Emergency style leadership and preventive leadership are two types of leadership. Emergency style leadership involves running around from one crisis to another. It is not an effective style of leadership. The solving of a crisis gives a false feeling of security to the emergency style leader. After settling one crisis, he feels he has accomplished something great. But he does not know that the next crisis is brewing.
Preventive leadership involves a style of leadership that prevents the occurrence of all these crises. There are fewer crises under this style of leadership. People involved with the preventive style of leadership often hold training conferences, shepherds camps, teaching seminars, etc. Such leaders are more relaxed and more in control of their organizations.
Seven Steps to Preventive Leadership The leader teaches his people what he wants them to know. I have discovered that almost everything can be taught. It is possible to get whatever you desire from your subordinates by teaching them. Every subject on Earth is taught by someone. Learn to teach in order to achieve your desired result. The leader trains people to be loyal.
Disloyalty is one of the causes of crises in organizations. Rebels and traitors have a way of destabilizing entire organizations. You can minimize your crises by emphasizing loyalty.
These are opportunities for teaching and discussion which equip the people and make them align with the vision of leadership. The leader does not borrow money.
Debts create uncertainty! The possibility that your whole world could come crashing down on you because of debt is disturbing. I would NOT advise you to borrow money. It is possible to live without debt!
Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. – Romans 13:8 The leader distinguishes between unimportant but urgent requests and important but non-urgent duties.
Jesus was summoned urgently to attend to Lazarus but it was more important for him to do other things. He did not rush around to unplanned activities unless it was absolutely necessary. It is important for a leader to be able to distinguish between requests that require abandonment of scheduled activities and ones that do not. A wise leader will not rush around to unplanned activities unless it is absolutely necessary.
Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. – John 11:1-6
A pastor must spend time in prayer and in the Word. Praying and studying the Word do not sound as urgent as someone dying in the hospital. Waiting on God does not sound as urgent as having to write cheques or sort out administrative issues. Yet, a leader who attends to his non-urgent but important duties will achieve more. The leader does not over-extend himself.
You can only do so much with your life. Over-extending yourself means you take up things that God has not sent you to do. This creates stress and crises. God does not expect us to do everything. We are not as essential as we may think. If we were that important, no young pastor would ever die! Do your part and leave the rest to God. Have you never read where God says you must rest?
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is, entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.- Hebrews 4:9-11 The leader delegates whenever he can.
Jesus ministered for three years and delegated the rest of the work to his disciples. He had no delusions about what he could accomplish on his own. He did not even attempt to go beyond the borders of Israel to minister. He delegated that aspect of his ministry to his disciples.
Do you remember that Jesus sent his disciples to the uttermost part of the Earth? Did you notice that Jesus did not attempt to go to the uttermost parts of the Earth? He delegated the work of going to the uttermost parts of the Earth to the disciples. He did not try to prove to anyone that He could go to the uttermost parts of the Earth himself. His role was to minister to the Jews and to die on the cross. Jesus’ job was defined in Matthew 15:24.
He intended to stick to his assignment. He delegated the rest to us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.– Matthew 15:24
Emergency style leadership of solving leadership crises, financial crises, crises over rebellion and crises over debts, has leaders who are fully engaged all the time. But preventive leadership is a better way! May you use the better way and not rush from one emergency to another!
The Art of Leadership
By Dag Heward-Mills
[email protected]
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.