Chapter XV Peter (The Prioritizer) |
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Written by Ray Fairman
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In Acts 6:1-7 there is a lesson you can learn from
Peter, a leader who understood that he couldn't do everything there is to do
all by himself. Like many of us in the military or law enforcement professions,
Peter tended to be a "control freak and a micro-manager". Peter was often deluged with more than any one
man could be expected to be in charge of, but through the power of Christ and
the wisdom of the Holy Spirit he was able to organize these tasks and
accomplish many great things primarily through and for the benefit of others. I
am sure you law enforcement officers have had those nights on patrol when you
asked yourself just who told the dispatcher that you were Superman. You know
what I mean, too many calls, not enough time and three guys called in sick, yet
the complainants and your sergeant expect you to handle it.
Peter was wise enough to realize that everything that people
want to do does not necessarily always need to be done. You see, a wise leader must
clearly understand that everything that catches a person's eye should not
necessarily ignite the passion of their heart. A leader's heart and his efforts
should be focused only on that activity which will result in worthwhile endeavors,
the outcome of which will produce accomplishments that truly benefit others and
have long lasting results.
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Chapter XIV Nehemiah (The Navigator) |
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Written by Ray Fairman
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In Nehemiah 1:1-3:32 we are going to review some
history on the leadership of Nehemiah, "a man with a plan", as the saying
goes. Although the U.S. Navy and I have
a different way of saying the same thing, it goes like this, "anyone can steer
a ship, but it takes a navigator to chart its course."
It seems logical under these circumstances for me to call
the leadership principle exemplified by Nehemiah the Principle of Navigation. A high-quality leader never
intentionally navigates by the seat of his or her pants, as the old proverb
states, but rather sees the whole course of events in their minds eye before
ever leaving the starting point. A first-class leader can see the destination;
needs, obstacles and who it will take to accomplish the mission before they
ever leave the dock, let alone cross the horizon to engage the unknown.
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Chapter XIII Joseph (The Mature Leader) |
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Written by Ray Fairman
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When we look meticulously into the book of Genesis,
Chapter 37, Verses 1-52 we will find out that there is a little lesson
we can learn about leadership from Joseph. He was a leader who endured trials
and reaped rewards while his leadership and influence matured over a period of
time.
Just like money that is wisely invested, and as time goes by
compounds its value through interest, leaders often increase their own value,
stature and capabilities as time progresses. While all good leaders have some
God given natural abilities, they can all augment their skills via the
unfettered nurturing of other leaders over a period of time. True leadership
has many facets, just like a diamond, that need to be perfected over a lifetime;
Facets like respect, emotional strength, experience, people skills, confidence
(Not to be confused with arrogance), discipline, vision, momentum, and timing
and on and on as the list continues, almost ad infinitum and all that need some
amount of polishing in order to be brought to their highest potential. We can
see, I hope, that all leaders require some amount of seasoning, just like
firewood and a fine wine, so I am told.
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Chapter XII Joshua (The Art of Influencing Others) |
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Written by Ray Fairman
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From Numbers 14:6-9 we can learn a little
about a man named Joshua. Joshua was a leader who really understood the
importance of being able to influence, not manipulate, others. Joshua was a man
who understood that it took a period of time to become a very influential
leader, a fact all too often overlooked (sometimes intentionally) by many people
who are seeking positions of leadership in our current “fast food society”.
Time, I believe, is a key factor in developing the “Principle
of Influence”. I have meet too many leaders in both my military and law
enforcement careers who felt command, control, authority or power would be the
only real evidence of leadership their subordinates and superiors alike could
recognize. While power and leadership are definitively not mutually exclusive,
there is an old military proverb that clarifies the difference quite
emphatically. It simple states what should be the obvious and goes like this, “Leadership is power, but power is
not leadership”. I learned a lot more in my climb toward humility and leadership. It has been a tough climb with few rest areas so lets keep going.
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Chapter XI Jethro (Insight) |
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Written by Ray Fairman
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If you take the time to read Exodus 18:1-24, you can
learn a valuable lesson about a critical leadership component from Jethro the
Bible identifies as a very intuitive leader.
Possessing superior intuition is definitely a valuable asset
to a leader, but where does a person acquire a highly tuned intuition? Well, in
my humble opinion, it comes primarily from two sources. The first source is
directly as a gift from God. This is exemplified through one's inherently natural
ability and the second (which is also a requirement for fine tuning the
intuition received directly as a heavenly endowment) is from experience,
training, mentoring and the acquiring of skills through extensive practical
application.
The acquisition of this Trait of Insight or intuition is
really a process that begins at birth and continues to develop throughout a
person's entire life. An accomplished and intuitive leader will continue to read,
study and learn, not merely from books, but from all the people with whom they
interact as well.
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Chapter X Jesus (The Leader’s Legacy) |
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Written by Ray Fairman
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In Matthew 28:16-20 we will learn about
leadership directly from Jesus Himself. It should be obvious to many people and
that even includes His enemies that at a minimum, Jesus is the leader who had
the greatest impact and left the preeminent legacy in the history of the world.
If you want to find out some of the reasons why His legacy has remained so
widely recognized, so then stay with me as we examine the life expectancy of
the heritage of the truthful leader. For as Jesus said in John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free" and the Romans remind us with their ageless Latin rendition: "Veritas vos liberabit". - The Truth
Will Set You Free.
Jesus led with His eye on the future of His subordinates and
not only with His influence on the present in mind. A contrast is found in the American
artist
Andy Warhol
who on the other hand way back in about 1979 reflected
on the observation that from that point in time, "In the future everyone would
have their fifteen minutes of fame...."
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