the art of leadership

[Workplace Interpersonal Relationship Series]

▲Leadership is influence and can be learned.

Leaders are the key to the success or failure of an organization

Good leaders are needed in every walk of life today. As the saying goes: "Ten thousand soldiers are easy to get, but a general is hard to find." Another saying: "An incompetent general will exhaust the entire army." This shows that leadership and control are very important. No matter what industry, organization or group it is, if the leader leads well, it will lead to a new atmosphere in the entire organization, high morale, and everyone will work together to complete difficult tasks. On the other hand, if the leader is incompetent, the entire group will seem to be spinning its wheels. Not only will it be disorganized and demoralized, it will even become disloyal and independent. Therefore, the discovery and cultivation of leadership talents is an urgent priority for all organizations.

The art of leadership can be learned

Broadly speaking, leadership is influence. No matter what position or occasion you are in, as long as you have influence on others, you are leading. Everyone has the opportunity to influence others and lead others. We are also often influenced by others, that is, we accept the leadership of others. We continue to observe and learn, continue to practice the art of leadership, think about the good when we see them, and reflect inwardly when we see the bad. Over time, the art of leadership will mature, not only will you benefit, but those you lead will also benefit from it. We usually interact with others at home, at work, in church, or in the community. These are all good opportunities to learn and practice the art of leadership.

▲Good leaders have long-term followers. Ruth said to her mother-in-law: "Where you go, I will go...your God will be my God." Painter: Jan Victors (1619–1676). (Image source: wikimedia.org)

Characteristics a good leader must possess

1, Any leader must have followers
How can you be a leader if you have no followers? The prerequisite for a leader is to have followers. Especially in today's democratic era, people don't like to be managed, but they like to be led. Not only are leaders looking for followers, but followers are also looking for leaders who can be trusted and worthy of long-term following. As the saying goes, "A good bird chooses the tree where it roosts." When people look for a job, they are looking for a place to settle down and make a living, and they are also looking for someone who understands people well and does their job well. When followers have the right to choose their leaders, how do you convince them to choose to follow you? This is a subject worth pondering.

2, Good leaders have long-term followers
Some people say: "You can deceive one person for a long time, or you can deceive many people in a short period of time; but you cannot deceive many people for a long time." "A long road will tell a horse's power, and time will tell a person's heart." Time is indeed a good touchstone. . The ancients often said: "A scholar will die for his confidant." A good leader will make his followers follow him/her wholeheartedly and never leave him/her no matter what the circumstances. Such loyalty is extremely precious. We see from the Bible that King David’s warriors were loyal to him for many years, which was admirable; Ruth’s loyal following of her mother-in-law Naomi was even more touching. Ruth said to her mother-in-law, "Where you go, I will go there; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your kingdom will be my kingdom, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, There I will die, and there I will be buried. Unless death separates you and me, may the Lord punish me severely.” (Ruth 1:16-17) This kind of commitment, this kind of life and death. The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is really valuable.

3, A good leader must first be a good follower
As the saying goes: "A great teacher makes a great disciple." A person's talents and abilities are different, and they are all given by God. Even if you are born with extraordinary talents, you must cultivate your sculptures in order to become a great person. As the saying goes, "jade cannot be used without being polished." No matter how good the raw jade is, it will be difficult to show its value if it is not carved by skilled craftsmen. Similarly, no matter how good a talent is, he cannot develop his talents without a good master; no matter how good a player is, he needs a good coach, because bystanders can tell that a good coach can help him correct his shortcomings and realize his potential.

Joshua followed Moses in the wilderness for many years before finally leading the Israelites into the land of Canaan. Elisha followed Elijah closely until Elijah's last moments on earth. He followed and studied wholeheartedly and never left his side. Elijah asked him before leaving, "Ask me for anything you want me to do for you before I was taken away from you." Elisha said, "May your Spirit be upon me twice as much." (Leh. 2 Kings 2:9) This was a request after God’s own heart because he was asking for heavenly power to do what God had called him to do.

During World War II, the Allied commander in Europe was Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969). In 1939, when the European War broke out, he was nearly fifty years old and was still a lieutenant colonel. He was about to retire, but he was promoted and promoted continuously, jumping several ranks. In 1942, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in Europe. In 1945, the Nazi German army was defeated and the final victory was achieved. He was elected President of the United States in 1952 and was re-elected, serving as President for eight years.

He graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1915, ranking 61st among his class of 164 students. The students in this class were very outstanding, producing fifty-eight generals. Eisenhower was a five-star general who came from behind and had the highest military rank.

Historians believe that he was born at the right time, especially when his character and character were appreciated by his superiors. In his early years, he followed several outstanding generals: John Pershing (1860-1948), Fox Conner (1874-1951), General Douglas MacArthur (1880 – 1964) and Walter Krueger (1881-1967); they all had a special impression of him. Great help, especially the eight years he served as special assistant and staff officer to General MacArthur, had a great influence on him.

4, Leaders must satisfy their followers physically, mentally and spiritually
Shepherds live in search of water and grass so that their flocks can have grass to eat and water to drink. Psalm 23:1-2 says: "The Lord is my shepherd; I will never be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters." The Art of War also says: "Soldiers and Horses Before moving, the food and grass go first. "We can't want the horse to be good and the horse not to eat grass." A leader must try to supply enough food so that his followers can eat well, otherwise it will cause people to rebel and leave.

Leaders must not only provide for the material needs of their followers, but also take care of their spiritual needs. After Jesus was resurrected from the dead, he appeared to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He asked Peter three times: "Do you love me?" Then he said: "You feed my lambs...you tend my sheep...you feed my sheep." It can be seen that leaders who feed the flock faithfully love the Lord. The performance is also the execution of the Lord’s command. If followers do not receive physical, mental and spiritual support from their leaders, how can they be expected to follow faithfully for a long time? The apostle Paul said: "Children should not lay up money for their parents, but parents should lay up money for their children. And I am willing to spend money on your souls." (2 Corinthians 12:14-15) Parents' responsibility is to provide. The needs of children and the responsibilities of leaders are also the same.

▲Leaders should feed their followers physically, mentally and spiritually.

The first requirement for a leader is character

The most important qualification for a leader is good character. If a leader does not have good character, no matter how powerful he is, it is useless and even dangerous. A charismatic leader without character will bring great disaster (Charisma without character leads to disaster), Hitler is an obvious example. "Life is more important than gift, character is more important than ability." This is the first condition for choosing a leader. A cunning and ambitious leader often pretends to be humble and kind, and is hypocritical. Before Wang Mang usurped the throne, he was courteous and courteous. Before Absalom usurped the throne, he was also active in doing good to the people and winning people's hearts. This is not surprising, since even Satan pretends to be an angel of light. (See 2 Corinthians 11:14)

A leader must have a pure heart and skillful hands

1, live a holy life with the purpose of glorifying God
A person's faith will be manifested in his life in concrete and subtle ways. A person who loves the Lord must aim at glorifying God in everything and live a holy life. The Bible says, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31) "Be holy, for I am holy." (Peter 1:16) He also said: “Pursue peace with all men and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14) King David said: “Who can ascend to the throne of the Lord? Who can stand in his sanctuary? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has sworn without deceit." (Psalm 24:3-4)

2, with a humble serving heart and skillful hands
Leadership is to serve people with love. Leaders must be willing to be servants of everyone. The Lord Jesus said: “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your servant.” (Mark 10:43-44) King David was a The secret of a leader’s success is: “He shepherds them with the purity of his heart and guides them with the skill of his hands.” (Psalm 78:72) Therefore, a leader must have a cool head, a warm heart, and a warm heart. He must have skillful hands to serve and care for his followers. Proverbs says: “Know the condition of your flock carefully and take care of your herds; for riches do not last forever, and how can a crown endure to all generations?” (27:23-24) Leaders must be as meticulous as shepherds. He cares for his flocks and herds.

3, have a clear vision and firm confidence
Having a vision and firm confidence are indispensable conditions for a leader. His faith had a huge impact on his followers. Hebrews 11:1 says: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” If a leader is very sure of what he hopes for, he will be very sure of the results that he has not yet seen. This kind of confidence will inspire the hearts of followers, boost morale, and unite people to move forward without hesitation or hesitation. On the other hand, if the leader has no vision, the followers will be at a loss as to what to do. If a leader lacks confidence, he will often be hesitant, indecisive, and unclear about his orders. This will also make his followers wait-and-see, stick to the rules, and get by.

4, have the perseverance to endure hardships and never turn back.
Perseverance and perseverance are the key factors for a leader to overcome difficulties, and they are also very important qualities of a leader.

A good leader is not arrogant in victory and not discouraged in defeat. He has a proactive spirit and unyielding perseverance. Edison went through countless failed experiments before he invented the electric light; Sun Yat-sen went through many failed revolutionary uprisings before overthrowing the Manchu Qing government. During World War II, no matter what the situation was, Churchill always called: "Never give up!"

Some leaders are often arrogant when they succeed and discouraged when they suffer setbacks; or when they fail, they blame everyone and others, and become worried and discouraged. This leads to the betrayal of the people and the failure of their efforts. In the early days, Xiang Yu was high-spirited, victorious in consecutive battles, and invincible; but in the end, he was defeated and Gaixia thought he had no face to see his elders in Jiangdong, so he chose to commit suicide in Wujiang River. Many years later, Du Mu wrote a poem and lamented: "The children of Jiangdong are so talented, but it is unknown whether they will make a comeback."

▲A good leader has perseverance and perseverance despite hardships. During World War II, no matter what the war situation was, Churchill always called: "Never give up!" (Source: wikimedia.org)

Leaders must draw power from God

1, to have an intimate relationship with God
Leaders rise and fall under God's control. The apostle Paul believes that leaders’ authority comes from God, and “all authorities have been ordained by God.” (Romans 13:1) Therefore, leaders must have a close relationship with God in order to draw power from God. . The Lord Jesus said, "I am the vine and you are the branches; whoever abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15) :5)

2, to love God’s words
God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. (See Psalm 119:105) God’s words are like clear light that guides the way, preventing us from going astray and preventing us from falling. “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) Let us be able to distinguish between true and false so that we will not be deceived. Psalm 1 says: “Blessed is the man who does not follow the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and he meditates on it day and night. He will be like a tree. , planted by streams, bears fruit in its season, and its leaves do not wither.” (1:1-3) The word of God is spirit and life. Leaders must love God’s words, read the Bible every day, and drink from the source of power every day, so that their spiritual life will not dry up or be hungry or thirsty.

3, pray persistently
The apostle Paul said: "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be persevering in prayer." (Romans 12:12) Prayer is communication with God, allowing us to understand God's will. The Lord Jesus wants us to watch and pray lest we fall into temptation. To make various decisions, leaders must obtain heavenly wisdom, make correct judgments, and make wise decisions, and they must rely on prayer. Just like the quarterback of American football, he must be in close contact with the coach and accept instructions in order to defeat the enemy and win. Especially for endurance in adversity, one must connect with God through prayer and draw on heavenly power, so that one can endure to the end and be saved.

4, Rely on God wholeheartedly and obey God
King Solomon taught us: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. Do not think you are wise, fear the LORD and stay away. "Evil." (Proverbs 3:5-7) King Solomon had great wisdom given by God. These proverbs were words of wisdom he received from God and were also based on his experience.

James also said, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, obey God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you." ( James 4:6-7) Leaders face challenges and tests every day, and they also encounter many temptations and trials, and are often criticized and slandered. Only by fearing God, worshiping God wholeheartedly, and obeying God’s teachings and guidance , in order to overcome difficulties, resist temptation, and defeat the enemy.

▲A good leader must rely on God wholeheartedly and obey God. King Solomon obeyed Jehovah’s instructions and built the temple. (Image source: wikimedia.org)

Lin Fengliang, served as Chairman and CEO of Payless Car Rental System Inc., one of the six largest car rental companies in the United States, from 1989 to 2013. Currently, he is a director of the Christian Messenger Association and is dedicated to the ministry of workplace missions and corporate transformation.