Chapter VII Elijah and Elisha (The Impact Of Personality)
Written by Ray Fairman
Charisma
In II Kings 2:1-15 we can learn from Elijah
and Elisha, who were both good leaders, that the exercising of good leadership
will attract the loyalty of both other good leaders and a higher quality of followers.
My experience over the years has taught me that the kind of
people you attract is much more likely to be dependent on what type of a person
you are than on what you have already accomplished or want to accomplish in the
future. I find that people tend to draw closer to people who are a lot like
themselves. If you are an, "I am the most important part of this team," type of
leader, then imagine what it will be like leading a band of folks who feel the
same way about themselves. However, if you are willing to sacrifice for the
benefit of others, think of how much you will be able accomplish with followers
who are willing to give their all to insure the success of your vision.
I have chosen to refer to this as the Principle of Charisma
and it is present to some extent in all leaders, both good and bad. Every
person is born with an instinctive need for affection, recognition and a sense
of belonging. Observing a persons hunger to find something or someone to follow
most easily evidences this need. This generally results in even the weakest
leader, one who has even the smallest desire to lead, finding themselves with
some modicum of followers. Why does this occur? That natural desire we humans are
instilled with to gather will always result in some folks following and some
folks leading, whether qualified or not. This is something that every leader
needs to remember, because every leader whether good or bad is also following
someone or something.
That's Spiritual Weapons And Tactic's TeamThis site is dedicated to promoting, developing and encouraging the kind of leadership God ordained and intended for use in both the Military and Law Enforcement professions. Those are the primary fields of missionary service upon which I simultaneously dedicated my last 40 + years. I spent those years actually working in those jobs and being impacted by what I observed and participated in directly as a Marine and a LEO, and not, as some of you may be thinking as some kind of a "by-standing Chaplain". Not until I had finished my overlapping careers as a US Marine and a Deputy Sheriff and Police Officer and retired from both, did I see that God was calling me into service as a Police Chaplain with a secondary role of working with all first responders and especially those who respond to natural and man caused disasters. This I found out includes our military responders as well.
Seemingly, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished, But Is That Always True?
Written by Ray Fairman
"Surviving in a world gone bonkers."
"Leadership is a
responsibility that every law enforcement officer must understand and accept.
It is essential if our society expects to provide nourishment to liberty and
freedom. Leadership requires that Integrity, Courage, Determination, Loyalty,
Knowledge and Experience be combined in a person in order to transform them
into a real leader. If properly guided, their leadership then becomes the seed
of national honor; and that my friend and brother..., that is something we
desperately need more of in our churches and in our nation today."
Officer Ray Fairman APD... "1973"
Hoisted by my own petard! I really don't want to write this again, and I don't even know how to title it this time. I'm getting to old to try and dodge the bullets like I once did and I think that after doing God's work as my primary mission the last 10 years I have stopped using camouflage to keep off the skyline. Besides how many times have I told others that when you join God's Army the primary purpose is to do battle for him. I just wish it didn't have to be with well meaning but self-righteous "brothers". God told His disciples, and I wish there were more of them around today, that those who were not against Him were for Him.
So, here I go into a probably useless and definitely unnecessary battle again. I get calls every now and then from someone that wants to tell
me that what ever term I am using to refer to our "members" as has subsequently, and usually
long after we began our existence, been purchased by them and we can't use the term
anymore without paying them a fee. If there is a First Baptist Church in your town and in their town I think these folks would like their attorney to contact your attorney and discuss the renaming of one of them.
Sorry folks, but when someone calls me and tells me to stop using the term Christian because they hold the copyright on that term
it will only mean to me that the Anti-Christ now has a lawyer. Our ever expanding number of
brothers and sisters who have been encouraged by God's movement among our ranks, has been around only a split-second of eternity but that
split-second started about the summer of 1987. Our "fellowship" continues to grow without ever meeting formally. We don't have conventions
or sell things. We don't solicit donations and except for the spiritual accountability or Bible study we might start to do in
our own local small groups (Some with names and affiliations and some with out) all we try to do is share our God given gifts and experiences and hold
each other Biblically accountable in our daily activities and that's it. The work I and other Chaplains do for Our Lord and Savior is judged by
Him and not by mortals, and He and only He keeps track of His loyal membership.
Therefore, I would like reiterate that this ministry is not a formal congregational operation. We are a loose knit body of Christians linked solely by our foreign and domestic uniformed service against evil as well as by our faith in the body and blood of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We believe in expressing our Honor, our Valor and Faith in Our God, Our Country and Our Respective agency or branch of service. Therefore I want to rededicate this site to the
development of such qualities as are deemed beneficial to the growth of honest
and responsible leadership.
Chapter VI Moses (“The Leaders Choice, Privilege or Sacrifice”.)
Written by Ray Fairman
In Exodus 3:1-4:13 Moses will teach us that a
leader has to give up, in order to grow up and go up.There seems to be a lot of ups in that
sentence, but that is because that is the way most people who desire to climb
the ladder of success eventually come to realize they have to go. They also become
conscious of the fact that the climb is expectedly difficult and fraught with
pitfalls. Even in the beginning it is a foreign and understandably false
concept to them that the power and perceived freedom they will achieve as a
leader can come without forfeiting anything. Leaders journeying toward the top
frequently encounter obstacles to that faux philosophy. Sometimes they may have
to take pay cuts, give up certain rights, or even decline good assignments in
favor of doing what is best for the organization. Talk to any successful leader
and I guarantee you that he or she will tell you that they made many sacrifices
along the way. Leaders will sacrifice much for the betterment of all or Mr.
Spock puts it, "The needs of the many (truly) out weigh the needs of the few."
Since leadership is an on-going process, so will be the need to sacrifice.
Circumstances may change but principles don't, so let's get back to Moses
again.
This time we are appropriately calling this principle of
his, the "Principle of Sacrifice". All honest leaders will agree on one thing,
that leadership means sacrifice. If you want to be a real leader you must ask
yourselves two critical questions, especially if you claim to be Christians,
and those are, what price are you willing to pay to become an effective leader
and to whom are you willing to make that payment? Will it be to God or the
world? Let's take a good look at Moses' life, as he is a fair example of one
who sacrificed often for the work of God.
Moses gave up the power and prestige of the world he lived
in and he truly had a lot to give up in the eyes of the world at that time. As
the adopted son of Pharaoh, Moses sacrificed the exact things that many people
today tend to esteem at the highest levels and in actuality some folks even
seem to worship. Yes, you could say that Moses sacrificed the whole world for
the leadership position God had destined for him, lets see if we can find out
why.
Chapter V "Barnabas" (Learning the Art of Delegation )
Written by Ray Fairman
In Acts 9:27 we are introduced to a man called
Barnabas. This man was a leader who was secure enough in his own capabilities
and in his relationship with the Lord, to empower others to act in his name.
It is a well-documented fact that insecure leaders, or
micro-managers as we tend to call them today, will generally hoard their own
power at all costs, eventually leading to their own demise. More secure leaders
on the other hand will often accomplish more and greater things, by consciously
empowering others under their command or influence to act on their behalf. They
do this by the delegation of their authority to their followers proportionally
as determined by their subordinates' acceptance of responsibility. By utilizing
this principle, they can lighten their own burden while allowing their
subordinates to gain valuable training, insight and experience.
I suppose you could call this contribution, the "Principle
of Delegation", which not only empowers subordinates but also conveys to them
that their leaders confidence in them and concern for the success of their
joint mission transcends his or her own need for recognition and glory. This is
a positive signal that shows subordinates that the leader is concerned more
about a legacy of leadership being passed along through those he or she
influences than they are with any accolades they might ultimately receive.
If you are interested in this concept keep reading.
Are Those Blue Lights Or Pink Lights in Your Rear View Mirror?
Written by Ray Fairman
Pink lights, you gotta be kiddin me! Hey guys I’m not
kidding. I have spent nearly my entire adult life driving with different color
lights on the roof of my squad but never pink lights. When I started in the law
enforcement profession, all our “bubblegum machines” were red. As the years
progressed the bubblegum machines left the roof and became red and blue “twins”
or lightbars. The next transition was all blue lights and lights either hidden in
the grill, on the dash or low profile roof lights, but never “pink” lights.
There was, however, a time a couple of decades ago when the Pennsylvania State
Police did run an “unofficial test with pink lights…” or so it seemed to some
of us. I was working in Maryland at the time
and traveling up through Pennsylvania
on I-81 a great deal to visit my in-laws in northeast PA. The PA Troopers were
just getting new roof lights that housed the newest and brightest “halogen
strobe lights”. These truly bright lights when encased in the typical red
plastic dome were so bright that when they were illuminated, they seemed to be
“Hot pink”. I can’t remember how long that “test” lasted, but I am sure it did
not last that long.
To find out where I seem to be heading as I run down my "rabbit trail" keep reading.