THE LEADERSHIP SPIRIT

Genesis chapter 1







Today we are walking in: The Leadership Spirit










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 THREE

The Leadership Spirit




To exercise leadership, you must believe that you are inherently a leader.




Leadership really comes down to two things: who you are and how you think. It is about discovering your identity as a born leader and then understanding the way true leaders think so that you can fulfill your inherent calling. If you don’t first establish your leadership nature, it will be very difficult to have the mind-set of leadership.




True leadership is first concerned with who you are, as opposed to what you do. Leadership action flows naturally from a personal leadership revelation. To exercise leadership, you must believe that you are inherently a leader. Again, to pursue purpose as leaders do, you must think like a leader. To think like a leader, you must receive the thoughts of leadership. To receive the thoughts of leadership, you must have a personal encounter with your true self—a discovery of your nature, ability, and essence as a human being. Just as a product cannot know its true purpose or worth except in its relationship with its manufacturer, so it is with you and me.




Earlier, I made a distinction between the leadership spirit and the spirit of leadership. The leadership spirit is the inherent leadership capacity and potential that is the essential nature of human beings. The spirit of leadership, which is what most of this series focuses on, is the mind-set or attitudes that accompany a true leadership spirit and allow the dormant leadership potential to be fully manifested and maximized. Clearly understanding this difference is critical for discovering and living out your leadership capacity. In this teaching, we’ll take a closer look at the leadership spirit. In the next teaching, we will explore the spirit of leadership.




LEADERSHIP COMES DOWN TO TWO THINGS: WHO YOU ARE AND HOW YOU THINK.




WHAT IS THE LEADERSHIP SPIRIT?




In my leadership lectures and seminars, which I share with governmental, educational, business, nonprofit, and religious organizations around the world, I usually begin with a statement that encapsulates my philosophy of leadership: “Trapped within every follower is a hidden leader.” I am always amused to watch the reaction on the faces of the audiences as they attempt to grapple with the implications of this statement. I can usually predict their first thought, which is often the question, “If every follower is a potential leader, then who is going to follow?” This reaction is natural and legitimate in light of our traditional concepts and philosophy of leadership, as they have been promoted over the centuries.




However, the above statement contains the essence of what the original philosophy of leadership was intended to be. It is upon this premise that I propose the belief that leadership is inherent in the human spirit of every person,

but only a minute fraction of the human population ever knows, discovers, believes, or attempts to develop or release this hidden leadership potential.




This leadership capacity is buried under social, cultural, and ideological perceptions that restrict, discourage, and hinder its manifestation. The majority of this planet’s population surrenders to the social concept of leadership and cowers in the shadows of the myths of leadership philosophy. The result is that their tremendous gifts and talents are stifled, and the world is never able to benefit from them. What a tragedy.




My awareness of this suppression of our leadership gifting gave birth to the deep purpose in my heart, which has become the passion of my life: to help as many people as possible, of every nation, race, creed, or social status, to discover their true leadership potential.




LEADERSHIP: THE INHERENT CAPACITY OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT




If trapped in every follower is a hidden leader, then from where did this inherent leadership potential come? And if it exists, why do so many never seem to exhibit it or show some evidence of its presence? These questions point to the heart of the theme of this series, which is the leadership spirit.




A complete definition of the leadership spirit would be—

The inherent capacity of the human spirit to lead, manage, and dominate, which was placed there at the point of creation and made necessary by the purpose and assignment for which man (humanity) was created.




To understand this concept and its underlying principle, it is necessary to understand the principles inherent in the nature of creation. Again, leadership is not something that human beings should strive for; it is something that we already have been given because of our purpose and design. The leadership spirit is the essence of the human spirit. Man doesn’t have a spirit; man is a spirit, and that spirit is an expression of Yah’s Spirit. The essential nature of his Spirit is in our spirits because of the Source from which we come. Leadership is really a discovery of who we truly are and the application of that discovery to our lives. Simply put, true leadership is self-discovery and self-manifestation.




WHEN WE BECOME OUR TRUE SELVES, WE WILL NATURALLY BE LEADERS.




Recognizing the leadership spirit is key to understanding ourselves. We don’t actually “become” leaders, as if leadership were an option among other choices. Rather, when we become our true selves, we will naturally be leaders. We will desire to maximize all our gifts and talents in the fulfillment of our purposes in life. To understand this critical point, however, we must study the source of the leadership spirit.




THE SOURCE OF THE LEADERSHIP SPIRIT




To help you understand the principle of the creation of the leadership spirit, let me begin with an illustration.




In 1976, I was a student at a renowned university, and one of my major areas of study was fine art. In this course of study, we had to produce paintings, stone sculptures, drawings, and artwork in a variety of media. I loved the stone and wood sculpture work and learned many lessons from the experience. However, one of the most significant lessons I learned concerned the principles of source and resource and their relation to purpose and potential. These lessons have cultivated and formed the foundation of my understanding of and my philosophy of life.




On two occasions, I set about working on a wood and stone sculpture project and chose my raw material from discarded pieces of tree and stone. After laboring many hours following the design I had developed, the day came when I was finally finished and proud of the results. When I submitted my project to the professor, I obtained an A and was successful in fulfilling my requirements for graduation. I was so proud of my sculptures that I took them home with me and placed them in a very prominent place in my apartment.




A year later, however, something happened that changed the life of my sculptures forever. I decided to clean the wooden sculpture and wax the stonework. As I picked up the wooden piece to shine the results of my hard work, part of the wood stayed on the table and the other part came off in my hands. My heart sank as the bottom of the figure then gave way and fell apart right before my eyes.




Deeply shocked at this turn of events, I moved to the stone sculpture and wondered if the same thing would happen. As I rubbed it lightly with the cloth, the stone began to come apart like dust. With great disappointment and despair, I had to accept the reality that all my work had been in vain and that the rest of my artwork was destined for disintegration. Today, both pieces are only memories, but I cherish more the lesson this experience taught me.




Here is the great wisdom I gained from the wood and stone sculptures:




1. The nature of the composition of the source material determines the nature of the composition of the product made or produced from it.

2. Whatever is in the source is in the product.

3. The strength and durability of the source determines the durability of the product made from it.

4. The ability of the product is only as good as the ability of its source.

5. If the source is porous and weak, then the product will be porous and weak.

6. The key principle is that a thing consists of the same components and consistency as that from which it came. In other words,

7. Source determines resource.




PRINCIPLES OF CREATION




These insights helped me to understand the nature of life itself and, as a result, changed my life. A careful review of the creation account in the first book of Moses in the Hebrew Scriptures reveals that everything in creation was created from a specific raw material or source. In the first chapter of the account, we observe the process and principles of creation as the Creator produces the many products of nature, such as stars, vegetation, animals, sea creatures, and birds. The important precepts hidden in these creative acts may be summarized in the following principles:




1. The Creator first established the purpose of whatever he desired to make.

2. The Creator identified the material from which each product in creation was to be made.

3. The Creator directed his creative speech to the material from which he desired the product to be made.

4. The product possessed the same components as the source from which it was derived, and therefore possessed the same potential.




SOURCE DETERMINES RESOURCE.




From the following creation Scriptures, we quickly notice that everything that lives on the Earth was somehow sourced by the Earth and thus consists of the Earth’s elements:




Then Yah said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And Yah saw that it was good.




And Yah said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth acrucifixion stake the expanse of the sky.” So Yah created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And Yah saw that it was good.




And Yah said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. Yah made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And Yah saw that it was good.




Vegetation, birds, and animals, in essence, came from the soil. Fish and other sea creatures were created from the waters, and the stars were produced out of the firmament. All the wonderful products of creation that we have on Earth consist of whatever their source is, and when they die, they, in effect, return to the components of that source. In the case of plants and animals, they return to the dust from which they came.




Why is this principle so important to understanding the leadership spirit? The answer in found in the Creator’s process of creating mankind. When the above aspects of nature were made, the Creator directed his creative speech to the soil, water, or firmament. But when it came to creating the human species, his focus changed.

Then Yah said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule [“have dominion”] over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”




The most amazing distinction here is that, in his creation of mankind, the Creator did not speak to the soil, the water, or the firmament. He spoke to himself, saying, “Let

us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule [have dominion or rulership over the rest of creation].”




Many of us miss the essential point here. Humans were not just made by Yah, but they were also drawn out of his own nature.




The word “image” used in this verse means the following in the original Hebrew text:




selem (6754), “statue; image; copy.”...The word...means “image” in the sense of essential nature....Human nature in its internal and external characteristics.... So, too, Yah made man in His own “image,” reflecting some of His own perfections: perfect in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, and with dominion over the creatures....in Gen. 1:26 (the first occurrence of the word) the “image” of Yah is represented by two Hebrew words (selem and demut).




HUMANS WERE NOT JUST MADE BY Yah BUT WERE DRAWN OUT OF HIS OWN NATURE.




The word for likeness is akin to image but embraces an additional meaning: “demut (1823), ‘likeness; shape; figure; form; pattern.’...First, the word means ‘pattern,’ in the sense of the specifications from which an actual item is made.”17 The verb form of likeness is the following: “damah (1819), ‘to be like, resemble, be or act like, liken or compare, devise, balance or ponder.




Why is it so important to understand these words and their implications? Because these are the words that define and describe the essence of your composition, capacity, ability, potential, and value. They also confirm and reveal how the Creator designed you and why.




According to the above definitions and meanings, to be made in Yah’s image and likeness means that you possess the spiritual nature, characteristics, essential specifications, and “substances” of Yah and are a reflection of his spiritual qualities. It also denotes that you were designed to be like, act like, and function like the Creator. In essence, Yah created you from his own substance and released you from his own Spirit, and therefore, as far as species go, you are in the “Yah class” in the sense that you are considered his “son” or offspring.




However, even more important than this knowledge is knowing and understanding why Yah the Creator chose to create you and me in this manner—reflecting his amazing qualities. The reason Yah did this is the key to understanding the nature of the human (leadership) spirit.




REDISCOVERING YOUR LEADERSHIP PURPOSE




Remember that everything Yah does is motivated by his purpose, and therefore the original purpose for a product determines its design, composition, capacity, and potential. Purpose may be defined as “original intent” or “reason for creation.” For example, Yah created seeds to produce trees and plants, and therefore they naturally posses the inherent abilities and capacities to perform this purpose. Fish were created to swim, and thus their ability and capacity to swim is inherent in their design and instincts. They never need to attend swimming school.

Birds, on the other hand, were created for the purpose of flight and naturally come with the inherent design and ability to fulfill that purpose. Birds never attend flight school. The principle is that whatever the Creator established as the original purpose for his creation determined its natural, inherent design, its raw material, and its capacity, capability, natural talents, and potential.




This principle begs the question, “Why, then, did the Creator create mankind?” The answer is found in his declaration of his purpose and original intent for humanity: “Let them rule [“have dominion”]...over all the earth.” He created us out of himself because of his intent that we rule over the earth. Again, purpose is the reason for the creation of something. In essence, it is the reason why a thing exists.




HUMAN BEINGS ARE MADE OUT OF RULERSHIP MATERIAL.




With this definition in mind, it is now critical for us to define the word “dominion,” for this is Yah’s expressed purpose for the creation of mankind. The meaning of dominion in Genesis 1:26 is radah, which means “to tread down, i.e. subjugate; spec. to crumble off:—(come to, make to) have dominion, prevail against, reign, (bear, make to) rule.




I hope that by now you are convinced that the purpose for your creation is to have rulership, dominion, mastery, authority, and leadership over the earth and its environment. However, if the Creator’s purpose for your existence is leadership, rulership, and management over the earthly realm, then perhaps it might be helpful to look at a few principles of purpose as they relate to creation:




1. Purpose determines design.

2. Purpose determines potential.

3. Purpose determines natural abilities.

4. Purpose determines capacity and ability.

5. Purpose determines natural talents.

6. Purpose determines natural desires.

7. Purpose determines fulfillment and personal satisfaction.

8. Purpose is the source of passion.

9. Purpose gives existence meaning.

10. Purpose is the measure of success and failure.




Through these principles, we are again led to this vital principle: If something is created to do something, it is designed with the ability to do it. This concept is at the heart of the leadership spirit. If we were created to be leaders, then we must all possess the capacity, inherent desire, natural talents, potential, and abilities that correspond to being a leader. You cannot demand from a product what it does not have.




Recall what Yah required of humanity. The Creator expressed his intent and assignment for human beings through what he said they were to do. Yah wasn’t speaking just to the first man, Adam, but to all humanity, because inside that one man were the seeds of all mankind. The Creator’s intent was that the human creature rule and dominate both with him and for him. His intent was to share his rulership and his administration of creation with humanity.




In order to understand more about ourselves in our capacity as leaders, we must examine the nature of the Creator, since we were designed to reflect his attributes and characteristics. The Creator doesn’t have dominion; he is the very essence of dominion; it is what he is. He doesn’t have authority; he is the very nature of authority. He doesn’t have love; he is love. He doesn’t have glory; he is glory. He does not possess leadership; he is leadership. Similarly, man does not acquire dominion; he is made out of rulership material. He does not develop power; it is inherent within him. In effect, leadership is not something that man can “possess.” It is part of who he is.




THE PURPOSE FOR YOUR CREATION IS TO HAVE RULERSHIP OVER THE EARTH AND ITS ENVIRONMENT.




The Creator is a leader-maker. Being designed in the image and likeness of Yah means that we were ordained by him to be leaders. He did not produce us and then decide that he would develop us into leaders. We were designed with that in mind. Because he created us to be leaders and dominators, he had to use leadership and dominion “material.” This material originates only in him, so he made us out of his own nature.




DESIGNED TO DOMINATE




Every manufacturer designs his product with the right components, engineered to fulfill the function that the product is created to perform. In essence, the purpose of the product dictates the mechanical and engineering components required to fulfill the manufacturer’s intent. Its “circuits” are right for the job.




This principle holds true for all creation, including human beings. The Creator caused to be inherent in each created entity—including the apex of his creation, mankind— everything it needs to fulfill its original purpose. The original purpose for mankind, defined and established by the Creator, was to “rule [“have dominion”]...over all the earth.” Since the word “dominion” in this case means to reign and rule, the Creator wired all humans with the capacity and natural ability to lead.




We can conclude that human beings are wired for leadership. Humanity has the natural circuitry to have dominion over its environment. The greatest evidence of what a product can do or is capable of is determined by the demands made on it by the one who made it. Therefore, Yah’s requirement that we dominate is evidence that the ability to lead is inherent in every human spirit. This is the leadership spirit.




LEADERS BY NATURE




We are leaders by nature. Every human has the instinct for leadership, even though most of us never manifest it. The desire to lead and achieve greatness is natural, even though many of us deny that this silent, passionate longing exists in every human heart. Leadership is your desire and your destiny.




The ultimate leader, Yahusha Hamachiach, had an interesting encounter with a small group of men whom he had chosen to train as leaders. His training school lasted three years, and his success as a mentor and trainer is evidenced by the successful impact his students have had on the world and on human development over the past two thousand years. Let’s listen in on one of their conversations, which he used as an opportunity to teach about the definition and precepts of true leadership.




THE LEADERSHIP SECRET TO GREATNESS




In the New Testament book of Matthew, one of Yahusha’s students wrote this account of a request that was made by two of his fellow students who were in the leadership training school. He recorded it like this:




Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Yahusha with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Yahusha said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. Yahusha said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Yahusha called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you.”




HUMAN BEINGS ARE WIRED FOR LEADERSHIP.




Next, Yahusha made an amazing statement. Please first note that he did not rebuke the brothers for desiring to be great and seeking leadership positions. As a matter of fact, with the following statement, he went even further and showed them how to become great. Why did he not rebuke them? Because he knew and understood the nature and inherent passion of the human creature.

Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—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.




I believe that this story contains the greatest secret of true leadership, as well as the process necessary for becoming a genuine leader. With his answer to this question of greatness, Yahusha expressed the key, the nature, and the process for you to discover and manifest your true leadership spirit.




What is natural about the leadership spirit? He said that whoever wants to be great must be the servant of all, and that he who wants to be first must be last. Therefore, the secret to greatness is in serving everyone else.




To understand this principle, you must answer the question, “What do I serve to others?” I believe that this is the greatest revelation of true leadership I have ever discovered and exceeds all the theories and research from the past. What Yahusha is stating here is that, to become the great leader you were created and destined to become, you must discover your unique inherent gift and assignment (your original purpose) and serve that to the world of mankind. Do not seek greatness, but seek to serve your gift to others to the maximum extent that you can, and you will become a sought-after person.




In essence, Yahusha defined true leadership as becoming a person who is valuable to others, rather than a person of just position or fame. If you find your unique gift or special talent and commit to serving it to the world of mankind, then your significance will cause people to seek you out. You will become an influence through exercising your gift, rather than through manipulation. The more you become a person whose gift is valued, the greater your influence will be.




Leadership means discovering and serving yourself to the world. When you do this effectively, people will call you a leader. All true leaders are simply glorified servants. Genuine leadership is not measured by how many people serve you but by how many people you serve. The greater your service, the greater your value to others, and the greater your leadership. My admonition to you is not to seek greatness but to serve your way to leadership. The shortest distance to leadership is service.




THE SECRET TO GREATNESS IS IN SERVING EVERYONE ELSE.




In his leadership training session on greatness, Yahusha revealed his leadership attitude and used himself as an example of serving your way to leadership, saying, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” In other words, he was explaining what makes a person great. It was as if he was saying, “I’m an example. Study me. What is my gift? What did I come into the world to do? What is my purpose? What is my assignment?” He came to be a ransom or substitute for the many so that they might benefit from his sacrifice. Therefore, he was saying, “See? That’s how you become great. I’m fulfilling my

purpose. I’m serving myself to the world and giving my life for the benefit of others. I’m serving as a ransom for everybody so that they can be set free.”




He is also essentially saying to us, “Find what you’re supposed to do, and serve it to others. Then you’ll become great.” Again, this means that your leadership greatness is not in a title or a position. A person becomes a slave or servant because he exists for the people he serves. Slaves exist for their masters. In a sense, as leaders, the world becomes our “master.”




Let’s return to the question, “What do I serve to others?” Whatever we were created to do, Yah built us for. This helps us to understand that we can often tell what our leadership domain is by what we are naturally designed with. What are your inclinations, likes, passions, talents, and natural abilities? These are all part of your design. They indicate the area(s) that you are supposed to have dominion in. This becomes what is called your domain. Find your domain and serve it to the world. Others have been waiting for your gift all your life. Therefore, lead through service.




SERVANT LEADERSHIP




The above discussion reintroduces the greatest leadership philosophy and secret ever given to mankind and emanates from the original concept of leadership introduced in the first book written by Moses: Each person was created to dominate in a specific area of gifting. This leadership concept is called “servant leadership” and expresses the philosophy that all human beings were designed and born to serve their unique gifts and talents to the world.




This philosophy naturally implies that every human came to this planet with a seed of greatness buried in a gift needed by the world. Servant leadership, then, is the ultimate form of leadership and manifests the true nature of mankind and the image of its Creator.




EVERY HUMAN HAS A SEED OF GREATNESS BURIED IN A GIFT NEEDED BY THE WORLD.




Servant leadership integrates all of the following precepts. It is—




• the discovery of one’s purpose, gift, and talent and the commitment to give them in service to mankind.

• being prepared to serve one’s gift to the world at every opportunity for the betterment of humanity.

• serving oneself to the world.

• “self-distribution” to your generation.

• the maximization of self-manifestation.

• the pursuit of an inherent vision in order to serve others.




The natural results of servant leadership are the following:




• Authenticity, authority, and authorization

• Originality, from not being a copy of anyone else

• Genuine confidence, based on one’s natural ability

• Personal fulfillment, stemming from satisfaction

• A sense of intrinsic value, based on the knowledge of one’s significance

• No competition, because of one’s uniqueness

• No comparison, because of one’s distinctiveness

• No jealousy, because of one’s value

• No fear, because of one’s conviction




Again, servant leadership is the ultimate form of true leadership and protects the individual from the traps that entangle the power-hungry, insecure, unqualified “shadows” who parade as leaders in many of our communities. Servant leadership is about expending yourself to increase the value of others. Peter Drucker observed that all effective leaders have ensured that they themselves were “the kind of person that they wanted to be, respect, and believe in. In this way, they fortified themselves against the leader’s greatest temptation—to do things that are popular rather than right and to do petty, mean, sleazy things.




PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP




A careful study of the lessons taught by Yahusha in the above discourse will reveal the following principles of leadership:




• Leadership is predetermined and not a preference.

• Leadership is a prepared position.

• Leadership demands a price.

• Leadership is inherent.

• Leadership is a divine deposit.

• Leadership is not for you but for others.

• Leadership is becoming your true self for the benefit of others.




These principles are the foundation of true leadership and serve as the measure of leadership effectiveness.




THE ATTITUDE OF THE LEADERSHIP SPIRIT




Understanding our leadership nature is essential because the way in which we think about ourselves determines our attitudes and actions. When you discover that the Creator made you with the same nature that he has, then you understand that your desire to lead is natural. However, as we will look at more closely in the next teaching, the leadership spirit, our inherent natural capacity, comes with a spirit of leadership—an attitude.




LEADERSHIP IS BECOMING YOUR TRUE SELF FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS.




When Yah told Adam to name the animals, for example, Adam didn’t sit back and try to argue with him about it, saying, “There are too many animals. How can I name all these species?” He never hesitated. Instead, he just did it. He had the confidence, the conviction, and the authority of the spirit of leadership. It is important to note that Yah did not give Adam a list of animal names to choose from. Instead, he allowed Adam to draw on the capacity he had within him, in order to show him that his ability to do so already existed.




The capacity to respond to responsibility is inherent in the nature of all humans, but most of us avoid opportunities

to activate or maximize it. I believe that the Creator has designed life in such a way that it constantly makes demands on our hidden leadership potential. Again, the principle is this: Whatever Yah calls for, he provides for.




THE NATURE OF THE LEADERSHIP SPIRIT




Manager of One’s Environment




When we speak of the nature of someone or something, it has to do with what is natural to the person or thing. It expresses the concept of “inherent essence.” Every created thing possesses an innate nature. It is a natural part of its existence. The nature of a thing is determined by its purpose and function, and it dictates its intrinsic instincts, gifts, and abilities. Remember our earlier example that a bird’s nature is natural to its inherent purpose of flight, and its design, anatomy, and abilities are built to reflect that nature? Likewise, the nature of a fish expresses its inherent purpose.




THE LEADERSHIP SPIRIT COMES WITH A SPIRIT OF LEADERSHIP.




The nature of the leadership spirit is the inherent desire of all mankind to control and regulate both environment and circumstances. This is what we call management. This desire is natural; even when it is not our actual experience, the desire is still present. Have you ever heard one busy stayat-home mother say to another, “How are you managing?” This is a phrase that many of us use, but we don’t realize what we are saying. When a homemaker asks her neighbor this question, she is really inquiring, “How are you handling your circumstances?” This is a normal question of one leader to another. So you have a homemaker, who may not even know that she is a leader, naturally wanting to manage her children, her budget, the environment of the house, and so on. That desire comes from the leadership nature within her.




Even though people may ignore their inherent nature or may be denied the full exercise of it, the desire to control and manage one’s own destiny still resides deep in the heart of the human spirit. It is our natural desire to lead.




Exerter of Influence




It is also the nature of leadership to influence. All people naturally want to influence the world around them. When you think about it, everyone is in the influence game—whether it’s a salesperson trying to influence a prospective client, a child trying to influence a parent, or a young man trying to influence a young woman. Everyone desires to influence because we naturally want to be in control. Yet we’ve confused influence with domination. According to the original design, we’re not supposed to dominate other people but to have dominion over the earth and its resources. When we don’t understand this distinction, we manipulate and abuse others and frustrate the expression of their own Yah-given leadership nature. Exerting proper influence means inspiring others through the leadership gift that we have been given. The true nature of leadership is the attraction of others to our gifts, which are deployed in their service.




Comfortable with Power




Another aspect of the leadership spirit is that it is comfortable with power. Power, in itself, is natural for the human spirit. Again, problems arise when we distort our natural gifts.




For example, when a person doesn’t have a good self-concept, a strong self-worth, and high self-esteem, he will use his power in negative ways in order to compensate for his feelings of inferiority and vulnerability. He will intimidate, manipulate, and oppress.




EVERYONE DESIRES INFLUENCE; HOWEVER, WE’VE CONFUSED INFLUENCE WITH DOMINANCE.




When you realize this truth, it helps you to understand why many people act the way they do. This is the reason tyrants tyrannize. Have you ever noticed that when some people come into positions of power, their personalities seem to change for the worse? They are tasting the nature of leadership, but they don’t have the character to manage it—or themselves—well. This is the source of many of the problems we are seeing in the contemporary business world, as well as in national politics.




We all naturally seek power. The homeless man sleeping under a bridge in a cardboard box desires power just as much as the man who is sleeping in a twelve-bedroom house by a lake. We use a thousand different ways to try to gain power, such as—




• positions of influence

• money

• association and membership in influential or elite groups

• material status symbols, such as clothing, houses, cars, and jets

• status in society, such as living in a certain neighborhood or region

• educational achievements

• type of jobs or careers




Again, the desire for power, in itself, isn’t wrong. It’s our attitude toward and use of power that can be harmful. If we don’t desire power of some sort, our natural inclination has been altered by oppression, apathy, fear, or other things. I think that we need to admit to our desire for power before we can become friendly with it. If we deny our penchant for it, we deceive ourselves as well as others.




Many people desire to be successful in their work so that they can get the revenue that their companies have promised them, so that they can generate more business, so that they can gain more money, so that they can buy more things, so that they can achieve a better standard of living, so that they can feel important and influential, so that they can do or buy whatever they want. The principal objective is power—power to control their standard of life and circumstances.




Gaining wealth, in itself, is not a bad thing, even though many people have been taught to think that it is. The problem is how some people go about gaining it and the attitude that they have toward it. According to the first book written by Moses, Yah told Abraham, the Father of the Jewish people, in effect, “I’m going to bless you and make you a blessing.” Abraham became the richest man in his region. Why would Yah want to make him rich? In order to give him influence. Abraham was very comfortable with the power that he had. He was not proud but was grateful for it and responsible with it. He had influence with others, and he credited that influence to Yah.




Why would Yah, therefore, want to cause a person to be rich? In order to give him influence. Moses, in his book of Deuteronomy, stated these words to the people of Israel: “Remember the Most High your Yah, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” It is important to note that the biblical exhortations concerning money and wealth (for example, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil”) do not warn against possessing money or wealth but rather against allowing money and wealth to possess us. Loving money at the expense of the dignity, value, and welfare of others is an abuse of our power to get wealth.




THE DESIRE FOR POWER, IN ITSELF, ISN’T WRONG.




The desire for power to control circumstances is one of the most potent motivating factors of human behavior. Again, when the young Jewish rabbi Yahusha began training his leadership team, one of the first things he did was to give them power—power to exorcise demons, heal the sick, raise the dead, and so forth. He sent them out, and they went and started using that power. When they returned, they told him everything they had done, and they started celebrating. The biblical account says, “In that hour Yahusha rejoiced.”




Why would Yahusha give a group of men, which included fishermen, a tax collector, and a zealot, that much power? He gave them power so that they could taste how it felt to put their inherent leadership nature to use in a positive way, and they came back excited about it. Then he got excited about their excitement because he saw humanity exercising power in the way the Creator first intended them to. Mankind was in control of his circumstances. Imagine a fisherman having power over death, cleansing lepers, opening blind eyes, and unstopping deaf ears.




I believe that this early experience is one reason why his disciples left their businesses and their jobs and never returned to them. They followed Yahusha because, when they were with him, they tasted their true selves. He introduced them to themselves. He reconnected them to who they really were. He tapped into their inherent leadership nature and potential. If you study the lessons he taught, they all relate to this theme. He walked on the water and said, in effect, “You can do this; come.” He healed the sick, and then he said, “Go ahead, do it.” He was showing them how to have dominion over their environment, how to have power over circumstances through the power of Yah.




Earlier, I mentioned the request of the mother of James and John that they have leadership positions in Yahusha’s kingdom government: “May my sons sit on your right and your left in your kingdom?” Again, it is important to note that he did not rebuke them or deny their request to become great. On the contrary, he went on to teach them how to achieve greatness.




I think that we sometimes miss his point. He said, in essence, “The rulers of this world lord it over people, but that is not what you are to do. He who wants to become great among you must be a servant.” He didn’t say, “Don’t try to be great because that’s prideful.” He didn’t tell them that their desire was wrong. Instead, he told them how to get there, what it means to become a great leader.




We should remember that James and John became two of Yahusha’s favorites. I believe that this was because they had the right interests, the right pursuits, and the right attitudes. They didn’t want to be average. They didn’t want to be followers.




When someone comes to us and says that he wants to do something great and big, we normally think that he is overly ambitious and proud. Actually, he’s exercising his true nature. But what do we do? We intimidate him in order to try to discourage him. Sometimes, we even use religion as a justification for telling others not to seek greatness. But here Yahusha is telling his disciples, in essence, “You want to be great? Then here’s how to do it: You serve others.”




LOVING MONEY AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS IS AN ABUSE OF OUR POWER TO GET WEALTH.




Likewise, the early church writer Paul wrote in his first epistle to his associate Timothy, “If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” Paul was saying, “Look, if you want to be a great person, if you want to be a leader, that’s not bad.” We’ve been taught that this desire is bad, yet Paul simply went on to explain what is required for leadership. Please note that the apostle emphasized that the desire to be a leader (setting one’s heart on it) is “noble.” I want you to truly understand that the human desire for greatness is natural and inherent.




FINDING YOUR “MANSION”— YOUR POSITION OF AUTHORITY




In a number of ways, Yahusha Hamachiach introduced his disciples to the phenomenon of the power that a human being can have. In the gospel account written by one of the young rabbi’s disciples named John, it is recorded that when Yahusha began to explain the necessity for his departure from the earth and his to return to heaven, his disciple-students became nervous and depressed. To alleviate their fears, he offered them this comfort: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in Yah, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” This statement is critical to our understanding of our human nature and to our recognition that Yah knows our inherent need for leadership.




A casual reading and interpretation of this passage through the filter of Western culture usually leads to the conclusion that Yahusha was promising a physical house, in particular, a structure that resembles the large dwelling we call a mansion. However, it is important to understand that there is no reference in the Bible to an actual physical structure in heaven in which we will live. Therefore, the word in the original language must have a different meaning.




A careful study of the Greek word mone, translated “mansion” or “dwelling place,” indicates a position or place of residing or abiding:




mone (3438), primarily “a staying, abiding” (akin to meno, “to abide”), denotes an “abode” (Eng., “manor,” “manse,” etc.), translated “mansions” in John 14:2; “abode” in v. 23. There is nothing in the word to indicate separate compartments in heaven; neither does it suggest temporary resting places on the road.




I believe that Yahusha was referring to the permanent restoration of our spiritual standing or position with Yah, which also reestablished our place of authority and power on the Earth, which the Creator had given us.




The concept of a place of authority was also used by Yahusha when the two disciples asked him about greatness and leadership positions in His kingdom, and he replied, “To sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places [positions of authority or places of authority] belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” The Greek word for “sit” is kathizo, meaning “to seat down, i.e. set (fig. appoint).”22




“LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED....IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS.”




A similar concept occurs in the biblical book of Jude, in which the author talks about positions of authority given by Yah to angels who subsequently abandoned them. The various translations below indicate that they left a place of authority and use imagery similar to “mansions,” including “home,” “abode,” and “habitation.”




And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. (emphasis added)




And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. (NASB, emphasis added)




And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (emphasis added)




And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (emphasis added)




After Yahusha said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions,” he went on to say, “If it were not so, I would have told you.” In other words, there is a position of leadership, of power, for everybody. It is interesting and important to note that the comfort Yahusha offered his distressed and depressed disciples was that each one of them would be restored to a relationship with Yah the Father that included a position of leadership and authority. He told them that his departure was necessary to secure these positions.




Perhaps this assurance was given in order to confirm that that ultimate purpose and goal of the redemptive work of Yah through Yahusha Hamachiach was to restore all of humanity to its position of rule and dominion on the Earth—its leadership authority. Perhaps this is also why the final promise of Yahusha to his followers just before his ascension was, “You will receive power”—an enablement to impact, change, and control circumstances. He promised to provide what he knew we wanted and needed, as well as what was natural for the apex of Yah’s creation.




THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE LEADERSHIP SPIRIT




When we talk about the attributes of leadership, we are referring to the manifest qualities that reflect the natural source and nature of our Creator. According to Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary, the word attribute comes from a Latin word meaning “to bestow.” The Creator has bestowed on us the attributes of a leadership spirit. Here are some of the definitions of attribute: “an inherent characteristic,” “an object closely associated with or belonging to a specific person, thing, or office,” and “a word ascribing a quality.”




THERE IS A POSITION OF LEADERSHIP, OF POWER, FOR EVERYBODY.




Once more, since Yah is our Creator and the “material” from which we were created, then in order to understand our leadership attributes, it is naturally imperative for us to explore, study, and come to understand the nature of His attributes. In essence, if you want to know and understand yourself, your nature, and your abilities, it is necessary for you to know Yah, who is your Source.




OMNIPOTENCE




The first attribute of Yah is that he is omnipotent or all-powerful. How do we apply this attribute to ourselves? Omnipotence means “all-inherent power.” It can also be described as a sense of secure ability in pursuing and fulfilling one’s purpose and will. Since we were made in the image and likeness of the Creator, and possess that same ability in a measure, this means that we inherently have power that enables us to accomplish what we were created to do.




In addition, power can be defined as the proper use of energy. The application for us is this: Yah does not use energy in a negative way. His power is creative. A true leader who has tapped into his essential nature uses power to create things, to make things better for people, just as Yah does. The Creator uses his power to produce what is good, and we are meant to do the same.




OMNISCIENCE




The Creator is also omniscient or all-knowing. Because we have his nature, we have the facility to understand and retain knowledge. I believe that we are capable of learning as much as we want to. In this sense, our ability to learn is infinite. Moreover, we can never grow too old to learn. We have the capacity to know more than we think we can.




This means that whatever you’ve learned so far is not enough for you to know. Our ability to know is inherent, and any perceived limitation of this ability is based on our conclusion that we’ve learned all that we can or want to know. Yet this is not all that we are able to know. We have a long way to go in order to match our potential for knowledge.




Paul of Tarsus said that a day will come when we will meet our Creator face-to-face, and then we will “know as we are known.” We can begin that process now. For example, although I can’t bodily go into the heavenlies to communicate with and learn from Yah, I have the capacity to do this in my spirit. We need to be more aware of our ability to know our Creator and the world that he has made.




OMNIPRESENCE




The third attribute of Yah is that he is omnipresent. This means that he is everywhere and that there is no place in heaven, the universe, or on earth that threatens or intimidates him. Here is how I apply this attribute to our leadership spirit: When you read about the life of Yahusha, you sense that he could be anywhere and be comfortable. He was equally at ease in the presence of high officials, the poor, his family, his disciples, and anyone else he met. A true leader has the capacity to adapt to and function among any group of people effectively.




IF YOU WANT TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND YOURSELF, YOU MUST KNOW YAH.




In addition, as I said earlier, you can put a natural leader anywhere on earth, and in a matter of time, he is in charge of his environment. His environment doesn’t control him; he controls it. Again, because we are made in the image of our Creator, we have the ability to dominate our environments. We can control and govern them instead of becoming victims of them. But we have to first discover that we have this ability because of the Source from which we came.




INTEGRITY




The fourth attribute of Yah is his absolute integrity. This means that he is always pure in his motives and intentions. In essence, Yah is always and completely integrated or one with himself. His intent, words, and actions are one with himself. This is also the concept of being holy. It means that what he says, what he does, and who he is are one and the same. In Yah, there is no contradiction. True leaders are honest. There is no manipulation or deception in their dealings with others or their pursuit of their visions. True leaders possess candor and sense of self. They are true to themselves first and then to others.




RECONNECTING WITH THE LEADERSHIP SPIRIT




The Spirit of Leadership Is a Spirit That Is Comfortable in the Creator’s Company




When we understand that man was created in Yah’s image, likeness, and nature and possesses his essence and characteristics, then it should be obvious that, in order for man to understand himself and his true potential, abilities, and nature, he must reconnect to his Source, the Creator. The leadership spirit is the essence of the spirit-man, who can comprehend his identity only from relating to his Source. This relationship should be natural and mutually fulfilling. Yah and man belong together, and therefore the presence of Yah is man’s natural and ideal environment.




WE CAN GOVERN OUR ENVIRONMENTS INSTEAD OF BECOMING VICTIMS OF THEM.




True leaders are born in the presence of their Creator because that is where they discover the truth about themselves. Just as the life hidden within a seed is brought forth when the seed is placed in the right environment of the soil, the true potential of humanity germinates when it is in the presence of Yah. To discover the truth about your ability and destiny, you must rediscover the value of a relationship with your Source.




The first man, Adam, was created in Yah’s presence and enjoyed spiritual relationship with his Creator as a natural experience, not as a “religious” one. Adam didn’t have to try to get into Yah’s presence. He didn’t need to perform sophisticated religious customs or rituals. In the first book written by Moses, it is recorded that Adam “walked and talked with Yah in the cool of the day.”




TRUE LEADERS ARE HONEST; THERE IS NO MANIPULATION OR DECEPTION IN THEM.




Adam was comfortable in Yah’s company because he was just like him. In effect, the nature of the leadership spirit is to be comfortable in the presence of power, authority, and might without being intimidated. When the leadership spirit is fully restored, you revere and respect Yah and his authority but are never fearful in his presence; you rejoice in his company. True leaders respect and honor authority but are comfortable in its presence.




The Spirit of Leadership Is an Otherworldly Confidence




The restoration of the leadership spirit also brings a level of confidence that is not common, and that, in the eyes of many, seems to come from another world. Your thinking and perception come from a higher plane. When Yahusha was on trial before the Roman procurator Pilate, the ruler asked him, “Are you a king?” He answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.” In other words, “My government is from another place.” When a person rediscovers the leadership spirit, his confidence emerges from an understanding of who and what he is and an awareness of his true capacity and abilities. This natural confidence, grounded in a conviction of self-discovery and self-awareness, is so sure that it is sometimes mistaken for arrogance by the insecure.




The Spirit of Leadership Demonstrates Internal Soundness and Security




When you rediscover the leadership spirit, you love and are comfortable with yourself because you become aware that your self-worth, self-esteem, and self-concept are the result of the fact that you were made in Yah’s image and possess his qualities and characteristics. Suddenly, you’re not trying to compensate for a sense of inadequacy or inferiority, and you’re not trying to use or abuse people to make yourself feel superior.




The self-esteem derived from self-discovery sets you free from the assessments of others. When the estimation of your personal value and worth is found in your realization that you are in the “Yah-class,” in the sense of your being created in Yah’s image and likeness (though not equal to him), then the result is a high self-esteem. This high self-esteem sets you free from the negative effects of other people’s opinions. That is the reason that you can serve them as a servant leader. Even if they mistreat you, it doesn’t affect your estimation of your value to them. This is why Yahusha Hamachiach could say on the crucifixion stake, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” He knew how valuable he was to them—both in who he was and in what he was doing on their behalf. His self-esteem was intact, right to the end.




Because a true leadership spirit is borne out of a strong sense of self-worth and self-esteem, leaders can be compassionate, patient, forgiving, and kind. They do not need to gain their self-assessment from the people whom they are serving. They understand that you cannot set people free until you are free from them. If you need the people whom you are leading in order to feel important, then you cannot lead them. Ultimately, they will end up leading you.




This is why discovering the leadership spirit is a prerequisite to serving. If you never discover who you are, you will always misinterpret the attitudes and actions of others. You’ll also underestimate everyone else—you’ll consider them less than what they really are because you’ll want to feel that you are above them. You will “under-esteem” them. However, you will treat people well and esteem them highly when you rediscover the leadership spirit and are secure in yourself.




The Leadership Spirit Possesses a Natural Love for All Human Beings




Self-discovery is at the heart of the leadership spirit. It is birthed from rediscovering your true nature, potential, capacity, character, and abilities through rediscovering your Source—Yah. This will naturally lead you to the revelation that all humans are created in Yah’s image and likeness, and therefore possess the same value, worth, and estimation as yourself.




SELF-ESTEEM DERIVED FROM SELF-DISCOVERY SETS YOU FREE FROM THE ASSESSMENTS OF OTHERS.




If each individual bears the same image of Yah that you do, then it becomes impossible to separate his image in man from himself. In essence, it is not possible to say that you love Yah but hate mankind, for this becomes a contradiction. You will have a natural love for others because you will perceive that you and they are essentially the same.




Since they are made in Yah’s image and likeness, as you are, then any negative approach or act against them is an act against yourself and against the Creator, as well. A true leader who is reconnected with the leadership spirit understands that serving mankind is serving Yah himself, and thus serves his fellowmen from a motivation of love and respect.




IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO LOVE Yah BUT HATE MANKIND.




We see this principle in the following expressions spoken by Yahusha:




Whoever does not love does not know Yah, because Yah is love.




If anyone says, “I love Yah,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love Yah, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves Yah must also love his brother.




Yahusha replied: “‘Love the Most High your Yah with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”




The above texts clearly indicate that love for mankind is a priority and is evidence that one loves Yah, the Creator of humanity. Perhaps this is the major ingredient missing in leadership today. The focus is on results and performance more than on values, such as love, caring, compassion, and kindness. We need leaders who love their followers more than they love their goals and objectives. We must understand and capture this spirit of leadership in order to fully manifest the leadership potential hidden within each of us.




PRINCIPLES




1. To exercise leadership, you must believe that you are inherently a leader.




2. The leadership spirit is the inherent leadership capacity and potential that is the essential nature of human beings. The spirit of leadership is the mind-set or attitudes that accompany a true leadership spirit and allow the dormant leadership potential to be fully manifested and maximized.




3. Trapped within every follower is a hidden leader.




4. Our leadership capacity is buried under social, cultural, and ideological perceptions that restrict, discourage, and hinder its manifestation.




5. The leadership spirit is the intrinsic capacity of the human spirit to lead, manage, and dominate, which was placed there at the point of creation and made necessary by the purpose and assignment for which man was created.




6. Leadership is not something that human beings have to strive for; it is something that is inherent within us because of our purpose and design.




7. When we become our true selves, we will naturally be leaders.




8. If something is created to do something, it is designed with the ability to do it.




9. Humanity was designed with the natural components or “circuitry” to dominate its environment.




10. Yah’s requirement that we dominate is evidence that the ability to lead is inherent in every human spirit.




11. The secret to leadership greatness is in serving others. To become the great leader that you were created and destined to become, you must discover your unique inherent gift and assignment (your original purpose) and serve that to the world of mankind.




12. The principles of leadership are (1) leadership is predetermined and not a preference; (2) leadership is a prepared position; (3) leadership demands a price; (4) leadership is inherent; (5) leadership is a divine deposit; (6) leadership is not for you but for others; (7) leadership is becoming your true self for the benefit of others.




13. The nature of the leadership spirit includes the following: (1) manager of one’s environment; (2) exerter of influence; and (3) comfortable with power.




14. When Yahusha said, “In my Father’s house, there are many mansions,” he was referring to the permanent restoration of our spiritual standing or position with Yah, which also reestablished our place of authority and power on the Earth.




15. Four essential attributes of the Creator—as well as the leadership spirit—are (1) omnipotence, (2) omniscience, (3) omnipresence, and (4) integrity.




16. The leadership spirit is the essence of the spirit-man, who can comprehend his identity only from relating to his Source.




17. Signs of reconnection with the leadership spirit are (1) a comfortableness in the Creator’s company, (2) an otherworldly confidence, (3) an internal soundness and security, and (4) a natural love for all human beings.

WHAT IS A TRUE LEADER

Genesis chapter 1







Today we are walking in: What Is a True Leader?







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 TWO




What Is a True Leader?




Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by a passion, generated by a vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose.




Peter F. Drucker, one of our generation’s foremost thinkers and authorities on the subject of leadership and management, stated, “There may be ‘born leaders,’ but there are surely far too few to depend on them. Leadership must be learned and can be learned....‘leadership personality,’ ‘leadership style,’ and ‘leadership traits’ do not exist.”3




What makes a leader a leader? How do you identify leadership when it is present? In this chapter, we will explore various definitions of leadership and compare them with a definition of leadership that I have developed through years of observation and research. The examples of leaders that follow help demonstrate the fact that true leadership is an attitude rather than a title and that it inspires rather than manipulates or controls.




LEADERSHIP IS MORE THAN INFLUENCE




A popular definition of leadership is that “leadership is influence.” In spite of the fact the leadership does

involve the component of influence, I believe that this is an incomplete description because it does not distinguish what kind of influence or the source or cause of that influence.




Remember the story in chapter one of the teenage boy who had a gun and ordered everyone to “hit the ground”? What would you do in such a situation? You would probably do what he said because he would influence you to take a certain action through fear and intimidation, but I doubt you would consider his behavior to be leadership. The fact is that true leadership is not control or manipulation of others, but it is other people’s willful submission of their authority to yours, motivated by inspiration.




There are many people, past and present, who have influenced others using threats and violence, but we don’t call that true leadership. We call it manipulation, oppression, or dictatorship. Nero, Hitler, and Idi Amin were all influential. They exerted their wills over people, but they were not leaders in the true sense.




A WORKING DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP




True leadership fundamentally requires the responsibility of taking followers into the exciting unknown and creating a new reality for them. For over thirty years, I have dedicated myself to the study of the subject of leadership. After thousands of hours of study, research, and reading hundreds of books on the subject, I determined to craft my own comprehensive definition of leadership as I have come to understand it. This definition incorporates the principal ingredients and components that I believe give birth to and sustain true leadership and can be applied by anyone who desires to discover and release the hidden leader within. The following is my definition of leadership, which will serve as the working definition of leadership throughout this series:




Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by a passion, generated by a vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose.




THE PRIORITY OF INSPIRATION




A careful study of this definition will reveal that leadership is not a pursuit but a result. Under this definition, the word leader is not a label that you give yourself. Leader is what the people whom you inspire call you because they are stirred to participate in the positive vision that you are presenting them—whether it is the vision for a country, a company, or a cause.




Leadership is a privilege given by the followers. The great Hebrew rabbi, Yahusha of Nazareth—the ultimate model of effective leadership—inspired his chosen followers so much that they left their businesses and, for a time, their families, in order to follow him. He never threatened them or forced them to come, but he inspired them and then invited them to join him.




A further study of this definition will also reveal the priority of inspiration in the development of a leader and his leadership. In fact, true leadership is one hundred percent influence through inspiration. The principal pursuit, therefore, for those who desire and aspire to become effective leaders must be the answer to this question: “How do I inspire and what is the source of inspiration?”




The best way to approach and appreciate the practical application of our definition is to start the process at the end of the definition. You will note that the process begins with an individual’s discovery of a personal purpose that, when captured, ignites a conviction. This conviction generates a vision in the person’s heart that stirs a passion. The force of this person’s passionate pursuit of the vision inspires others, who are stirred to join in and cooperate with the vision. This ultimate effect is called “influence” and results in the followers acknowledging the individual as their “leader.”




If inspiration is the key to legitimate influence and thus the source of true leadership, then, again, inspiration should be the pursuit of all true leaders. How do leaders inspire others? What is the source of inspiration? These are the most important questions of leadership, and when you have found the answer to them, then you will have begun to discover your own leadership potential.




THE POWER OF PASSION




Simply put, the source of inspiration is passion. This component of leadership is the heart of influence and is the generator of the energy and resilience of the leader.




Passion is the discovery of a deep desire born out of a conviction that renders one possessed by commitment to a purpose. This passionate commitment allows one to defy opposition, adversity, failure, disappointment, and discouragement.




Passion is a controlling desire that exceeds the boundaries of casual interest or concern and transports the individual into the realm of obligation. In essence, true leadership passion is the discovery of a belief, reason, idea, conviction, or cause not just to live for, but also to die for, which focuses on benefiting mankind as a whole. It is this sense of personal resolve, obligation, and willingness to sacrifice personal advantage, comfort, and advancement for the sake of a noble cause that impacts others and resonates within them a desire to help achieve the stated desire, goal, or vision. True leaders, therefore, are those who effectively express their inner passions, which find a common response in the hearts of others. It is passion that attracts people to the leader, who motivates them to take action.




This vital aspect of effective leadership development was expressed in the lives of all great leaders throughout history and identifies what separates them from their followers. Again, consider the greatest leader of all time, the young Hebrew rabbi Yahusha Hamachiach, who personifies our definition of true leadership. His leadership effectiveness is undisputed even by his critics and skeptics, and no study of historical leaders can be fairly conducted without reference to his impeccable achievement and his model as a leader of the highest order. No man has ever affected the destiny and development of humanity as this one.




THE ULTIMATE LEADERSHIP MODEL




Born in an obscure, forgotten town in the hills of ancient Judea; raised in a village that, according to archeological research, had only one street and eleven houses; and leaving no record of having had any formal education, this young man introduced his vision of a new world order to simple village people who themselves were considered least on the social strata. Yet his clear sense of purpose, his commitment to the cause, and his unrelenting passion and compassion inspired twelve common local businessmen—among them, four fishermen and a tax collector—to abandon their personal dreams, private priorities, and occupations to follow him even to the death.




He was so passionate about what he came to do that he motivated his disciples to leave behind their old priorities and ways of living in order to discover a new kind of life with him. They had never before met anyone who was ready to die for what he was living for. Moreover, his impact and imprint on the history of the world and on the personal lives of millions over two millennia testify of leadership at its highest and in its essence.




As I mentioned earlier, the source of true passion is the discovery of a clear sense of purpose and significance for one’s life. When a person discovers a sense of purpose, it produces a passion for pursuing it, and that passion is what inspires other people to want to join in the pursuit. Then, as people are inspired, their thinking and their lives are naturally influenced. True inspiration is not manipulation or brainwashing. Instead, it is an invitation to pursue something higher and better than one has had before and, in the process, gain a sense of meaning and significance for one’s life.




To clarify the process of leadership according to our working definition, let us review the progression of leadership development:




1. Purpose

2. Conviction

3. Vision

4. Passion

5. Inspiration

6. Influence

7. Leadership




True leadership is impossible unless all these ingredients are present and integrated as a whole, producing a force for change in our communities, societies, and the world.




EXAMPLES OF EFFECTIVE LEADERS




Leaders are often ordinary people who accept or are placed in extraordinary circumstances that bring forth their latent potential, producing a character that inspires confidence and trust within others. Many of the great leaders in history were “victims” of circumstances. They did not intend to be leaders, but the demands of life ignited a sleeping spirit within them. The greatest leadership seems to surface during times of personal, social, economic, political, and spiritual conflict.




Let’s look again at the definition of leadership that I am proposing:




Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by a passion, generated by a vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose.




When you apply this definition of leadership to every one of the following people, you begin to see a common thread that explains their leadership influence. I have interspersed examples of great leaders from ancient and contemporary times. Each of these leaders first discovered a purpose for their lives that became a passion. Their passion inspired and influenced others who personally embraced the leaders’ purposes and allowed these leaders to guide them in the specific direction of their visions, which brought about changes in the world.




Moses, the historic Hebrew deliverer, was given a clear sense of purpose. In his writings, he described his encounter with Yah in the wilderness where he was told what he had been born to accomplish: freeing his fellow Hebrews, who were slaves in Egypt, and leading them to a promised land. After some initial apprehension concerning the details of his assignment, Moses became passionate about his purpose. He described it to his brother, Aaron, who went with him to the Israelites and told them about this vision of a promised land. Moses believed in his purpose so deeply that they, also, began to believe that their freedom was possible. He inspired them to have the courage to abandon their painful, but accustomed, role of being a slave labor force in Egypt. The result was that they were willing to follow him out into the desert where there was no civilization and no source of food or water. They had caught the vision for this Land that Moses told them about, a “land flowing with milk and honey,” and were influenced to follow him into the unknown wilderness with confidence.




The unforgettable speech, “I Have a Dream,” encapsulates the purpose, passion, and inspiration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A leader and symbol of American blacks’ struggle for civil rights, Dr. King helped to change both laws and hearts in America, leading to greater equality and freedom in the country. Here are some of his inspirational words from that speech:




I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.”

...I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.4




Dr. King’s purpose was the pursuit of equality, and his conviction and passion were a vision of his country, the United States, in which freedom was every person’s right and privilege. His passion became an obligation that set him on a course of self-sacrifice. Hundreds of thousands of people caught his vision, which became not only his destiny, but also that of a whole nation, as he influenced a change in the fundamental laws of the land. Dr. King had a vision that he was willing to live—and die—for.




During World War II, before the United States entered the war, Great Britain was an underdog, fighting singlehandedly to save not only England, but also most of Europe, from being overrun and ruled by Nazi Germany. Their leader was Winston Churchill, who was considered washed up in politics before becoming prime minister at the age of sixty-six. Later, he wrote, “I felt as if I was walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial.”




Winston Churchill’s speeches during this time of national crisis reveal his sense of purpose. He inspired the English people to believe that parliamentary democracy and freedom were valuable enough to fight and even die for. His purpose produced a tireless passion to prevail, and his confident, cheerful manner and powerful speeches are credited with keeping the morale of the English people strong when they faced seemingly impossible odds. One of his most famous sayings was, “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.”6 His speech, “Their Finest Hour,” is clear evidence of his ability to inspire those who were looking to him for leadership:




...the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Hebrew civilization. Upon it depends our own British life and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age.... Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour.”7




Churchill’s vision for Great Britain and the world influenced both individuals and nations to extend themselves beyond what they thought they were capable of in order to achieve victory.







Nehemiah was a Hebrew exile who was serving as cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes. He had a visit from some men from Judah who told him that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and that its gates had been burned. Grieved at this state of affairs and what it symbolized about the plight of his people, Nehemiah prayed night and day. He believed that Yah had put it into his heart to do something about the situation. Rebuilding the wall became his purpose, which created an all-consuming passion to restore what he could of the city. His deep passion influenced Artaxerxes—who had no real reason to want to rebuild the city of people his nation had conquered—to help Nehemiah fulfill his desire. He provided his cupbearer with safe passage to Jerusalem and even supplied building materials.




Nehemiah traveled to Jerusalem and told the Hebrews living in the region about his vision to rebuild the wall and how King Artaxerxes himself was helping him. His personal commitment to the restoration of Jerusalem inspired the people, and they readily joined him in the work.




Nehemiah soon faced bitter opposition from some of the local residents and officials. When Nehemiah’s enemies tried to lure him from the project, he remained focused on his purpose, essentially saying, “I am doing a great work. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?” When he and his fellow-workers were threatened with fear, intimidation, and physical attack, his steadfastness and belief in their Yah-given purpose inspired them to hold firmly to the vision and refuse to give way until the task was completed. His leadership was the result of the discovery of a purpose that produced a vision and deep passion, which influenced an entire population to rally to a cause that benefited the whole nation and changed the course of history.




Esther was a beautiful young Hebrew woman, also living in exile, but at a slightly earlier time period. Through an extraordinary set of circumstances, she became the queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus, also known as Xerxes. When she learned of a plot to annihilate the Hebrews, she discovered that she had been born for a critical purpose: preserving her people. Her uncle told her, in effect, “Perhaps you have become queen for such a time as this.”




When Esther accepted her purpose, it became her passion, and she was willing to risk her own life for its fulfillment, saying, “If I perish, I perish.” Her courage and grace under tremendous pressure influenced the king to agree to a plan to protect the Hebrews, who were inspired to rally to defend themselves.




Esther was an ordinary woman who was placed in extraordinary circumstances and had a part in influencing and preserving her whole generation. Her sense of purpose and destiny was clear and produced in her a passion for which she was willing to die. This passion impacted and influenced the king and saved a whole nation under her leadership.




Nelson Mandela’s life purpose was the elimination of the policy of apartheid and the establishment of racial equality in South Africa. He desired the formation of a free and democratic society for all people, black and white. His passion for this purpose led him to fight for these causes, for which he was sentenced to life in prison. At his trial, he explained his vision for his country:




I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”




Following national and international pressure, Mandela was released from prison after twenty-eight years. He then worked with South Africa’s white leader, F. W. de Klerk, to eliminate apartheid, and they both were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. In a historic event, Mandela was elected president of his country under open democratic elections and served in that position from 1994–1999. Mandela’s passion transformed an entire country’s outlook, government, structure, and policies.




It was Mandela’s sense of purpose as a young lawyer that produced a vision of a new South Africa without discrimination and racism. This purpose and vision ignited a deep passion that exploded into a sacrificial flame of imprisonment and a willingness to die for his convictions. His vision inspired not only millions in his country, but also countless millions around the world. It is important to recognize that true leaders do not seek or pursue followers but instead attract them by their dedication to a personal purpose.




David is one of the most fascinating and remarkable leaders in the history of the world. His lifelong purpose was a desire to serve his Yah, restore the honor of his nation, and strengthen his people politically and militarily.




When King Saul of Israel turned his back on Yah, the prophet Samuel was sent to anoint David—the youngest born of a humble Israelite family—as king. At this time, David was just a young shepherd boy. Only Samuel, David, and David’s family knew about this anointing, and it would be many years before David would be recognized as king. However, the biblical account says that David was “a man after Yah’s own heart.” David’s purpose and passion were recognized as valuable qualities in the man who would lead the Israelite nation.




David was passionate about his purpose, and he leapt to prominence soon after his anointing. He was the only one who believed that the Israelites could defeat their enemies, the Philistines, including the colossal Philistine warrior Goliath—whose coat of mail alone weighed two hundred pounds.




David asked, in essence, “Who is this who defies the armies of the living Yah?” Using merely a slingshot and five smooth rocks, he released a wellaimed missile that hit the giant in the forehead, instantly killing him. The Israelites then routed the Philistine army. David inspired not only the army, but also the whole nation, to believe that they were not victims but were able to overcome their enemies. David subsequently became a military hero and was a favorite in the court of King Saul, whose son, Jonathan, became his best friend.




WHAT IS A TRUE LEADER?




Yet David’s success on the battlefield set up a long and intense decade of conflict and exile for him. He and his loyal followers were continually running for their lives as Saul, in his jealousy, sought to kill David. All during this time, David continually respected Saul as king and preserved his life even when he twice had an opportunity to kill him.




Eventually, Saul and Jonathan were killed in a battle against the Philistines, and David finally began to reign as king. Under David’s rule, the nation grew and pros pered. The foundation was set for its becoming one of the most respected, feared, and powerful nations in the world. Before his death, David helped prepare materials for the magnificent temple in Jerusalem, which his son, Solomon, constructed.




David inspired his people through his devotion, his faith, his loyalty, and his bravery. In response, his people loved, respected, and served him. Even today, thousands of years later, millions continue to be inspired by the record of the stories and events of his life, which depict his deep sense of purpose and passion.




Abraham Lincoln believed that it was essential for the future of the United States to keep the country united at a time when the Southern states wanted to secede over the issues of slavery and states’ rights. His purpose was to preserve the Union, and his passion to do so led him to hold on to his vision of a unified country, even when it led to civil war. He, too, had a purpose for which he was willing to die. Lincoln wrote,




I have often inquired of myself what great principle or idea it was that kept this Confederacy [Union] so long together....It was that which gave promise that in due time the weight would be lifted from the shoulders of all men. This is a sentiment embodied in the Declaration of Independence....




I have said nothing but what I am willing to live by and, if it be the pleasure of Almighty Yah, die by.




Lincoln also helped to influence the nation to throw off the yoke of slavery. Just before Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, he announced his pur pose and passion for his action in his annual message to Congress:




The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation....We—even we here—hold the power, and bear the responsibility. In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free—honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just—a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and Yah must forever bless.10




Finally, Lincoln inspired people to bring an end to the war and to restore the unity of the country, even though his purpose did, indeed, eventually cost him his life.

Fondly do we hope—fervently do we pray—that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away....




With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as Yah gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds...to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.11




Corrie ten Boom was fifty years old when the Nazis invaded her native Holland. Up to that time, she had lived an obscure life with her sister as they helped their father run his watch shop and quietly but devotedly practiced their Hebrew faith. After Holland fell, she and her family were confronted with the reality of the Nazis’ persecution and murder of the Hebrews. Through this crisis, they discovered their purpose: preserving the lives of Hebrews and others perse cuted by the Nazis by hiding them in a secret room in their home. Their passion was so strong that they risked their own lives for its fulfillment.




Corrie and several of her family members were even tually turned in. The Gestapo never found the Hebrews and members of the Dutch underground who were hiding in their house at the time of their arrest, and the refugees were taken to new “safe houses.” However, Corrie’s father died in prison and her sister died in a concentration camp. After suffering in prison, a work camp, and a concentration camp, Corrie was about to be executed when she was released on a clerical error.




After her release, Corrie found a new purpose. Traveling around the world, she told her story and urged people to find healing and freedom through forgiveness. This purpose was severely tested when she encountered one of the former guards who had beaten her beloved sister. He didn’t recognize her, but he had heard her message and been moved to change his life through the hope of forgiveness. He came and extended his hand to her. Corrie underwent intense inner struggle, but her passion was even stronger than her pain, and she offered her own hand in forgiveness.




When John F. Kennedy was president of the United States, he demonstrated clear purpose in two major areas: He felt that he had to do something to help the poor and disadvantaged at home and abroad, and he felt that he had to develop an effective space program, placing America in the forefront of nations in regard to science and technology. Those two things, in my view, define his passion. In both pursuits, he felt his purpose was to create a sense of dignity for the American psyche.




As a result, JFK inspired the nation to take care of those who were less fortunate, exemplified by his statement, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” In other words, he was asking his countrymen to serve others rather than just themselves. To give Americans a concrete way to do this, he initiated the Peace Corps program, which sends volunteers to help nationals in underdeveloped nations.




Kennedy also inspired the United States to invest billions of dollars in a space program. I believe that he first created in his countrymen American pride, and then he strengthened that self-image by enabling the American people to achieve what no nation had ever achieved— sending a manned spaceship to the moon and back.




Ronald Reagan had a clear sense of his life’s purpose: the elimination of Communism. He desired to lift totalitarian oppression from millions of people who were suffering under its ideology and policies. His purpose became his passion, and it influenced his thinking, his pursuits, and his foreign policies as president of the United States. Unlike previous American leaders, he believed that Communism not only could be contained, but that it could also be defeated.




It is time that we committed ourselves as a nation— in both the public and private sectors—to assisting democratic development....




What I am describing now is a plan and a hope for the long term—the march of freedom and democracy which will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people....




Let us now begin a major effort to secure the best—a crusade for freedom that will engage the faith and fortitude of the next generation. For the sake of peace and justice, let us move toward a world in which all people are at last free to determine their own destiny.




Like Churchill, Reagan became the leader of his country late in life, but everything he experienced and accomplished up to that point seemed to prepare him for his final and essential role. Delivering one of his most memorable quotes, Reagan stood before the Berlin Wall, a highly visible symbol of communist oppression, and directed this statement to Mikhail Gorbachev, then president of the Soviet Union, which controlled East Germany: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

Reagan believed in his purpose so much that he inspired not only his nation, but also the world, and he lived to see the collapse of Communism.




Paul, the early Hebrew leader and writer, was dedicated to the purpose of taking the message of Hebrew living to the Gentile peoples. At first passionately opposed to the Way, Paul received his purpose on a roadway to Damascus when he had an encounter with the living Hamachiach.




Paul’s life was turned 180 degrees. He discovered that he was born to become an emissary to people who were not of his own race and culture. His passion for this purpose can be found in his letter to the early Hebrews of Rome, in which he wrote that he was “obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks,” and that he was “eager to preach” to them. He also stated, “I am not ashamed of the gospel.”




First, he said that he was “obligated,” or compelled, by an inner purpose to go to the Gentile peoples. Second, he was “eager.” His purpose generated an excitement and anticipation for carrying out his work. Third, he was “not ashamed” of his task. No matter how much ridicule, persecution, or danger he faced, he always persevered in his calling.

How many people have such conviction about their life’s purpose that they keep going in the midst of odds and obstacles such as those Paul faced? He couldn’t have done it without both inner purpose and passion. In his second letter to the church in the city of Corinth in ancient Greece, he wrote of his continual hard work and how he was whipped, beaten with rods, stoned, hunted by the authorities, imprisoned, and constantly in danger of death. He was shipwrecked three times; one of those times, he was adrift at sea for twenty-four hours before coming to safety. He described being “constantly on the move,” facing danger from rivers, bandits, his own countrymen, and Gentiles. He also said,




I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.




Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?...If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.




Paul’s dedication to his purpose and genuine love for the people he served inspired not only his generation, but also succeeding generations who, for two thousand years, have read his words and been influenced by his vision and example. This is the essence of true leadership—purpose, conviction, passion, inspiration, and commitment unto death.




Mother Teresa Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, whom the world has come to know as Mother Teresa, was born in Skopje, Macedonia. From the time she was a girl, she felt her life’s purpose was to serve Yah full-time. When she was eighteen, she became a nun and went to India with the Sisters of Loreto and taught in a Catholic high school for many years. During this time, she witnessed the life of poverty and sickness that many people in India were leading. Her life’s purpose and passion crystallized as she felt called by Yah to help “the poorest of the poor” and devoted herself to bring hope, dignity, healing, and education to the needy in Calcutta—those whom other people dismissed as being either beyond help or not worthy of it.




Mother Teresa started her own order called “The Missionaries of Charity” and became nationally and internationally recognized for her selfless humanitarian work. Her passion to help others led her to identify totally with them: She became a citizen of India and always kept her vow of poverty, even when she became famous.




Her work expanded beyond India to other nations of the world, influencing hundreds of thousands of people to join in her vision. She believed in the difference that one person could make in the world, saying, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one,” and “Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand.”13 Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and continued her work until her death in the 1990s.




Mother Teresa encouraged others, “Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.”14 This statement seems to sum up her purpose, passion, and inspiration: In not waiting for leaders to initiate programs or other people to act when there was a real need, but instead doing what she personally could do to help, Mother Teresa became a leader herself. She influenced numerous others to awaken their own leadership gifts and, in so doing, multiplied her effectiveness thousands of times over. Again, we note that true leaders do not seek followers, but their passionate pursuit of their purposes and convictions inspire others to follow them in their declared vision.




DISCOVERING YOUR PERSONAL LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL




Mother Teresa’s story reemphasizes this important truth in regard to leadership: We must remember that, while leaders have followers, having followers is not a prerequisite for being a leader. The demands of leadership may require that you stand alone in the face of conflict, public opinion, or crisis. Then, that very willingness to stand for what you believe in, no matter what, is what often inspires people to follow.

Most leaders go against the grain, at one point or another, and have to stand alone in their convictions. For example, Nelson Mandela was willing to die or be imprisoned alone to fulfill his passion to end apartheid. His determination inspired many people to keep believing during all the years that he was incarcerated. When he was finally released from prison, he went on to influence the world because of his courage. If you want to be a leader, then, as Mother Teresa said, “Do not wait for [other] leaders; do it alone, person to person.” When you have a purpose and a passion, you must act on it, even if you’re the only one who believes in it at the time.




The previous examples demonstrate that the purest form of leadership is influence through inspiration. I think of inspiration as the divine deposit of destiny in the heart of a person. It is the opposite of intimidation, and it contains no manipulation.




Let’s summarize this section with another definition of leadership that describes the lives we’ve just looked at: “Leadership is the capacity to influence, inspire, rally, direct, encourage, motivate, induce, move, mobilize, and activate others to pursue a common goal or purpose while maintaining commitment, momentum, confidence, and courage.”




How do you discover your own purpose and passion— your personal “divine deposit of destiny”? A very important way is to ask yourself, “What is my gifting?” What you are gifted in often reveals the type of leadership you are meant to exercise and what domain you are to operate in.15 True leaders discover keys to the nature of leadership from the examples of others, but they never try to become these other leaders. They must use their own gifts and abilities to do what they are individually called to do.




THE VITAL NEED FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP




If you do not discover your personal leadership potential, this means that you will not be able to fulfill your life’s assignment. The result is that you will deprive your generation and succeeding generations of your unique and vital contribution to the world. I believe that the Creator has given each one of us life in order to accomplish something in our generation. The great king Solomon wrote that there is “a time to be born and a time to die.” This means that the timing of your birth was essential to some need in the world that you’re supposed to meet.




Suppose Moses had refused to go to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to set the Hebrews free. Consider what the world would be like if Winston Churchill had said, “The survival of Great Britain and the rest of the free world is someone else’s problem. I’m going to let the Nazis do whatever they want.” Suppose Corrie ten Boom had decided that hiding Hebrews was too risky a proposition. What if Martin Luther King Jr. had not thought civil rights were worth dying for? What would have happened if Mother Teresa had ignored the poor and sick on the streets of Calcutta?




We may never know in our lifetimes the full impact of our influence and actions, great or small. In light of this truth, developing one’s leadership potential should not be an option for anyone. We have a responsibility to find, perform, and complete our purposes. As we come to understand the nature and attitudes of true leaders, we can remove whatever is hindering us from having the spirit of leadership so that we can make a positive and lasting contribution to our generation.




WHAT IS A TRUE LEADERPRINCIPLES




1. True leadership is an attitude rather than a title. It inspires rather than manipulates or controls.




2. Influence alone is not leadership. Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by a passion, generated by a vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose.




3. Leadership is not a pursuit but a result.




4. Leader is not a label that you give yourself. Leadership is a privilege given by the followers.




5. Leaders inspire by expressing their inner passion, which then resonates with others and causes them to join in pursuing the leaders’ visions.




6. The source of inspiration is passion.




7. True leadership passion is the discovery of a belief, reason, idea, conviction, or cause not just to live for, but also to die for, which focuses on benefiting mankind as a whole.




8. Passion comes from purpose.




9. True inspiration is not manipulation or brainwashing but an invitation to pursue something higher and better than one has had before, and in the process gain a sense of meaning and significance for one’s life.




10. Leaders are often ordinary people who accept or are placed under extraordinary circumstances that bring forth their latent potential, producing a character that inspires confidence and trust within others.




11. The greatest leadership seems to surface during times of personal, social, economic, political, and spiritual conflict.

THE LEADERSHIP DISCOVERY

Genesis chapter 1






Today we are walking in: The Leadership Discovery








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







Part One: The Leadership Discovery




CHAPTER ONE The Hidden Leader in You




Trapped within every follower is an undiscovered leader.

An army of sheep led by a lion will always defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. This statement cap- tures the spirit of this book. This concept became real to me during one of my trips to the continent of the cradle of humanity, Africa. It was there, deep in the village lands of the African bush, that I heard a story that encapsu- lated what I have come to understand as the missing link in the leadership development process.




It was a sunny but cool day in the bustling, modern city of Harare, the capital of the southern African nation of Zimbabwe. I had just finished speaking in the conference center of the Harare Hilton to over 5,000 leaders. As the guest of one of the largest community organizations in the nation, I had been invited to provide leadership training and motivational sessions for aspiring and seasoned leaders. This was our last session after over seven days of presentations. At the end of the session, my host asked if I would consider going to another town to speak to an additional group of leaders who had asked if I would come to them.




I gladly consented, and arrangements were made for my driver—who also served as my interpreter—and me to leave at first light the next morning.

We started out at six o’clock, and after driving for almost two hours, we finally left the modern city lights and were greeted by unpaved roads, dusty villages, and dense green forests. Just when I thought we were about to arrive, my driver indicated that we still had another two hours to go before we arrived at our village destination.




Suddenly, I realized that we were headed for a safari experience. After another bumpy two hours through what seemed to be jungle, we finally entered a clearing. There stood a group of children who suddenly broke into wild, excited chanting, as if they had just experienced the end of a long anticipation.




As we came to a noisy stop, a group of happy men emerged from a large thatched hut. They were led by a gentle man wearing a welcoming smile and simple clothing. We embraced, and he invited me in to the grass-roofed building in which over three hundred men and women sat eagerly waiting for us to begin the teaching session. I was deeply humbled by the hunger and patience of these beau- tiful people, and I gave them my best. It was a joy to be so well received.




After the session, the chief of the village invited me to a special dinner in my honor where I was treated to cuisines traditional to village life and culture—some familiar to me and some not. It was during this meal that the chief told me the story that taught me a lesson in leadership I will never forget.




A LION AMONG SHEEP




There was once a farmer who lived in this village and also was a herder of sheep. One day, he took his sheep out to pasture, and while they were grazing, he suddenly heard a strange noise coming from a patch of grass, which first sounded like a kitten. Led by his curiosity, the old shepherd went to see what was the source of this insistent sound, and to his surprise, he found a lone shivering lion cub, obviously separated from his family. His first thought was the danger he would be in if he stayed too close to the cub and his parents returned. So the old man quickly left the area and watched from a distance to see if the mother lion or the pack would return. However, after the sun began to set, and there was still no activity to secure the lion cub, the shepherd decided that, in his best judgment, and for the safety and survival of the lion cub, he would take him to his farmhouse and care for him.




Over the next eight months, the shepherd hand-fed this cub with fresh milk and kept him warm, safe, and secure in the protective confines of the farmhouse. After the cub had grown into a playful, energetic ball of shiny muscle, he would take him out daily with the sheep to graze. The lion cub grew with the sheep and became a part of the herd. They accepted him as one of their own, and he acted like one of them. After fifteen months had passed, the little cub had become an adolescent lion, but he acted, sounded, responded, and behaved just like one of the sheep. In essence, the lion had become a sheep by association. He had lost himself and become one of them.




One hot day, four years later, the shepherd sat on a rock, taking refuge in the slight shade of a leafless tree. He watched over his flock as they waded into the quiet, flowing water of a river to drink. The lion who thought he was a sheep followed them in to the water to drink. Suddenly, just across the river, there appeared out of the thick jungle bush a large beast that the lion cub had never seen before. The sheep panicked and, as if under the spell of some survival instinct, leaped out of the water and dashed toward the direction of the farm. They never stopped until they were all safely huddled behind the fence of the pen. Strangely, the lion cub, who was now a grown lion, was also huddled with them, stricken with fear.




While the flock scrambled for the safety of the farm, the beast made a sound that seemed to shake the forest. When he lifted his head above the tall grass, the shepherd could see that he held in his blood-drenched mouth the lifeless body of a lamb from the flock. The man knew that danger had returned to his part of the forest.




Seven days passed without further incident, and then, while the flock grazed, the young lion went down to the river to drink. As he bent over the water, he suddenly panicked and ran wildly toward the farmhouse for safety. The sheep did not run and wondered why he had, while the lion wondered why the sheep had not run since he had seen the beast again. After a while, the young lion went slowly back to the flock and then to the water to drink again. Once more, he saw the beast and froze in panic. It was his own reflection in the water.




While he tried to understand what he was seeing, suddenly, the beast appeared out of the jungle again. The flock dashed with breakneck speed toward the farmhouse, but before the young lion could move, the beast stepped in the water toward him and made that deafening sound that filled the forest. For a moment, the young lion felt that his life was about to end. He realized that he saw not just one beast, but two—one in the water and one before him.




His head was spinning with confusion as the beast came within ten feet of him and growled at him face-to-face with frightening power in a way that seemed to say to him, “Try it, and come and follow me.”




As fear gripped the young lion, he decided to try to appease the beast and make the same sound. However, the only noise that came from his gaping jaws was the sound of a sheep. The beast responded with an even louder burst that seemed to say, “Try it again.” After seven or eight attempts, the young lion suddenly heard himself make the same sound as the beast. He also felt stir- rings in his body and feelings that he had never known before. It was as if he was experiencing a total transformation in mind, body, and spirit.




Suddenly, there stood in the river of life two beasts growling at and to each other. Then the shepherd saw something he would never forget. As the beastly sounds filled the forest for miles around, the big beast stopped, turned his back on the young lion, and started toward the forest. Then he paused and looked at the young lion one more time and growled, as if to say, “Are you coming?” The young lion knew what the gesture meant and suddenly realized that his day of decision had arrived—the day he would have to choose whether to continue to live life as a sheep or to be the self he had just discovered. He knew that, to become his true self, he would have to give up the safe, secure, predictable, and simple life of the farm and enter the frightening, wild, untamed, unpredictable, dangerous life of the jungle. It was a day to become true to himself and leave the false image of another life behind. It was an invitation to a “sheep” to become the king of the jungle. Most importantly, it was an invitation for the body of a lion to possess the spirit of a lion.




After looking back and forth at the farm and the jungle a few times, the young lion turned his back on the farm and the sheep with whom he had lived for years, and he followed the beast into the forest to become who he always had been—a lion king.




As I sat there listening to this fantastic story, I was engulfed by the revelation of the deep principles it commu- nicated relating to leaders, leadership, and the critical pro- cess involved in discovering and becoming your true self. I went away from that village with a deeper understanding of why it is so difficult for many individuals to make that transition across the river to their true selves. I suddenly under- stood that lasting change could occur only when it took place in the spirit of the mind. Without this metamorphosis, no amount of training, study, or education could transform a follower into a leader. In essence, a converted attitude is the key to a transformed life. Until this attitude change happens, the lion will still think, act, respond, and live like a sheep instead of the king of the jungle.




A DECISION AFFECTING THE FUTURE




Just as the young lion’s genuine growl revealed his inherent strength, you can release the inherent leader- ship strength within you when you come to understand your true self. Just as the young lion watched the beast walking away and knew that he had to make a decision about his future, you have a choice to make about your own future.




Just as the young lion looked back at the farm where the sheep were and then looked toward the forest where the lion was heading, you have to evaluate your past and your potential and step toward one or the other. Just as the young lion knew that, to become his true self, he would have to give up the safe, secure, predictable, and simple life of the farm and enter the frightening, wild, untamed, unpredictable, dangerous life of the jungle, you will have to leave the safe confines of being a follower if you are going to become a leader.




Just as the young lion turned his back on the farm, crossed the river, and walked into the forest—leaving behind his old life as a sheep and embarking on the life he was born to live—so this book is designed to challenge you to cross your own river of intimidation and fear and enter the forest of the spirit of leadership, which you were created to manifest.




As one who has had to cross that river myself, my desire is to be a catalyst, like the beast, roaring an invita- tion into your life and heart and hopefully helping you to enter the adventure of discovering and releasing the leadership spirit within you.




THE POWER OF ATTITUDE




There is nothing as powerful as attitude. Attitude dictates your response to the present and determines the quality of your future. You are your attitude, and your attitude is you. If you do not control your attitude, it will control you.

Attitude creates your world and designs your destiny. It determines your success or failure in any venture in life. More opportunities have been lost, withheld, and forfeited because of attitude than from any other cause. Attitude is a more powerful distinction in life than beauty, power, title, or social status. It is more important than wealth—and it can keep one poor. It is the servant that can open the doors of life or close the gates of possibil- ity. It can make beauty ugly and homeliness attractive. The distinguishing factor between a winner or a loser is attitude. The difference between a leader and a follower is attitude.




What is attitude? We will discuss this topic in detail in coming chapters, but for now let me simply define attitude as “the mind-set or mental conditioning that determines our interpretation of and response to our environments.” It’s our way of thinking. It is also important to understand that attitude is a natural product of the integration of our self-worth, self-concepts, self-esteem, and sense of value or significance. In essence, your attitude is the manifesta- tion of who you think you are. Leaders think differently

about themselves, and this distinguishes them from followers.




The story of the lion and the sheep demonstrates the power of attitude. We live our attitudes and our attitudes create our lives. The difference between the attitudes of a lion and a sheep determines their place in the scheme of the animal kingdom. Perhaps that is why the Creator, as recorded in the books of the Hebrew writer Moses and other biblical writers, identifies himself with the unique tempera- ments or natures of certain animals.

We live our lives based on who we think we are.




According to the illustration, if you believe in your heart that you are a sheep, then you will stay in the confines that others have placed you in or that you have made for your- self. If you think that you are a lion, then you will venture beyond manmade limitations and embark on the life of leadership that you were born to live. You will develop into someone who inspires and influences others within your inherent domain.




No amount of training in leadership skills, courses in management methods, power titles, promotions, or associa- tions can substitute for the right attitudes. I am convinced that all the money in the world may make you rich, but it can never make you a leader. Your leadership development is determined by your perceptions of who you are and why you exist—in other words, your sense of significance to life.




DESIGNED TO LEAD OUR ENVIRONMENTS




This point is fundamental to understanding our lead- ership potential and capacity as humans. Therefore, let me offer you a somewhat technical definition of our reason for living. It is my firm belief that the nature of each human being is to be in control of his environment and circumstances. Each of us was created to rule, govern, control, master, manage, and lead our environments. You are in essence a leader, no matter who you are, regardless of whether you manifest it or not. Whether you are rich, poor, young, old, male, female, black, white, a citizen of an industrialized nation, a citizen of a third-world nation, educated, or uneducated—you have the nature and capacity for leadership. Yet you can fulfill your inherent leadership potential only when you discover, understand, develop, and begin to exercise who you are designed to be and the nature of your true leadership potential.




It doesn’t matter whether you are the CEO of a large corporation, a teacher, a homemaker, the owner of a small business, a construction worker, an artist, a clerk, a govern- ment worker, a farmer, a student, a doctor, or any other voca- tion or position in life: The self-discovery of your inherent leadership potential and an understanding of who you are and what you are meant to be are the keys to fulfilling your purpose for existence as a leader.




Title, position, power, notoriety, fame, or family name cannot make you a true leader. For example, you can hire someone as a manager in a company. You can give him a title, a budget, a desk, a staff, and everything else. But then suppose he doesn’t take initiative. He doesn’t try to solve problems by himself, seek better ways of performing tasks or improving systems, or understand that part of man- agement is pushing the boundaries and exploring new concepts and ideas. He just does as he’s told and doesn’t disturb policy or challenge old, outdated methods. That’s not leadership.




In essence, there are some unique attitudes of leaders that distinguish them from followers, and these attitudes produce certain behaviors that stretch the leader beyond the limitations of the norm. It is these attitudes that we will explore and call the “spirit of leadership.” Therefore, being in the position of a follower doesn’t negate your inherent leadership potential. Knowing and cultivating certain atti- tudes about yourself will give you the mind-set you need to develop your leadership potential to the fullest and fulfill what you were born to do.




A NATURAL INSTINCT FOR LEADERSHIP




Though we often don’t recognize it for what it is, every human on this planet has a natural inclination for leader- ship, in one form or another. As birds have an instinct to fly and fish have an instinct to swim, humans have an instinct to be in control of their lives, circumstances, decisions, or environments. When we aren’t in control, we want to be.




Perhaps this is why the natural human instinct or response is frustration, depression, discomfort, or even psychological and physical illness when we are under the control of creditors, banking institutions, or even friends to whom we have obligations. It is because our circumstances are dominating us, and our spiritual, psychological, and physical natures were not designed to live under these conditions.We were not designed to be dominated. When we are not in charge of our lives, we feel bound and restricted. For example, if you have a thirty-year mortgage on your home, you don’t feel free until you pay it off. Even though you’re enjoying your house, there’s a voice in the back of your mind saying, “But it’s still theirs. It belongs to them for as long as they’ve got that paper.”




On the other hand, why do you experience relief and contentment when all your bills are paid? When you get a bonus and it covers all your debts and you don’t owe anyone anything, all of a sudden, you get a smile on your face. You want to say hello to everybody you meet. Am I right? When all your needs are met, you feel as if you’re walking on top of the world. That’s because you are experiencing what you were born for. You were designed to be able to manage your environment.




Many people want to make a lot of money, but it’s usually not because they want the money itself. The fundamental desire for wealth is motivated by the desire for power— power to dominate and control lifestyle, circumstances, and environment. It’s the power that money gives us that makes us pursue it. Every human naturally wants to control his life, and money or wealth seems to promise this power of control. We are after the feeling or sense of dominion that we get from the ability to buy what we want, live where we wish, eat what we desire, wear what we fancy, and go wherever we decide to. It is the power over circumstances and, in some cases, over people, that we seek.




This desire to have control over our lives explains many of the problems in our world. For instance, why does a young teenage boy get a gun, walk in to a store, and say, “Everybody hit the ground!” Imagine that you’re in the middle of such a situation. Suppose that the boy is thirteen years old and you’re thirty-four; he’s 5 feet tall, and you’re 6 feet. You know that you’re physically stronger than he is. But since he has the advantage of a dangerous weapon that threatens your life, you have to cooperate with his commands. For one brief moment, that young man feels what he was born to feel—what is called a “rush.” It is a strange sense of power, control, and invincibility.




Our society puts a young man like this in a juvenile detention center, and he does his time and comes back out. But he remembers that feeling and is haunted by the temptation to repeat the act. I believe that this is more than a psychological issue. It involves that deep spiritual desire in the nature of man to dominate his environment. It’s tied to how he feels about himself. I’m convinced that the desire for power over others is a distortion of something good; it’s a distortion of our inherent human desire to exercise leader- ship dominion.




LEADERSHIP AND OUR BELIEFS ABOUT ORIGIN




Where do most of our attitudes about leadership come from? Whether you think you are a leader or not, your ideas about leadership are probably a conditioned response.




Generally, we have been taught that leadership is reserved for an exclusive group of people who were handpicked by destiny to control, rule, and subordinate the masses. I want to demonstrate to you that, contrary to popular opinion, leadership is not an elite club for a certain few. It is the true essence of all human beings.




I have found that people’s concepts of their origin often influence the way they think about themselves, including their ideas about their leadership potential. In our world, there are two major theories about origin: evolution and creation. There are several variations to evolutionary theory, but many evolutionists believe that the universe was formed as a result of an explosion of energy. This is known as the big bang theory. Over millions of years, microscopic life developed on earth, out of which came animal species that mutated, with the stronger species winning out over the weaker ones in a survival of the fittest. At this point in our history, human beings are the most advanced of the species.




According to this theory, humans are, at their essence, sophisticated amoebas. There is no specific purpose for life— it exists merely as a result of forces of nature. This theory also supports the idea that those who are stronger—physically, intellectually, or creatively—are destined to lead and control others, while the rest are destined to be followers.




The other major theory of humanity’s origin is creation. This is the idea that an intelligent Being formed the uni- verse and created the earth, the vegetation, the animals, and human beings. Some creationists believe that the Creator made the world and then left it to its own devices, while others believe that the Architect of the earth is still actively involved in it and made humanity with a specific nature and purpose. This concept supports the idea that every person has a role and contribution to make, no matter what their station in life and current level of ability.







Evolution is still a theory. It has not been proven. There is no hard evidence to verify its claims. It’s a very interesting premise, yet I believe that the experience and makeup of the human creature defies the evolutionary concept. The intri- cate design of human beings and the orderly nature of the universe don’t support it.




The alternative is that there must have been a higher, more sophisticated creative process than the arbitrary process of evolution. The ancient writings, as recorded in the first book written by Moses, present a more plausible and reasonable explanation of our origins: We are the products of a highly intelligent and creative Supreme Being. The proposition in the first two chapters of Genesis is that Yah personally and purposefully created human beings in his own image and likeness and then told them to be fruitful, fill the earth, and rule over it. They were to be stewards of the earth, responsible for its care and well-being. We should note that the Creator designed human beings in his image and likeness after he made the vegetation and the animals, specifically separating them from the rest of creation in some important ways.




The ancient account says that he brought the rest of cre- ation into being with statements such as “Let there be light” or “Let the land produce living creatures.” Yet when it came to one particular creature, he said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” Human beings were the only creatures who were indicated as being made in the image and likeness of their Creator. This means that they have his nature. A signifi- cant aspect of that nature is the ability to plan ahead, imagine, create, and effectively administer the manifestation of plans. In other words, being made in his image means having the nature or spirit of leadership.




THE ORIGIN OF OUR LEADERSHIP SPIRIT




The Creator poured out his own nature into human beings when he established their nature, and this is the origin of our leadership spirit. In this sense, we are a portion of the poured-out Yah. As the Creator is purposeful, organizational, and creative, we are designed to be the same.




You have to decide which concept of origin you will accept as the basis for your life. Only you can choose what you believe about yourself and human nature, as well as the nature of leadership. Is leadership only for the strong who are able to win out over the weak, or perhaps only for those who receive it by fate? Or is leadership an inherent part of our design as human beings? My experience and observations of humanity support the latter belief and are the basis for what I describe in the rest of this series as our human vocation.




I believe that you and I were created to lead. Leadership is inherent in our nature and is fundamental to our ori- gins, our human makeup—and our destiny.




MYTHS ABOUT LEADERSHIP




Partly because our contemporary society has accepted a “survival of the fittest” mind-set, many of us have come to believe certain myths about leadership. These ideas have been fostered by our families, cultures, and nations. In addition, much of the theoretical foundations for our beliefs about leadership are derived from the thoughts of great Greek philosophers, such as Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates.




During the height of the golden age of the Hellenistic period, the art of human nature, social development, the control and management of the masses, and the study of governmental structures for national development were the subject of great debate and research. The art of leadership was among the principal subjects studied and discussed, and the conclusions were so potent that most of our present-day beliefs, philosophy, and concepts of leadership and govern- ing can be traced back to the ideas of these philosophers.




This issue is vitally important because our beliefs, con- victions, and ideas form our personal philosophies and serve as the source of our perceptions of ourselves and others, as well as of life itself. In essence, our philosophies determine the way we think. In fact, we live our thoughts and mani- fest them in our attitudes toward ourselves and others. We cannot live beyond our thoughts and convictions.




It is my belief that many of our current theories of leadership have produced a number of myths that must be understood, studied, and challenged. Many leadership “gurus” have identified and articulated these myths. They can be summarized as follows:




Myth #1 Birth Trait Theory: “Leaders are born, not made.”

This theory is the belief that leadership is a result of special birth traits inherent in the personality and nature of the individual. It implies that some humans are born with unique qualities that earmark them for leadership, while the others—the majority, who do not possess these traits—are destined to be led.




This concept leads us to deify our leaders as men and women who are essentially unlike us and therefore supe- rior to us. This philosophy results in our blocking our own leadership potential and development and surrendering our untapped leadership capacity to the control and limi- tations of others. When this happens on a cultural level, we can even stunt the growth of our countries’ next genera- tion of leaders.




Myth #2: Leadership by Providence

There is a belief that certain people are chosen by “the Yahs” and appointed to the elite position of leader- ship over the unfortunate masses. In essence, leadership is reserved for the few chosen by a divine power to control,

manage, and direct the life, future, fortunes, and aspirations of the un-chosen.




Myth #3 Leadership Is the Result of a Charismatic Personality This is the theory that only certain individuals who pos- sess a unique measure of charisma; who exhibit special traits, such as a force of will; who are extroverts; who are magnetic speakers, and so on, are leaders. The difficulty with this theory is that, in every generation, there arise significant leaders who do not display the charismatic traits celebrated by this philosophy.




In many cases, leaders emerge from the unique circumstances of the times in which they live without manifesting any special charisma. Sometimes, it takes a crisis for someone to step forward and reveal his or her leadership ability. Certain people’s past or present status as leaders should not keep us from acknowledging that other people—including ourselves—are potential leaders in particular spheres or circumstances of life.




Myth #4 Leadership Is the Product of a Forceful Personality This theory emerges from the belief that leadership is the result of an authoritarian, coldly calculating, no-nonsense, hard-driving, impatient, quick-tempered, and moody person- ality. This false perception comes from the idea that people are fundamentally incompetent and naturally lazy and have to be forced, threatened, and manipulated by their leaders and managers if anything is going to be accomplished. However, the evidence has always defied this belief, showing that people are most productive and cooperative when they are inspired rather than manipulated by leadership.




Myth #5 Leadership Is the Result of Special Training This is the belief that leaders are produced through spe- cial educational courses and training. Many people feel that they have to have an MBA or attend leadership conferences in order to be able to lead others. There’s nothing wrong with such training, in itself. Yet as I wrote in the Introduction, true leadership is not a technique, a method, a style, or the acqui- sition of skills. It is the manifestation of an attitude based on the knowledge of who you were born to be. Your attitude about yourself has a tremendous impact on your daily life and whether you fulfill your central life purpose.




We have allowed circumstances, other people, and our own unsubstantiated beliefs to block our natural leadership tendencies. We should never allow anybody to get the idea that we don’t have a will or some sense of point of view or unique perspective of our own. Others may be in positions of author- ity over us, which we should respect, but that doesn’t mean that they should stifle our inherent potential as leaders.




In this series, I will introduce an alternative philosophy of leadership that challenges the above theories and traditional concepts of leadership potential. I call this theory the “inher- ent nature of leadership.”







IT’S ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE




The essence of leadership, again, is not in techniques for controlling and manipulating people, which seem to be popular in leadership training today. All the college courses in business administration you may take, all the leadership methods you learn, and all the management seminars you attend can give you information, but they cannot develop you into a real leader.




THE TECHNIQUES; ESSENCE OF IT’S LEADERSHIP IN OUR ATTITUDES.

IS NOT IN




True leadership is an attitude that naturally inspires and motivates others, and it comes from an internalized discovery about yourself. You cannot “learn” an attitude. If someone learns an attitude, it’s called conditioning or mere mental assent. That’s not leadership.




You can condition an animal to do something by rewarding or threatening it with an external result. But an attitude is a perspective, a motivation, or a desire that comes from within and is not based on a temporary external consequence. It is something deeply personal and internal that influences and transforms your thinking about yourself and your ability, value, self-worth, self-esteem, outlook on life, actions, and perceptions of others.




“AS YOU THINK, SO SHALL YOU BE”




Learning about leadership and knowing what it means to be a leader are two different things. Learning comes from education, while knowing comes from revelation. Learning is cognitive, while knowing is spiritual. You do not really change until you “know.” Knowing changes your mind, which transforms your attitude, which, in turn, informs, directs, and regulates your behavior.




William James wrote, “The greatest discovery of our gen- eration is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. As you think, so shall you be.” This was really a rediscovery because, centuries earlier, another generation heard a similar truth from King Solomon, the wisest and richest man of his day, who essentially said, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” What a person thinks in his heart is what will ultimately come out in his actions. However, the challenge is in knowing how to change one’s attitude. If attitude transformation were simple, then many of us would have changed a number of times during our lifetimes.




Most of us are not leaders today because, in our hearts, we don’t believe that is who we are. From my extensive experience in training people in leadership, I have found that what is often missing is a sense of the inherent leadership spirit that lies within them. What and how we think about our purpose in the world is the basis of our attitudes and actions, toward others and ourselves.

Your future and ability to succeed aren’t tied to what others think of you. They are tied to what you think of yourself. The source of your attitude is your mind-set and thoughts. That’s really what the spirit of leadership is all about.




THE LEADERSHIP SPIRIT AND THE SPIRIT OF LEADERSHIP




In this series, I make a distinction between the leadership spirit and the spirit of leadership so that you can better understand your leadership potential and the attitude that accompanies it. We were given the leadership spirit when we were created. Our leadership potential is still intact, but we have lost the spirit of leadership—that is, the consciousness of our being made in the image of our Creator, as well as the attitudes that accompany that awareness, which are the foun- dation of true leadership.




We still have the raw material of leadership potential, but most of us don’t have the desire, courage, or will to use it as we are meant to. It’s like planting a fertile field but not having any rain to make the grain grow. Or it’s like owning a Rolls-Royce but not having any gasoline to run it. You possess something with powerful promise, but you are unable to maximize its full potential. In essence, we possess the aptitude, but we lack the attitude that activates this untapped power. We’ve been emptied of the Spirit that is meant to empower us for living and enable us to be what we were intended to be. Some people have, instinctively or purposefully, been able to tap into their leadership ability, as we will see in the next chapter, but most of us have not.




ATTITUDE CREATES ENVIRONMENT




We must have a clear understanding that true leadership is an attitude of the heart birthed by a renewed understanding of purpose. It is more a matter of being something than doing something. It is a self-discovery that translates into meaning- ful activities such as creating, building, and nurturing.




This brings us back to our inherent human desire to be in control of our circumstances. Because true leaders discover and understand who they are and what their purpose is, they influence their environments more than their environments influence them. Have you noticed how, when some people find themselves in financial difficulty, they immediately start finding and working on solutions to the problem, while other people panic, lose hope, surrender to their circumstances, and become immobilized by the debt? Do you know people who can turn a one-room apartment into a beautiful and comfortable haven that is more appealing and inviting than many mansions?




These simple examples show different ways in which people tap in to their leadership abilities and influence their environments rather than the other way around. There are innumerable applications of this principle in everyday life, on both large and small scales, depending on people’s gifts and calling. True leaders strive to overcome crises, and they become creative in difficulty.




CAPTURE AND CULTIVATE THE SPIRIT OF LEADERSHIP




All of us must capture and cultivate the spirit of leader- ship, this attitude of shaping and forming our lives according to our purposes. Though every human being on this planet has an inclination for leadership, most of us do not have the courage to cultivate it. This is a very serious problem. We’ve been so conditioned by discouragement, failure, or the oppression of others that we are afraid to follow our natural leadership instincts. We make excuses, such as “I’m too shy,” “I’m not as gifted as he is,” “I don’t have the education,” “My family was never good at that,” and so on.




Relatively few people in the entire human race ever cap- ture or discover the spirit of leadership to the point where they ignite their leadership potential. Our challenge is to nurture our leadership instincts to the extent that we can rise from being followers to being leaders in our inherent domains.




When you make the decision to cultivate your intrinsic leadership potential, a transition will occur. You will become like the young lion who left the sheep pen and went into the forest so that he could fulfill his true nature. Did he face the uncertainty, challenges, and danger of the forest? Yes. But he also became what he was designed to be. He learned, grew, and became a leader by discovering the potential within himself.




DISCOVER THE LEADER WITHIN YOU




The leadership potential within you is waiting to be discovered. This book will enable you to identify the nature and attitudes that correspond to the leadership spirit so that you can become all that you were designed to be.




Again, true leadership is self-discovery. It has very little to do with what you do, but is fundamentally a matter of becoming who you are. It is the result of one’s commitment to self-manifestation.




You were born to lead, but you must become a leader. Every human being was endowed by the Creator with leadership potential in a specific area of gifting. The human spirit is designed to manage and control its world, and it functions best when creating an environment conducive to this pursuit.




You are a leader, regardless of your present status or your feelings about your leadership ability and potential. When you discover this truth and become convinced of it, then you won’t be content with just being a follower any longer. You will learn the secret to becoming a leader by discovering the hidden leader within.




Are you ready to step out and embark on the life you were born to live?







THE SPIRIT OF LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES




1. Trapped within every follower is an undiscovered leader.




2. An army of sheep led by a lion will always defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.




3. A converted attitude is the key to a transformed life.




4. We were meant to rule, govern, control, master, manage, and lead our environments.




5. You can fulfill your inherent leadership potential only when you understand who you are designed to be and discover the nature of a true leader.




6. Every human being has a natural inclination for leader-

ship.




7. Most of our attitudes about leadership are a learned or conditioned response to erroneous ideas fostered by our families, cultures, and nations.




8. People’s concepts of their origin often influence their

ideas about their leadership potential.




9. The leadership implication of evolution is that those who are stronger—physically, intellectually, or creatively—are destined to lead and control others, while the rest are destined to be followers.




10. The leadership implication of creationism is that, regardless of our stations in life or current levels of skill, we all have leadership contributions to make in society according to our inherent domains.




11. Being made in the image and likeness of the Creator means having the Creator’s nature, which is the spirit of leadership.







12. Five myths of leadership are: (1) Birth Trait Theory: “Lead- ers are born, not made”; (2) Leadership by Providence; (3) Leadership Is the Result of a Charismatic Personality; (4) Leadership Is the Product of a Forceful Personality; and (5) Leadership Is the Result of Special Training.




13. True leadership is an attitude that naturally inspires and motivates others.




14. Learning about leadership and knowing what it means to be a leader are two different things. Learning comes from education, while knowing comes from revelation. Learning is cognitive, while knowing is spiritual.




15. Most of us are not leaders because, in our hearts, we don’t believe that is who we are.




16. The leadership spirit is our inherent leadership potential. The spirit of leadership is the consciousness of our being made in the image of our Creator, as well as the attitudes that accompany that awareness.




17. Every human being has the raw material for leadership, but most do not have the desire, courage, or will to use it.




18. True leadership is an attitude of the heart that is birthed by a renewed understanding of purpose.




19. You were born to lead, but you must become a leader.

ENVIOUS RIVAL

The envious rival is a particularly dangerous and destructive presence in your life, because their motivation is rooted in competition and jealousy. Rather than any genuine desire to see you succeed. Unlike those who are competitive by nature! The envious rival is driven by resentment and insecurity. Often see your achievements not as inspiration, but as a threat to their own sense of self worth. The envy may manifest subtly or  overtly, but it always carries the potential to undermine your success, peace of mind and relationships. One of the key characteristics of an envious rival is their tendency to downplay your achievements or diminish their significance! They will always pretend to be supportive in public, but in private they may make disparaging comments or attempt to be little the impact of your accomplishments. For example if you receive recognition for your work they might suggest it was undeserved or that anyone could have done that same thing. They just don’t want to compete with you! They want to convince both you and others that your success was either easy or meaningless. This tactic is designed to reduce the perceived value of your accomplishments. Thereby making their own standing seem more impressive by comparison. The envious rival also have a way of twisting the narrative to frame themselves as the true victim or the one who deserves recognition. Subtly implying that you’ve taken something that rightly belongs to them. This sense of entitlement can make them act as though your success is in injustice. They may make passive aggressive remarks or try to align themselves with others who might share their frustration, creating a toxic atmosphere of rivalry and competition. The result is a dynamic where your every move is scrutinized not with admiration or healthy competition, but with a deep seated desire to see you fail. In the envy the envious rival often uses underhanded tactics to undermine you! They may spread rumors attempt to discredit your work or plant seeds in the mind of others. These actions are not born out of constructive criticism, but from a desire to bring you down. Their motivation is not to elevate themselves through their own efforts, but to drag you down to their level. Hoping that by diminishing your success. They can somehow gain an advantage or sense of superiority. This behavior is particularly damaging in environments where trust collaboration and mutual respect are essential such as in the workplace over within close knit social circles. Another tactic employed by the envious rival is to sabotage either direct or indirect! They may intentionally withhold information that would benefit you, disrupt your plans or create obstacles that make it harder for you to achieve your goals. The sabotage might be subtle at first perhaps in the form of miscommunication, but missed  opportunity but over time it can escalate to more overt actions, that significantly hinder your progress. They may not even care that their actions are noticed are acknowledged just as long as they can disrupt your success and boost their own standing. Despite their often negative behaviors! The envious rival can be difficult to confront directly. Their resentment may be hidden behind of veneer of friendliness or professionalism, making it challenging to discern their true feelings. They often use this mask of civility to further manipulate situation. Making an outward appearance of being supportive, while secretly harboring ill will. This can leave you feeling confused or questioning whether you’re imagining things particularly when the envious rival seems to be part of your team or inner circle. Recognizing their behavior requires a level of emotional intelligence and discernment to differentiate between genuine support and backhanded compliments, subtle criticism or sabotage. The long term effects of dealing with an envious rival can be damaging to your self esteem your relationships and peace of mind. Constantly monitoring their undermining behaviors can make you feel as though you’re never truly able to relax or celebrate your successes. Even when you achieve something significant, their presence may cause you to second guess your accomplishments or feel guilty for succeeding. This emotional toll can lead to burnout. As you move expend energy not just achieving your goals, but also defending against or managing the rivalry! To handle an envious rival it is crucial to remain focused on your own path. Their jealousy is their issue not yours and it’s important not to internalize their negativity or allow it to derail your progress. One of the first steps is recognizing their behavior for what it is. When you see patterns of undermining, belittling, or sabotaging, it vital to protect yourself from further harm. You might need to set boundaries by limiting your interactions with them or by addressing their behavior directly, if it’s appropriate to do so. Be clear about your accomplishments and how you achieved them and don’t allow them to cast on your worth or your success. Another strategy is to surround yourself with support of people who genuinely what to see you succeed. These individuals will provide balance and perspective when the envious rival negativity threatens to cloud your judgement by keeping a positive support system you are better able to weather the emotional store that the envious rival can create. Furthermore it’s important to avoid engaging in the same toxic behaviors that the envious rival exhibits. Resist the temptation to retaliate or play into their rivalry by resorting to petty actions or confrontations. Instead remain in your integrity of focus and rising above their tactics. The more you remain true to your values and goals. The less power the envious rival will have over you. Ultimately the envious rival can only have power over you if you allow them to. By maintaining your self confidence, keeping a clear focus on your objectives and surrounding yourself with genuine allies! You can continue to thrive, despite their efforts to undermine you! The envy will ultimately expose their insecurities and their attempts to tear you down will only highlight your strengths and resilience!! ALL PRAISES TO THE MOST HIGH YAH!!