receive a special anointing of Yah’s Spirit available only to those under submission.
You become prepared and equipped by Yah’s Spirit for tests and trials.
You sometimes receive greater honor than the person to whom you submit. As Yah in the flesh, Yahusha was greater than John the Baptist and all other people, although the manifestation of this greatness depended on His submission to authority. As you submit to earthly authority, you may also find yourself becoming “greater” in influence or accomplishments than the one you submit to. This is not always the case, and it would not mean that you have greater value than the other person. It would mean that that your personal authority naturally extends to a wider or deeper domain in life.
Do the above benefits change your perspective on submission?
Entering into a Mentor-Mentee Relationship
The give-and-take of authority and submission may best be exemplified by the mentor-mentee relationship. A mentor is someone who invests his time, energy, and genuine interest in the life of another for the purpose of enabling that person to fulfill his personal authority. The mentee may initiate the relationship, and he voluntarily submits for the sake of learning and growing as a person.
I mentioned earlier that when you know who you are in your Yah-given authority, the first thing you look for is the authority that Yah has placed in your life to benefit and protect you and to release your own authority. If you are wise, you make a careful search for someone who is very effective in a domain that is like yours and, after prayerful consideration, ask to enter into a mentoring relationship with him or her. (It is usually best, for a number of reasons, for men to have male mentors and for women to have female mentors.) This person may be a family member, a civic leader, a leader in your community, or a member of an organization in which you are involved.
Unfortunately, people rarely will go to others and ask to be in such a relationship in order to learn what they know and to see firsthand how they function in their authority. Yet it is the people who have the humbleness of heart to seek a mentor-mentee relationship, rather than those who try to push or manipulate their way to the “top,” who become true leaders.
Examples of Mentorship
A famous example of mentorship is found in the Scriptures and involves the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Yah had told Elijah that Elisha was his authorized successor.
[The Lord said,] “Anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.”...So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him....Then [Elisha] set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.(1 Kings 19:16, 19, 21)
Elijah’s cloak, or mantle, was the symbol of his prophethood, and by putting it around Elisha, he was demonstrating that he would pass along his authority to Elisha.
Note Elisha’s attitude. He wasn’t like most people, who want the position before the qualification and experience. He was willing to become Elijah’s full-time attendant and to observe him as he fulfilled his calling as prophet. He was not afraid to submit his life to Elijah for fear of having his life ruled and controlled by Elijah or his own future forfeited. That kind of fear comes from misunderstanding authority, which, in its true form, releases and frees a person to fulfill his purpose.
The greatest example of a mentor is Yahusha Hamachiach, who mentored the small group of twelve men from among His disciples whom He had chosen to train as His apostles, or those who would have special authority in establishing His ecclesia on earth after He returned to Yah the Father. The word apostle comes from the Greek word meaning “a delegate; specifically an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Hamachiach” or “a messenger, one sent on a mission.” Yahusha trained and then delegated authority to these men, who would be ambassadors and messengers of Yahusha’ mission to bring the kingdom of Yah to the earth. Their mentorship relationship would last for three and a half years, before Yahusha’ death and resurrection.
These men submitted to the mentoring of their Master Teacher. They spent large amounts of time with Yahusha, observed His way of life firsthand, and endeavored to imitate it. They were able to ask Him questions and benefit from His knowledge and wisdom for the purpose of personal transformation. He asked them questions and tested them to see if they understood who He was and the truths and principles He was teaching. (See, for example, John 6:5–13.)
Selecting a Mentor: Assessing Attitudes and Qualities
Mentorship should not be entered into lightly. When making a decision on whom to approach as a potential mentor, and even when you are considering taking a job, or aligning yourself with an organization or individual who can influence you and the direction of your life, refer to the following checklist first. It will save you time and help keep you from heartache and even abuse.
Submit yourself only to someone... who loves you.
-who will receive no personal gain from your submission. who is committed to your success more than you are.
-who has passed the three crucial tests of (1) the appetites, (2) fame and popularity, and (3) power.
-who is secure in his leadership and ability.
-who is or has been where you want to go.
-who has access to those whom you need to know. who is willing to teach you everything he knows.
Key Characteristics of Mentorship
What will being a mentee or delegatee mean for you? The following is a list of the general characteristics and benefits of mentor-mentee relationships and delegated authority:
Identification/Identity: the association of yourself and your name with the respected authority
Accountability: follow-up of your delegated authority and actions and evaluation of your progress
Responsibility: a solemn trust to carry out and show evidence of the delegated authority
Credibility: authorization to work on the authority’s behalf and, in some cases, to succeed him
Representation: the authority’s endorsement and certification of the decisions and actions you take on his behalf, as well as the benefit of his defense and help on your behalf
Counsel/Advice: the knowledge and wisdom of the respected authority gained from years of experience and study
Protection: the safety of being able to appeal to the decisions and problem-solving responsibilities of the authority
Physical Resources: the supplies and support needed to carry out your authority
Personnel: access to people, through the respected authority, who can assist you to accomplish your responsibility and fulfill your personal calling
A Person with Genuine Authority Can Open Doors for You
As you can see, when you submit to an authority, you identify with him and receive many benefits from your relationship, including credibility. This is where the power of mentoring comes in. In fact, a person in authority can transfer to you in a very short time what it took him an entire lifetime to achieve.
Consider the case of Moses and Joshua. Shortly before Moses died, he transferred leadership of Israel to Joshua, under Yah’s guidance. None of the people argued about it or nominated someone else for the job instead; Joshua was accepted as Moses’ successor. “Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses” (Deuteronomy 34:9). In effect, Moses transferred forty years of leadership to Joshua in about forty seconds. Similarly, Elijah’s anointing as a prophet of Yah was transferred to Elisha when it came time for Elijah to leave this earth. This transfer was represented by the symbolic act of Elisha receiving Elijah’s mantle, or cloak. In fact, Elisha desired and received a double portion of Elijah’s anointing. Other prophets recognized this anointing and said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” (See 2 Kings 2:8–15.)
Many people believe that submission means restriction, and so they compete with authority or try to make themselves look equal to someone in an authority role. Frankly, the dumbest thing you can do is to compete with true authority. Submission to authority opens doors that you don’t have to push. A person with genuine authority can help you progress quickly in accomplishing something that could take you ten years to achieve on your own.
Again, when you submit to authority, you receive everything the person can give you—friendships, resources, experiences, the lessons learned from his failures, and access to influence and fruitful environments. John the Baptist had many followers as he prepared the people for the coming of the Authorized Dealer, or the Messiah. People went to him “from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan” (Matthew 3:5). So many people came that he had a massive campaign. Yahusha could have thought, I’m going to attract some of John’s crowd and start My own ministry with them. Instead, He submitted, and John’s followers legitimately became His.
John saw Yahusha coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of Yah, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’...I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of Yah.” The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Yahusha passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of Yah!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Yahusha.(John 1:29–30, 34–37)
If you submit to and receive from one who has true authority, you eventually will receive his credibility. John willingly transferred his whole school of followers to Yahusha. He stated, “The reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel” (verse 31). Yahusha rightfully “inherited” John’s followers at the outset of His ministry, and some of them became His closest disciples. John’s former disciples were already in tune with the message that they needed to align their lives with the Creator Yah and that the kingdom of Yah was coming to earth.
Yahusha didn’t have to strive or promote Himself to accomplish the purpose for which He had come. As He followed Yah the Father’s ways, Yah provided for Him. Many people are working too hard because they haven’t entered into submission and received its benefits. Submission reduces stress, saves time, and eliminates work. When you submit in a genuine way, you work smarter, not harder.
“No Trespassing!”
When people truly understand authority, delegation, and submission, life runs much more smoothly for them, and their relationships are characterized by order and peace. They function in their areas of personal authority, respect others’ authority, and don’t trespasses on the authority of those around them. In this way, both harmony and effectiveness are achieved.
Part of the Lord’s Prayer is, “Forgive us our debts [trespasses], as we also have forgiven our debtors [those who trespass against us]” (Matthew 6:12). Could the greatest Example of authority have been calling our attention to the need to stay in our realms of authority and not trespass on others’ authority or interfere with their personal callings?
The only way to fully experience Yah’s plan for your life is to understand the interdependence of your personal authority with the personal authority of others and to carry out that interdependence through mentorship, delegation, and submission
Genesis chapter 1
Today we are walking in: The Benefits and Responsibilities of Mentorship, Delegation, and Submission
Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
The Torah Testifies.............................
*****
The prophets proclaim...............
Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.
The writings bear witness.............
2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword
IN the beginning Elohiym created את the heavens and את the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Ruach Elohiym moved upon the face of the waters. And Elohiym said, Let there be light: and there was light. And Elohiym saw the light, that it was good: and Elohiym divided the light from the darkness. And Elohiym called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And Elohiym said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And Elohiym made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse: and it was so. And Elohiym called the expanse Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And Elohiym said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And Elohiym called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and Elohiym saw that it was good. And Elohiym said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and Elohiym saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day. And Elohiym said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for appointed feasts, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And Elohiym made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And Elohiym set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and Elohiym saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. And Elohiym said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that has life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open expanse of heaven. And Elohiym created great dragons, and את every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and את every winged fowl after his kind: and Elohiym saw that it was good. And Elohiym blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And Elohiym said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And Elohiym made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and את everything that creeps upon the earth after his kind: and Elohiym saw that it was good. And Elohiym said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So Elohiym created man in his own image, in the image of Elohiym created he him; male and female created he them. And Elohiym blessed them, and Elohiym said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. And Elohiym said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and את every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creeps upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given את every green herb for food: and it was so. And Elohiym saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. BERE'SHIYTH (GENESIS) 1:1-31 את CEPHER
The Interdependent Nature of Authority
The Benefits and Responsibilities of Mentorship, Delegation, and Submission
Authority is a team effort rather than a solo activity. Although each individual has a personal authority, the nature of authority is such that people’s purposes are interrelated and function interdependently in corporate life. It is a foundational principle that we need each other’s authority to fulfill our own authority.
Every Person on Earth Yields to Authority
In teaching 5, we saw that nothing the Creator made can exist without submission to some authority because, by its nature, authority involves both dependence and interdependence. First, everything depends on the Creator to exist because everything in life flows from Him and is maintained by Him. Second, the lives of living things are naturally interwoven for their existence and growth. Third, we all need to submit to the personal authority of others in order to function in life, and we all naturally yield to others’ authority. I used the everyday example of submission in which we trust the dentist’s authority to safely and effectively work on our teeth. There are hundreds of other examples, such as needing to stop at red lights or yield to other cars when we are driving. Much of common courtesy is actually a form of submission to others for their benefit.
Although interdependence is a natural state of life, the give-and-take of genuine authority has often been lacking. Misuse and abuse of authority have given rise to misconceptions about leaders and followers and the characteristics of submission, causing people to steer clear of situations in which they feel they are “taking orders” from others. Compounding this mind-set is the fact that many people have felt overwhelmed by circumstances in their lives that have made them feel powerless.
Again, because many of our parents, teachers, employers, and other authority figures did not understand authority and misused it in relation to us, we are afraid to submit to others and therefore find it difficult to release our own true authority. Consequently, many of us have dreams, goals, and gifts trapped inside us.
Despite their past experiences, those who resist genuine submission and the concept of delegation rob themselves of the benefits and opportunities connected with interdependent relationships. They unfortunately restrict themselves from experiencing Yah’s purpose and will for their lives by their attitudes about what they perceive as “authority.”
A Time to Delegate, a Time to Submit
At various times in your life, you will be called upon to delegate to others based on your authority. At other times, you will be called to submit to others based on their authority. This is just a part of life. It is not something you need to be uncomfortable about, whether you are on the giving or receiving side.
Some people are as uncomfortable about directing others as they are about taking orders because they don’t want to feel as if they are “bossing others around.” Not wanting to exercise false authority is a commendable attitude, and their concern would be valid if delegating were the same thing as acting like a tyrant or having the “boss spirit.” It is not. Instead, delegation is a natural aspect of legitimate authority. We need to recognize this truth, because the role of directing and mentoring others may be an integral part of fulfilling our own personal authority. Therefore, understanding true delegation and true submission will free all of us to experience the Creator’s purposes and plans for our lives.
As we survey the topics of delegation, mentorship, and submission in this chapter, let us keep in mind the following foundational points:
1. Our Ultimate Authority is Yah; we are to submit to Him and His purposes for us.
2. We “submit” to or live according to our inherent domains—the authority, dreams, and gifts Yah has given us—instead of trying to be someone we aren’t or to succeed with improper motivations.
3. We submit to others’ Yah-given authority in relationship and community.
4. To function properly either in the role of delegator or delegatee, it is vital that we clearly know our own self-worth. We must know that we are of great value to Yah and that He has given us special gifts and abilities to contribute to corporate life, or we may be overly influenced by other people’s opinions or demands and be unable to fulfill our authority.
Let us now look at what it means to delegate authority and submit to authority, as well as the responsibilities and benefits connected with each role.
Principles for Delegators and Delegatees
We were all created in the image of Yah, and He Himself is a delegator. He has delegated authority to each of us for our individual purposes and pleasure in life. Yah “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17). Similarly, part of Yah’s delegation of authority is to give people the ability to release the authority of others through mentorship and the pursuit of common goals.
Human delegation is therefore the transfer of authority. It is taking the permission you have from the Creator to use power and sharing it with someone else. Delegation gives the other person the right to function in that authority.
The following are essential principles for delegated authority.
Authority Is Legitimate Only If It Has Been Delegated
Unless authority has been given to you, you don’t have it. It cannot be seized and still be legitimate. Authority is given for specific reasons and purposes, and these can’t be carried out if someone is unauthorized. This is why all authority must come from Yah as the Ultimate Authority, and why any authority we administer as human beings must be Yah-given, as well.
Authority Is Given so that It Can Be Shared
Authority is not given to be kept but to be distributed. The authority you have received from Yah was bestowed on you to share with others to achieve positive results. While this principle is true for anyone in his personal authority—all gifts and abilities have been given to benefit not only ourselves but also others—it is especially applicable to those who have areas of oversight or power to delegate to others. Delegation of authority is the transfer of legitimate power to enable others to exercise or operate in their authority. Perhaps the highest form of delegation is that which empowers people to empower still others for the benefit of all. Anyone who hoards his authority and refuses to delegate it is violating a natural principle of authority. Like the manna that was hoarded by the Israelites, authority that is not used for its intent becomes corrupt. (See Exodus 16:13–20.)
Yahusha Hamachiach perfectly exemplified the principle of shared authority. He always delegated His authority for the purpose of benefiting others. As Yah’s Son, the Word made flesh, He seems to have progressively received authority from the Father. But whatever authority He received, He always used and delegated in service to others. Here are some examples:
Yahusha’ obedience up to the time of and including His baptism by John brought His Father’s affirmation: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). He was one in purpose with the Father.
After Yahusha overcame the temptations of HaSatan, He “returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). He was given both authority and power for His ministry.
Yahusha manifested that authority and power: “Yahusha went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23).
After Yahusha had demonstrated that He had the power and authority of the Father, He delegated it to His disciples: “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness” (Matthew 10:1).
Yahusha delegated authority to still more of His followers: “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go” (Luke 10:1).
Through His obedient life and sacrificial death, Yahusha qualified for “all authority.” After His resurrection, He said to His followers, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20). Note that in response to all authority being given to Him, He told His disciples, “Therefore go.” He immediately delegated His authority. He didn’t control, hoard, or sell it. He didn’t say, “All authority has been given to Me; therefore, I will use it all Myself.” He distributed it.
Yahusha promised additional authority to His followers: “To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations” (Revelation 2:26).
Yahusha was constantly transferring authority to fulfill His purpose, to release the purposes of others, and to benefit the community and the world at large. We who have been given authority are to do the same.
Authority, whether it is personal or corporate, is always to be used to serve, benefit, or improve others. Paul wrote of “the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down” (2 Corinthians 10:8). If someone is a legitimate authority, it shows by how much his authority benefits people’s lives. If someone in a position of authority doesn’t help others, he is not exercising genuine authority but merely power.
Authority Should Not Be Delegated Based on Favoritism
Delegation of authority should not be motivated by partiality or favoritism. This is in keeping with the nature of our Creator. “Yah does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right” (Acts 10:34–35). Paul wrote to his mentee, Timothy, “Do nothing out of favoritism” (1 Timothy 5:21). And we read in the book of James,
My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Yahusha Hamachiach, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?...But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as
lawbreakers.(James 2:1–4, 9)
You don’t give authority just because you like someone but because his unique gifts, talents, and personality correspond with the tasks or supervision that needs to be delegated for a certain project. In this way, you are being responsible for the authority that was delegated to you.
Authority Should Not Be Given to the Untested
Authority and its accompanying power should never be delegated to someone who is immature or someone who is a novice in the area of oversight. Instead, delegated power must be invested in increments and installed as a result of trust that the delegatee has earned over time. Before delegating authority, therefore, you should first evaluate a person’s maturity by learning how that person has functioned under authority in the past. Does the person work well with others, or is he always fighting direction and openly or subtly contentious? A person cannot receive from an authority he doesn’t submit to.
The one receiving the authority must also allow the delegator to lead and support him. Paul wrote, “If [a person’s gift] is leadership, let him govern diligently” (Romans 12:8). In other words, let the person whom Yah called to be the visionary or overseer be the visionary or overseer. The delegatee shouldn’t give him a hard time. If the delegator is forced to become something he’s not because of the resistance of those whom he’s trying to delegate to, it is going to cause problems for the whole organization. Let him remain in his authority.
Those who are untested in regard to submission make potentially dangerous leaders. Why? We come to trust someone as a result of assessing that person’s attitude toward power, fame, popularity, pride, and so forth. All these attitudes are dangerous for someone in a position of leadership and need to be dealt with before a person is given authority. We have witnessed the tragic outcomes in nations throughout the world after someone has been thrust into authority or has seized a leadership role for which he was not qualified.
Remember that Yahusha Himself was tested and proven trustworthy in three areas before He began to fully embark on His life’s purpose. These tests occurred during His temptation by HaSatan in the desert right after He was baptized by John. (See Matthew 4:1–11.) Anyone in leadership must pass these same tests:
1. The appetites test. This test includes drink, food, and sex. HaSatan wanted Yahusha to gratify His hunger more than any other considerations, including His relationship with Yah the Father. A person must be able to manage his physical desires before being given authority and power.
2. The fame and popularity test. When HaSatan challenged Yahusha to jump off the pinnacle of the temple, the courtyard below was filled with a quarter of a million people who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. The whole point of this test was to see if He would desire instant fame rather than be obedient toward Yah and receive “all authority” at the right time, after His sacrifice and resurrection. (See Matthew 28:18.) If a person hasn’t passed the test of popularity and desire for instant fame, he shouldn’t be trusted with authority.
3. The power test. HaSatan told Yahusha that if He would worship him, he would give Him all the power of the kingdoms of the world. No one should be given power until he doesn’t desire power for its own sake.
The three qualifications established by Yah, therefore, for one to be trusted with exercising authority, as well as delegating it to others, are control over one’s appetites, a willingness to go through the process of submission and obedience to earn trust and respect rather than seeking instant fame, and a desire to serve rather than a desire to wield power.
Note that even though Yahusha had already been affirmed by Yah the Father as His Son because of Yahusha’ submission and obedience, Yah still tested Him. After passing the tests, “Yahusha returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). He received the empowerment of increased authority. And He never used His authority for personal gain, for destroying anyone else— including His enemies—or for fame. He used it for the redemption, advancement, development, and protection of other people. Yahusha is our clear example that the ultimate purpose of authority and power is service—serving the interests and needs of others. It is never self-serving. Such an attitude toward one’s authority is so crucial that the testing is necessary.
True success in life, therefore, requires submission to legitimate authority. The spirit of genuine submission and humbleness will always bring favor with Yah. Likewise, a person’s success as a delegator will depend on his own ability to submit to genuine authority, to learn from it, and to serve. It’s only when we learn submission that we can become true leaders.
We can decide whether we want to succeed or fail in Yah’s eyes by our attitudes toward authority.
Delegated Authority Must Be Preceded by Preparation
Before you delegate authority to someone, you must prepare and train him. The delegatee first needs to be taught the true purpose and responsibility of authority. People must be prepared to receive power since the use of power is the highest form of responsibility. Until a person understands the danger of power, as well as its benefits, he should never be given authority. This is why a prerequisite for using the power of authority is the quality of humility. Humility is a consciousness of one’s vulnerability. You cannot fully trust a person who doesn’t know his own weaknesses or is unwilling to counteract or compensate for them. The delegatee also needs to be trained in the various aspects of his future oversight responsibilities.
An essential role of someone in a position to delegate authority, then, is to know when a person is ready to receive authority. Authority must not be delegated prematurely.
Delegated Authority Should Not Be Abandoned
Authority and power should be delegated in installments and never abandoned. The delegator continues to be answerable for them even after sharing them with someone else.
Authority is always responsible for the authority it delegates. When Yahusha gave authority to His disciples, He did leave not them on their own to figure out what they were supposed to do next. He said, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18), and “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Those to whom you delegate authority may be in charge of various areas, but you are still responsible for those areas in the end. This is why you need to monitor, assess, and regulate delegated authority on a consistent basis. Delegation always has an accountability factor. If I delegate authority to someone, I must remain conscious of the fact that what I gave that person was on loan to me, as well. So, even though I delegate authority, I am using borrowed power. Again, everyone under authority is answerable to the Ultimate Authority.
Delegated Authority Is Always Delegated Authority
Likewise, if authority has been delegated to you, it isn’t a license for you to begin to function totally on your own. Always remember that your authority is a trust that has been given to you and that you are responsible to the one who gave it. To put it simply, authority is synonymous with responsibility. The need to report to your delegator is built-in. We can respond constructively to the authority of others as we recognize their own inherent Yah-given authority.
Delegated Authority Should Be Authentic
A delegator should never attempt to force a delegatee to violate or neglect his personal domain of authority and thus be rendered unauthentic. In other words, we shouldn’t make people operate in domains that are not natural for them; we shouldn’t expect orange trees to yield apples. A person is given gifts by His Creator to be used “in proportion to his faith” (Romans 12:6), so a leader needs to allow people to use their true gifts. Let people be themselves, not images of your own making. The benefit will be happier, more productive delegatees instead of complaining, contentious ones.
Delegated Authority Is Protected by the Delegator
Just as the Creator supports and protects us as the recipients of His authority, the person who delegates authority is responsible for protecting the one to whom he delegates it. The delegatee should be allowed to carry out the authority he has been granted. However, he must also be given the assurance that he may, when needed, refer to or appeal to the delegator, who should make it a priority to offer assistance, wisdom, direction, and encouragement. If problems arise, they are ultimately the delegator’s responsibility.
Delegated Authority Can Be Recalled
The one who is in authority should never be afraid to recall delegated authority when necessary. Authority is a privilege and not a right. It is permission to use someone else’s power. Someone who is functioning outside of his delegated authority is illegal and cannot be fully trusted. Yahusha told a parable in which a rich man discovered that his manager had squandered his resources, and he told him, “You cannot be manager any longer” (Luke 16:2). Even though the manager ended up redeeming himself in the eyes of his employer, Yahusha was telling us that authority can be withdrawn for misuse. If someone disappoints, he can be dis-appointed.
Since delegated authority is always borrowed, the person who distributes it is responsible for how, when, and to whom that authority is delegated, and he will have to give an account for it. Sometimes, the delegator has to remove someone from a position of authority for the very reason that he is accountable before Yah and it’s the responsible thing for him to do for the protection and benefit of all those involved.
There were a number times in the history of Israel when the people were misrepresenting Yah as their Source to such a degree that they, in a sense, had to be temporarily recalled from this function until they returned wholeheartedly to Him and to their assignment of revealing His nature and purposes to the world. Even during their periods of “recall,” Yah was working in the lives of individual Israelites to continue His purposes, but the nation was not functioning as it was intended to.
To return to an earlier example, if I am the leader of a nation and give you authority as an ambassador to another nation, then the power, or backing, to carry out your assignment comes with it. What gives it authorization is the fact that I gave it to you. And you have to use that authorization for the specific reason it was given, or it’s a misuse of power. In this case, I can recall you from that other nation and hold you accountable for your lack of representation. If you change your attitude, I may send you back to finish your assignment. If you refuse to represent my policies, I can take away your assignment and give it to another who will carry it out.
Benefits of Genuine Submission
When it is our position to submit to the authority of others, how should we think about our role? Again, submission is a voluntary and natural act as part of the interdependent nature of authority. It is not the same thing as surrender, in which a person succumbs to another through manipulation and fear.
Genuine submission is one person’s willing and conscious yielding to another person’s Yah-given personal authority. The Scriptures say that Yahusha was “faithful to the one who appointed him” and that He was honored for submitting to His life’s mission, even to the point of paying the ultimate sacrifice for us.
[You] who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Yahusha, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all Yah’s house. Yahusha has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but Yah is the builder of everything.(Hebrews 3:1–4)
Let us fix our eyes on Yahusha, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne
of Yah. (Hebrews 12:2)
The first Adam did not submit to Yah, but Yahusha, the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45), did. We are to focus on Him as the “author and perfecter” of our faith and authority. He is qualified to be the Author and Perfecter because He submitted completely to the authority of Yah the Father.
Let’s return to the scene of Yahusha’ baptism in order to highlight the benefits of submission to Yah and those to whom He has delegated authority. Remember that Yahusha submitted to John in accordance with the authority John had received from Yah to baptize.
As soon as Yahusha was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of Yah descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Then Yahusha was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by HaSatan. (Matthew 3:16–4:1)
From this account, we can glean these benefits of genuine and faithful submission:
Heaven, or the presence and resources of Yah, opens over your life. You have access to the privileges of true relationship and connection with Him.
You are “introduced” to others by Yah Himself. You don’t need to scramble for self-promotion, because Yah will bring promotion to you as you faithfully follow in His ways.
You are confirmed by Yah Himself. Yah the Father called Yahusha “my Son, whom I love,” and as we pattern our lives off Yahusha, we will be affirmed in a similar way as a member of Yah’s family. Yahusha said, “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister” (Matthew 12:50).
You receive a special anointing of Yah’s Spirit available only to those under submission.
You become prepared and equipped by Yah’s Spirit for tests and trials.
You sometimes receive greater honor than the person to whom you submit. As Yah in the flesh, Yahusha was greater than John the Baptist and all other people, although the manifestation of this greatness depended on His submission to authority. As you submit to earthly authority, you may also find yourself becoming “greater” in influence or accomplishments than the one you submit to. This is not always the case, and it would not mean that you have greater value than the other person. It would mean that that your personal authority naturally extends to a wider or deeper domain in life.
Do the above benefits change your perspective on submission?
Entering into a Mentor-Mentee Relationship
The give-and-take of authority and submission may best be exemplified by the mentor-mentee relationship. A mentor is someone who invests his time, energy, and genuine interest in the life of another for the purpose of enabling that person to fulfill his personal authority. The mentee may initiate the relationship, and he voluntarily submits for the sake of learning and growing as a person.
I mentioned earlier that when you know who you are in your Yah-given authority, the first thing you look for is the authority that Yah has placed in your life to benefit and protect you and to release your own authority. If you are wise, you make a careful search for someone who is very effective in a domain that is like yours and, after prayerful consideration, ask to enter into a mentoring relationship with him or her. (It is usually best, for a number of reasons, for men to have male mentors and for women to have female mentors.) This person may be a family member, a civic leader, a leader in your community, or a member of an organization in which you are involved.
Unfortunately, people rarely will go to others and ask to be in such a relationship in order to learn what they know and to see firsthand how they function in their authority. Yet it is the people who have the humbleness of heart to seek a mentor-mentee relationship, rather than those who try to push or manipulate their way to the “top,” who become true leaders.
Examples of Mentorship
A famous example of mentorship is found in the Scriptures and involves the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Yah had told Elijah that Elisha was his authorized successor.
[The Lord said,] “Anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.”...So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him....Then [Elisha] set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.(1 Kings 19:16, 19, 21)
Elijah’s cloak, or mantle, was the symbol of his prophethood, and by putting it around Elisha, he was demonstrating that he would pass along his authority to Elisha.
Note Elisha’s attitude. He wasn’t like most people, who want the position before the qualification and experience. He was willing to become Elijah’s full-time attendant and to observe him as he fulfilled his calling as prophet. He was not afraid to submit his life to Elijah for fear of having his life ruled and controlled by Elijah or his own future forfeited. That kind of fear comes from misunderstanding authority, which, in its true form, releases and frees a person to fulfill his purpose.
The greatest example of a mentor is Yahusha Hamachiach, who mentored the small group of twelve men from among His disciples whom He had chosen to train as His apostles, or those who would have special authority in establishing His ecclesia on earth after He returned to Yah the Father. The word apostle comes from the Greek word meaning “a delegate; specifically an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Hamachiach” or “a messenger, one sent on a mission.” Yahusha trained and then delegated authority to these men, who would be ambassadors and messengers of Yahusha’ mission to bring the kingdom of Yah to the earth. Their mentorship relationship would last for three and a half years, before Yahusha’ death and resurrection.
These men submitted to the mentoring of their Master Teacher. They spent large amounts of time with Yahusha, observed His way of life firsthand, and endeavored to imitate it. They were able to ask Him questions and benefit from His knowledge and wisdom for the purpose of personal transformation. He asked them questions and tested them to see if they understood who He was and the truths and principles He was teaching. (See, for example, John 6:5–13.)
Selecting a Mentor: Assessing Attitudes and Qualities
Mentorship should not be entered into lightly. When making a decision on whom to approach as a potential mentor, and even when you are considering taking a job, or aligning yourself with an organization or individual who can influence you and the direction of your life, refer to the following checklist first. It will save you time and help keep you from heartache and even abuse.
Submit yourself only to someone... who loves you.
-who will receive no personal gain from your submission. who is committed to your success more than you are.
-who has passed the three crucial tests of (1) the appetites, (2) fame and popularity, and (3) power.
-who is secure in his leadership and ability.
-who is or has been where you want to go.
-who has access to those whom you need to know. who is willing to teach you everything he knows.
Key Characteristics of Mentorship
What will being a mentee or delegatee mean for you? The following is a list of the general characteristics and benefits of mentor-mentee relationships and delegated authority:
Identification/Identity: the association of yourself and your name with the respected authority
Accountability: follow-up of your delegated authority and actions and evaluation of your progress
Responsibility: a solemn trust to carry out and show evidence of the delegated authority
Credibility: authorization to work on the authority’s behalf and, in some cases, to succeed him
Representation: the authority’s endorsement and certification of the decisions and actions you take on his behalf, as well as the benefit of his defense and help on your behalf
Counsel/Advice: the knowledge and wisdom of the respected authority gained from years of experience and study
Protection: the safety of being able to appeal to the decisions and problem-solving responsibilities of the authority
Physical Resources: the supplies and support needed to carry out your authority
Personnel: access to people, through the respected authority, who can assist you to accomplish your responsibility and fulfill your personal calling
A Person with Genuine Authority Can Open Doors for You
As you can see, when you submit to an authority, you identify with him and receive many benefits from your relationship, including credibility. This is where the power of mentoring comes in. In fact, a person in authority can transfer to you in a very short time what it took him an entire lifetime to achieve.
Consider the case of Moses and Joshua. Shortly before Moses died, he transferred leadership of Israel to Joshua, under Yah’s guidance. None of the people argued about it or nominated someone else for the job instead; Joshua was accepted as Moses’ successor. “Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses” (Deuteronomy 34:9). In effect, Moses transferred forty years of leadership to Joshua in about forty seconds. Similarly, Elijah’s anointing as a prophet of Yah was transferred to Elisha when it came time for Elijah to leave this earth. This transfer was represented by the symbolic act of Elisha receiving Elijah’s mantle, or cloak. In fact, Elisha desired and received a double portion of Elijah’s anointing. Other prophets recognized this anointing and said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” (See 2 Kings 2:8–15.)
Many people believe that submission means restriction, and so they compete with authority or try to make themselves look equal to someone in an authority role. Frankly, the dumbest thing you can do is to compete with true authority. Submission to authority opens doors that you don’t have to push. A person with genuine authority can help you progress quickly in accomplishing something that could take you ten years to achieve on your own.
Again, when you submit to authority, you receive everything the person can give you—friendships, resources, experiences, the lessons learned from his failures, and access to influence and fruitful environments. John the Baptist had many followers as he prepared the people for the coming of the Authorized Dealer, or the Messiah. People went to him “from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan” (Matthew 3:5). So many people came that he had a massive campaign. Yahusha could have thought, I’m going to attract some of John’s crowd and start My own ministry with them. Instead, He submitted, and John’s followers legitimately became His.
John saw Yahusha coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of Yah, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’...I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of Yah.” The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Yahusha passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of Yah!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Yahusha.(John 1:29–30, 34–37)
If you submit to and receive from one who has true authority, you eventually will receive his credibility. John willingly transferred his whole school of followers to Yahusha. He stated, “The reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel” (verse 31). Yahusha rightfully “inherited” John’s followers at the outset of His ministry, and some of them became His closest disciples. John’s former disciples were already in tune with the message that they needed to align their lives with the Creator Yah and that the kingdom of Yah was coming to earth.
Yahusha didn’t have to strive or promote Himself to accomplish the purpose for which He had come. As He followed Yah the Father’s ways, Yah provided for Him. Many people are working too hard because they haven’t entered into submission and received its benefits. Submission reduces stress, saves time, and eliminates work. When you submit in a genuine way, you work smarter, not harder.
“No Trespassing!”
When people truly understand authority, delegation, and submission, life runs much more smoothly for them, and their relationships are characterized by order and peace. They function in their areas of personal authority, respect others’ authority, and don’t trespasses on the authority of those around them. In this way, both harmony and effectiveness are achieved.
Part of the Lord’s Prayer is, “Forgive us our debts [trespasses], as we also have forgiven our debtors [those who trespass against us]” (Matthew 6:12). Could the greatest Example of authority have been calling our attention to the need to stay in our realms of authority and not trespass on others’ authority or interfere with their personal callings?
The only way to fully experience Yah’s plan for your life is to understand the interdependence of your personal authority with the personal authority of others and to carry out that interdependence through mentorship, delegation, and submission
Friday, August 2, 2024
LEADERSHIP ATTITUDES TO CULTIVATE
Genesis chapter 1
Today we are walking in: Leadership Attitudes to Cultivate
Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
The Torah Testifies.............................
*****
The prophets proclaim...............
Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.
The writings bear witness.............
2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword
CHAPTER TWENTY
Leadership Attitudes to Cultivate
You become what you think.
The subject of leadership has been studied and researched by many people throughout history. Social psychologists have, from the outset, made
leadership a primary focus of their research. One of the most consistent findings by historians, sociologists, and empirically oriented social psychologists is that the nature and type of leadership exhibited depends on the particular situation, the tasks to be performed, and the unique characteristic of the leader and his subordinates.
Leaders must possess a combination of attitudes that embrace a spirit that reflects the heart and image of the Creator. Leadership is both simple and difficult because it demands an integration of the following:
1. a belief in oneself
2. a passion for one’s assignment
3. a love for people
4. a willingness and capacity to walk alone
5. a sense of satisfaction from the success of others
MANIFESTING YOUR TRUE LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL
As we have discussed throughout this series, attitude is the key to the manifestation of your true leadership potential. It is defined as a mind-set based on your beliefs and convictions, and it motivates your behavior. Your attitude arises from the fundamental beliefs, convictions, and opinions that you have about yourself, your abilities, your world, and others, and it is manifested in your degree of selfconfidence.
ATTITUDE IS KEY TO LEADERSHIP, AND IT MOTIVATES YOUR BEHAVIOR.
Your attitude can be transformed by the discovery of your true self-worth, your true potential, and your commitment to achieve. The leadership attitude is more concerned with fully expressing itself than with attempting to prove itself to others.
In addition to the ten attitudes described in this series, true leadership requires a number of other attributes that are indispensable for the effective fulfillment of vision in the twenty-first century. The following are what I call “Leadership Attitudes-to-Be,” or “The Leader’s ‘Beattitudes.’” They describe the mind-set that every leader must embrace, cultivate, and exhibit in his or her exercise of leadership.
THE LEADER’S BEATITUDES
1. THE SPIRIT OF RESILIENCE—the ability to see failure as temporary and a necessary step to success.
274
LEADERSHIP ATTITUDES TO CULTIVATE
2. THE SPIRIT OF COURAGE — the ability to trans form one’s fear into a motivator for action and change.
3. THE SPIRIT OF PATIENCE—a belief in the potential of change and the ability to wait for it.
4. THE SPIRIT OF COMPASSION—a sensitivity to the worth of others.
5. THE SPIRIT OF SELF-VALUE—a belief in one’s importance to the world.
6. THE SPIRIT OF SELF-CONFIDENCE—a trust in one’s inherent abilities.
7. THE SPIRIT PERSEVERANCE—the ability never to give up or surrender to the context of a situation.
8. THE SPIRIT OF STRATEGIC THINKING—the ability to plan rather than panic.
9. THE SPIRIT OF TIME MANAGEMENT—the conscious application of time to goals.
10. THE SPIRIT OF HIGH TOLERANCE FOR DIVERSITY—a belief in the beauty and strength of variety.
11. THE SPIRIT OF SELF-COMPETITION—the practice of never comparing oneself to others but only with what one has been or done before.
Leadership is both an art and a science: It is innate and yet learned; it is inherent and yet must be developed. True leadership is the hope of the future of our world and will determine the success or failure of our homes, communities, cities, nations, and planet. If we are going to discover the true leadership potential that resides within us, we will have to consult and refer to our omnipotent Creator for the true revelation of our leadership capacity and reconnect to the true essence of our leadership assignment.
LEADERSHIP—BOTH OUR PAST AND OUR DESTINY
Leadership is truly our past and our destiny and is the only thing that will fulfill our natural passion for greatness. I challenge you to spend time with the Creator of your leadership spirit and discover the awesome joy it is to receive the power and spirit of dominion available through an intimate relationship with him. I encourage you to submit to the Authorized Dealer whom he sent to reconnect you to yourself and to his purpose and plan for your life.
YOU WERE BORN TO LEAD—SETTLE FOR NOTHING LESS.
You were born to lead—settle for nothing less. Your generation and your world await your manifestation. Do it for the unborn generations who are meant to build on the foundation of your success as a leader. Remember, the difference between a follower and a leader is attitude. We must posses the attitude of leadership. We must think, talk, walk, dress, act, respond, decide, plan, work, relate, and live like leaders. You have the leadership spirit; now you need the attitude of leadership.
We must cultivate the same attitude that eighty-fiveyear-old Caleb had. Forty-five years earlier, he had been one of only two men, among the ten spies sent to scout out the land, who believed that the Israelites could defeat their enemies and enter the Promised Land. When the Israelites finally did enter in and the land was being distributed, he could have chosen the easy life on the plains, but he chose the heights of the mountains. In addition, he chose the very land of the descendants of Anak, of whom the other ten spies had said, “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” For forty years, as the Israelites wandered in the desert, Caleb’s spirit of leadership was so strong that he apparently planned to take on the toughest and most fearful adversaries in the land once he had the opportunity.
Here was Yah’s response to Caleb, and I trust that this will be his response to you after you have reread this series and begun to develop the spirit of leadership in your own life:
Because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
It was his attitude that made the difference. Make it yours, too.
SERVE YOUR GIFT TO THE WORLD
To become the leader that you were born to be, you must discover who you are, your purpose in life, and the Creator’s design for your existence. Remember that a true leader learns from others but never tries to become them. You must be true to yourself. The ingredients and essence of leadership cannot be taught. They must be discovered and learned through experience and development. This capacity to learn resides within each of us, and it is now up to us to decide whether or not we will become the leaders that the Creator intended us to be.
The point is not to strive to become a leader but to discover and become your true self. Genuine leadership is the discovery of one’s purpose and assignment for life and the inherent gift and abilities that come with that assignment. It is the commitment to serve your gift to the world in order to enhance the lives of many.
THE ESSENCE OF LEADERSHIP CANNOT BE TAUGHT BUT MUST BE DISCOVERED.
Simply put, true leadership is serving oneself to the world. Therefore, it is not measured by how many people serve you but by how many people you serve. The spirit of leadership was defined over two thousand years ago by the most influential and effective leader of all time, a young master teacher, who, when asked how to become a great leader, responded, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Today we are walking in: Leadership Attitudes to Cultivate
Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
The Torah Testifies.............................
*****
The prophets proclaim...............
Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.
The writings bear witness.............
2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword
CHAPTER TWENTY
Leadership Attitudes to Cultivate
You become what you think.
The subject of leadership has been studied and researched by many people throughout history. Social psychologists have, from the outset, made
leadership a primary focus of their research. One of the most consistent findings by historians, sociologists, and empirically oriented social psychologists is that the nature and type of leadership exhibited depends on the particular situation, the tasks to be performed, and the unique characteristic of the leader and his subordinates.
Leaders must possess a combination of attitudes that embrace a spirit that reflects the heart and image of the Creator. Leadership is both simple and difficult because it demands an integration of the following:
1. a belief in oneself
2. a passion for one’s assignment
3. a love for people
4. a willingness and capacity to walk alone
5. a sense of satisfaction from the success of others
MANIFESTING YOUR TRUE LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL
As we have discussed throughout this series, attitude is the key to the manifestation of your true leadership potential. It is defined as a mind-set based on your beliefs and convictions, and it motivates your behavior. Your attitude arises from the fundamental beliefs, convictions, and opinions that you have about yourself, your abilities, your world, and others, and it is manifested in your degree of selfconfidence.
ATTITUDE IS KEY TO LEADERSHIP, AND IT MOTIVATES YOUR BEHAVIOR.
Your attitude can be transformed by the discovery of your true self-worth, your true potential, and your commitment to achieve. The leadership attitude is more concerned with fully expressing itself than with attempting to prove itself to others.
In addition to the ten attitudes described in this series, true leadership requires a number of other attributes that are indispensable for the effective fulfillment of vision in the twenty-first century. The following are what I call “Leadership Attitudes-to-Be,” or “The Leader’s ‘Beattitudes.’” They describe the mind-set that every leader must embrace, cultivate, and exhibit in his or her exercise of leadership.
THE LEADER’S BEATITUDES
1. THE SPIRIT OF RESILIENCE—the ability to see failure as temporary and a necessary step to success.
274
LEADERSHIP ATTITUDES TO CULTIVATE
2. THE SPIRIT OF COURAGE — the ability to trans form one’s fear into a motivator for action and change.
3. THE SPIRIT OF PATIENCE—a belief in the potential of change and the ability to wait for it.
4. THE SPIRIT OF COMPASSION—a sensitivity to the worth of others.
5. THE SPIRIT OF SELF-VALUE—a belief in one’s importance to the world.
6. THE SPIRIT OF SELF-CONFIDENCE—a trust in one’s inherent abilities.
7. THE SPIRIT PERSEVERANCE—the ability never to give up or surrender to the context of a situation.
8. THE SPIRIT OF STRATEGIC THINKING—the ability to plan rather than panic.
9. THE SPIRIT OF TIME MANAGEMENT—the conscious application of time to goals.
10. THE SPIRIT OF HIGH TOLERANCE FOR DIVERSITY—a belief in the beauty and strength of variety.
11. THE SPIRIT OF SELF-COMPETITION—the practice of never comparing oneself to others but only with what one has been or done before.
Leadership is both an art and a science: It is innate and yet learned; it is inherent and yet must be developed. True leadership is the hope of the future of our world and will determine the success or failure of our homes, communities, cities, nations, and planet. If we are going to discover the true leadership potential that resides within us, we will have to consult and refer to our omnipotent Creator for the true revelation of our leadership capacity and reconnect to the true essence of our leadership assignment.
LEADERSHIP—BOTH OUR PAST AND OUR DESTINY
Leadership is truly our past and our destiny and is the only thing that will fulfill our natural passion for greatness. I challenge you to spend time with the Creator of your leadership spirit and discover the awesome joy it is to receive the power and spirit of dominion available through an intimate relationship with him. I encourage you to submit to the Authorized Dealer whom he sent to reconnect you to yourself and to his purpose and plan for your life.
YOU WERE BORN TO LEAD—SETTLE FOR NOTHING LESS.
You were born to lead—settle for nothing less. Your generation and your world await your manifestation. Do it for the unborn generations who are meant to build on the foundation of your success as a leader. Remember, the difference between a follower and a leader is attitude. We must posses the attitude of leadership. We must think, talk, walk, dress, act, respond, decide, plan, work, relate, and live like leaders. You have the leadership spirit; now you need the attitude of leadership.
We must cultivate the same attitude that eighty-fiveyear-old Caleb had. Forty-five years earlier, he had been one of only two men, among the ten spies sent to scout out the land, who believed that the Israelites could defeat their enemies and enter the Promised Land. When the Israelites finally did enter in and the land was being distributed, he could have chosen the easy life on the plains, but he chose the heights of the mountains. In addition, he chose the very land of the descendants of Anak, of whom the other ten spies had said, “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” For forty years, as the Israelites wandered in the desert, Caleb’s spirit of leadership was so strong that he apparently planned to take on the toughest and most fearful adversaries in the land once he had the opportunity.
Here was Yah’s response to Caleb, and I trust that this will be his response to you after you have reread this series and begun to develop the spirit of leadership in your own life:
Because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
It was his attitude that made the difference. Make it yours, too.
SERVE YOUR GIFT TO THE WORLD
To become the leader that you were born to be, you must discover who you are, your purpose in life, and the Creator’s design for your existence. Remember that a true leader learns from others but never tries to become them. You must be true to yourself. The ingredients and essence of leadership cannot be taught. They must be discovered and learned through experience and development. This capacity to learn resides within each of us, and it is now up to us to decide whether or not we will become the leaders that the Creator intended us to be.
The point is not to strive to become a leader but to discover and become your true self. Genuine leadership is the discovery of one’s purpose and assignment for life and the inherent gift and abilities that come with that assignment. It is the commitment to serve your gift to the world in order to enhance the lives of many.
THE ESSENCE OF LEADERSHIP CANNOT BE TAUGHT BUT MUST BE DISCOVERED.
Simply put, true leadership is serving oneself to the world. Therefore, it is not measured by how many people serve you but by how many people you serve. The spirit of leadership was defined over two thousand years ago by the most influential and effective leader of all time, a young master teacher, who, when asked how to become a great leader, responded, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Thursday, August 1, 2024
ATTITUDE #10 SELF CULTIVATION
Genesis chapter 1
Today we are walking in: Attitude #10 Self-Cultivation
Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
The Torah Testifies.............................
*****
The prophets proclaim...............
Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.
The writings bear witness.............
2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Attitude #10 Self-Cultivation
Accept the power in self-empowerment.
True leaders possess the leadership attitude of selfcultivation, a passion for personal development. Some marks of a genuine spirit of leadership are a desire and commitment to gain knowledge and insights, to keep improving oneself, and to learn from others.
Leaders are consummate readers and are always looking for opportunities to advance their knowledge. They create their own learning opportunities and facilitate their own educational environments. A leader’s personal collection of books is usually his greatest possession.
To become the leader that you were destined to be, you must convert your home into a university and your automobile into a mobile seminar hall. Leaders know that they must never stop expanding their knowledge base. The attitude of self-cultivation also drives them to extend their knowledge beyond their particular areas of focus in order to be versatile when necessary. Leaders study beyond the realm of their own disciplines—but in ways that will advance their purposes and visions.
As you pursue the spirit of leadership, consider the following methods of self-cultivation:
TRUE LEADERS POSSESS A PASSION FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.
• Written material: books, magazines, newspapers, journals, instructional manuals.
• Visual material: documentaries, movies, television programs, computer programs, the Internet.
• Personal contact: speakers, discussion groups, Bible study groups, professional and social organizations, counseling, friendships.
• Personal experience: the development of skills, talents, hobbies, and other areas of interest.
Today we are walking in: Attitude #10 Self-Cultivation
Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
The Torah Testifies.............................
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The prophets proclaim...............
Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.
The writings bear witness.............
2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Attitude #10 Self-Cultivation
Accept the power in self-empowerment.
True leaders possess the leadership attitude of selfcultivation, a passion for personal development. Some marks of a genuine spirit of leadership are a desire and commitment to gain knowledge and insights, to keep improving oneself, and to learn from others.
Leaders are consummate readers and are always looking for opportunities to advance their knowledge. They create their own learning opportunities and facilitate their own educational environments. A leader’s personal collection of books is usually his greatest possession.
To become the leader that you were destined to be, you must convert your home into a university and your automobile into a mobile seminar hall. Leaders know that they must never stop expanding their knowledge base. The attitude of self-cultivation also drives them to extend their knowledge beyond their particular areas of focus in order to be versatile when necessary. Leaders study beyond the realm of their own disciplines—but in ways that will advance their purposes and visions.
As you pursue the spirit of leadership, consider the following methods of self-cultivation:
TRUE LEADERS POSSESS A PASSION FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.
• Written material: books, magazines, newspapers, journals, instructional manuals.
• Visual material: documentaries, movies, television programs, computer programs, the Internet.
• Personal contact: speakers, discussion groups, Bible study groups, professional and social organizations, counseling, friendships.
• Personal experience: the development of skills, talents, hobbies, and other areas of interest.
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