Cameroon needs Servant Leaders.

Although Cameroon is currently going through multiple sociopolitical crises due to a wide practice of egocentric and authoritarian leadership which has led to widespread corruption, poverty, nepotism, ongoing violence, loss of life and destruction of property, it can break out of this vicious cycle through the practice of servant leadership. Servant leadership is a unique leadership paradigm which focuses primarily on the well-being of those being led/served. Unlike authoritarian leaders, the servant leader walks in integrity and intentionally seeks to serve those they lead , with the goal of empowering them to accomplish great things for themselves and the organizations they serve. The results of authoritarian and egocentric leadership in Cameroon so far, has been an increase in sociopolitical unrest, as government continues to fail to address issues in a timely manner due to a leadership paradigm which serves an individual rather than the people. One of the objectives of a servant leader is to empower those they serve, with the goal of achieving greater results through the creation of an environment of mutual respect, service and integrity. Cameroon would therefore benefit from true servant leaders, who put the needs of the people and the interests of the nation ahead of their personal interests. Quoting Ken Thomas, “Servant leadership turns the power pyramid upside down. Instead of the people working to serve the leader, the leader exists to serve the people. At the root of servant hood is humility” (2017).

Cameroon can solve its current sociopolitical crisis through the practice of servant leadership instead of the current widespread use of authoritarian, self-centered leadership. Whereas dictators (authoritarian leaders) rule by decrees and generally fail to take the opinion of their people into consideration, servant leaders seek to communicate efficiently, model integrity and show that they truly care for the people under their sphere of influence. Early on in the current crisis plaguing Cameroon, the leaders of various civil organizations requested for dialogue with the Government concerning among others, issues of discrimination, nepotism and corruption. Cameroon's centralized leadership however, roundly dismissed this, possibility perceiving it as an attack on their authority. The situation has now degenerated to a veritable crisis with international organizations such as the International Crisis Group sounding an alarm calling for an urgent dialogue between the Government and leaders of dissenting groups ("Cameroon's Anglophone Crisis: Dialogue Remains the Only Viable Solution", 2017). This call has so far been largely ignored by the Government, which opted instead for the use of force to quell down any popular uprisings.

Servant leaders seek to empower others by prioritizing the interests of those being served. In order to understand the needs of those being served, servant leaders need to grow in their ability to understand and empathize with them (Spears, 2005). Mahatma Gandhi was an example of a Servant Leader, who was able to put his people first, enabling them to accomplish great things. During his resistance "salt march" against British oppression, he demonstrated a deep commitment to the opinion of each individual he met (Tubbs, 2015) and not just that of his close collaborators. If Cameroon's leaders truly prioritized the interests of those being served, they would have humbled themselves to sit at the negotiation table with citizens who are worried about the direction of the country due to their leadership failures. Instead, they engaged the military to track down and quell every form of dissension against the government. This has only served to worsen the crisis as some citizens have now taken up arms in self-defense.

The most important reason Cameroon can solve its current sociopolitical crisis through servant leadership, is because servant leaders focus on others rather than on themselves. This is radically different from the self-serving egocentric authoritarian leadership paradigm, which is widely practiced in Cameroonian Government institutions. This ineffective form of leadership is generally focused on a single individual who wields and centralizes power and authority on themselves. The direct result of this form of leadership is slowness in execution of projects that can benefit the community as only one person or a small group of people, are empowered to make almost all major decisions.

In conclusion, although other leadership forms are equally valid, Cameroon can solve its current sociopolitical crisis through servant leadership for two main reasons. First, servant leaders seek to empower others but most importantly, servant leaders focus on others rather than on themselves. A natural first step will be for the current leaders of the nation to truly decentralize power and humble themselves to a sincere dialogue with the different civic organizations which have great influence over the people. This process of conflict resolution, will have to be preceded by emphatic listening which will help leaders consider the view point of others while helping them consider and evaluate their personally held biases (Zisa, 2013), which may be hampering peace.

References:

Cameroon's Anglophone Crisis: Dialogue Remains the Only Viable Solution. (2017, December 21). Retrieved from  https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/central-africa/cameroon/cameroons-anglophone-crisis-dialogue-remains-only-viable-solution 

Spears, L. C. (2005, August). The Understanding and Practice of Servant- Leadership [Scholarly project]. In The Understanding and Practice of Servant- Leadership. Retrieved fromhttps://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/sl_proceedings/2005/spears_practice.pdf

Thomas, K. (2017, November 08). Leadership Advantage: Servant leadership. Retrieved fromhttp://landscapemanagement.net/leadership-advantage-servant-leadership/

Tubbs, R. C. (2015, April 19). Gandhi the Servant Leader. Retrieved from http://sites.psu.edu/leadership/2015/04/19/gandhi-the-servant-leader/

Zisa, J. (2013, June 20). Listen to Serve: Servant Leadership and the Practice of Effective Listening. Retrieved fromhttps://www.greenleaf.org/listen-to-serve-servant-leadership-and-the-practice-of-effective-listening/

 

10 Reasons why your prayers go unanswered

Challenges to effective intercession.

The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful James 5:13-18.

The implications of these verses are,  that righteousness and effective fervent prayer are a potent combination that will produce powerful results such as healing the sick, miracles etc.

As (wo)men however, we face various challenges to righteous living and intense praying ( both private and public).

10 challenges:

1. _Disobedience:_

In Numbers 14, we see how Israel refuses to act in obedience. God assured them He was giving them the land but they opted to follow their instincts based on the report of the spies. In chapters 14:41, they elected to further act presumptiously. Walking in disobedience to God closes doors on our prayers.

2. Impatience:

In Psalms 106:13, the psalmist notes that the children of God soon forgot what God had done and acted based on their own impulses rather than waiting for his counsel. What follows is a catalogue of their unfortunate experiences based on their impatience. We know that those who patiently waiting on the Lord will renew their strength and mount on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:41).

3. Flesh:

James 4:3 informs us God sees and knows our motives. Wrong motives will lead to unanswered prayers.

4. Doubt:

This stops us from receiving anything from the Lord ( James 1:5-8). The foundation of our prayers should be faith in our Lord Jesus instead of prevailing circumstances.

5. Indifference:

To determine if you are indifferent, you must ask yourself if you are concerned with doing God's will.  Indifference will lead to shallow and noisy prayers with no substance. It is not the volume of your prayer that accomplishes much but the state of your heart regarding God's commandments. Romans 3:11, Isaiah 42:20, Mathew 13:15.

6. _Noise_ (Distraction):

Many things fight for our attention at any point in time and on a daily basis. Social media and entertainment have also become a huge source of distraction for believers. When you are in prayers but your mind is elsewhere, that is distraction manifesting itself. The foundation of distraction is generally based on the worries of this life. Philippians 4:8. Let's keep our minds focused on Him who cares for us and is able to save us completely.

7. _Mindset_

What kind of thoughts govern your mind?  Is it world or things of the spirit? Romans 8:5-6, 27. A worldly mind will hardly be able to pray in the will of God as its main focus will be the desires of the flesh. Set your mind on things above. Fill your mind with Godly thoughts.

8. _Hidden sin_

It goes without sin that a believer who hides sin will succeed. Proverbs 28:13, Hebrews 4:12-13, Isaiah 59:1-2, 2 Chronicles 7:14. Let us confess our sins and seek God's face for deliverance.

9. _Unforgiveness:_

If you forgive men their sins, God the Father will also forgive you your sins. If you do not forgive men their sins, yours too will not be forgiven. Mathew 6:14-15. Forgive in order to be forgiven.

10. _The_Devil:

He can't really stop our prayers but he makes sure we are distracted, do not forgive, walk in fear, live in a worldly manner, be indifferent and hide our sins. If he can retain us in this state, he knows we will be like empty vessels making a lot of noise. Jesus wants to have an active and relationship with Him. May we overcome and walk victoriously in His name daily.

God bless.

Innocent

8 Reasons to be thankful this New Year

8 reasons why we should be thankful throughout 2018.

In the midst of political uncertainty, corruption, evil, diseases, poverty, wars and rumours of war we can still be thankful. I propose below, 8 reasons why you should be thankful as a disciple of Jesus.

1. God's promises.

Isaiah 55:8-11. God's word will accomplish the purpose for which it is sent. You can count on Him to keep His promises concerning you. What has God said in His Word to you?

2. Grace to be righteous through faith. Romans 5:1.

We have been declared righteous by faith and this brings peace with God. Romans 4:24-25. What others sought and are still seeking through their futile works, has already been granted to us by the Father through faith in His son. Romans 8:3. God did it!

3. The love of the community of believers.

In Ephesians 1:15, Paul thanks them for their love for all the saints. We are blessed with a family that transcends all barriers instituted by either man or nature. We experience this love even when we find ourselves in situations where no one physical knows us. In such cases our identity as believers opens doors with other fellow believers. The manifestation of our love for each other, is a sign we are walking in the light. John 17:20-21.
We have received God's love and are equally called to manifest the same towards our brothers 1 John 3:16-20.

4. The seal of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13-14.

He is the down payment of our inheritance. He gives life ( Romans 8:11) will be with you forever (John 14:16-17) and gives you the power to do God's work (Acts 1:8).

5. Deliverance from Darkness.
John 8:12, 12:46, 1John1:5 and Psalms 119:105.

God is light and He gives us light to walk in this dark world. His light is manifested through discernment, wisdom and knowledge to walk victoriously. We can count on His direction Proverbs 3:5-6.

6. Forgiveness of sins.

Jesus remains our advocate with the Father ( 1John 2:1-2 and Hebrews 2:17-18).  He intercedes on our behalf and His sacrifice has removed God's divine wrath from us. Revelation 1:5-6.

7. Peace Isaiah 26:3.

No matter the storms raging either around or within us, Jesus tells us not to be alarmed ( Mathew 24:4-6). His peace is and assurance He is with us and will not abandon us even if death comes our way! Praise Jesus.

8. Eternal life.

Revelation 21:3-7 reminds us of the promise we have in Him. This is reason indeed to be thankful everyday. It is God's gift for all who trust Him Romans 6:23, John 3:16 and John 17:2.

These are just a few reasons why we should offer thanks daily to our Father.

God bless and a happy New year.

Innocent.

New Series - Perceptions!

Perceptions

What do you 'see'?

Your Perceptions will help determine how you react in any given situation. If for example you see a wild untamed dog in the place of a beautiful young girl (excuse the example), your treatment of them will be poor.

Humans need to be engaged in the business of adding value to each other. If for any reason your perception pushes you to treat your fellow man with contempt, be proactive. You owe yourself the right to question unhealthy perceptions.

Work in progress...

Enduring Leadership - Week 5. Freely you have received

Because God made us all in His own image, we all are leaders. Jesus
lived and taught Servant Leadership. This is not an option for the
Disciple of Jesus, it is the only option. Our service, good example
and deliberate goals for empowering others, are potent tools for
positive influence.

**************************************
Week 5. Freely you have received
**************************************
Objective: Participants will understand the benefits of having an
empowered inner circle and will draw up goals for empowering others.

Key Terms: Servant Leadership, Empower

Biblical example: Jesus and His disciples. Luke 9:1-2; Acts 6:2-3

(Luke 9:1-2)- "Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave
them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He
sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick."

(Acts 6:2-3)- "Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples
and said, 'It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God
and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven
men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we
may appoint over this business."

Mathew 10:8 - Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have
leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Leaders live with the end in mind. What will people say at your
funeral? The things they say will depend on how you live today and the
legacy you live. A leader's lasting value therefore is measured both
by success and succession (e.g. Moses- Joshua). The cycle of
leadership is only complete once continuity is assured.

It is not enough to;
• Lift up leadership lids;
• Seek to influence others through your example and service;
• Set goals and accomplish them;
• Live a life of integrity.

A leader will seek to ensure that these values and skills are passed
on to others through the process of empowerment. Empowerment should
be a deliberate well though out (and covered by prayer) process. The
process of building disciples is the central theme in the charge Jesus
gives to us, His disciples.

Mathew 28:19 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit…"

Empowering others, which can be translated to making disciples of
Jesus, is therefore a requirement not an option for all leaders. Do
you have a plan for empowering those in your sphere of influence?

As John Maxwell says; "only secure leaders, give power to others."
Delegating is risky business and it is human to want to always be in
control. As a leader however, you need to provide your followers with
the necessary tools and training to help increase their confidence and
ability to lead.

Remember, a true leader is always thinking of how to add value to
others especially to those closest to him. We see this play out in the
relationship between our Savior and His disciples. He sought to build
those closest to Him, always teaching them something new, showing them
how it is done (the law of picture) and providing them the
opportunities to exercise what they had learned.

A leaders potential is determined by those closest to him. If you long
for your ministry to accomplish more, build leaders and strengthen
those in your inner circle for when your strength fails they will take
over. In Exodus 18:17-27 Jethro introduces the principle of delegation
and empowerment to Moses. "And Moses' father-in-law said to him, 'The
thing that you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out, both
yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy
for you; you cannot do it alone."

Why Leaders Fail to Develop People:

1. They realize that equipping people is hard work.
2. They are insecure or have a poor self-image.
3. They feel they are the only one that is qualified to do it.
4. They don't trust others.
5. They have bad habits and an unbiblical perspective.
6. They have a low belief in people.
7. They don't know how to train others.
8. It is easier to lead followers than leaders.

Different responsibilities require different competence and as leaders
we need to be careful about whom we select for the specific
responsibilities of leadership. In this case, we will need to follow
the pattern laid down by the apostles. They had specific
qualifications in mind for the leaders they wanted chosing men. Acts
6: 2-5 "So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said,
"It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of
God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men
from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We
will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention
to prayer and the ministry of the word." This proposal pleased the
whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy
Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas
from Antioch, a convert to Judaism."

1. Known from their sphere of influence – "seek out from among you."
2. Fellow believers – "brothers."
3. People who could serve on a team – "seven men."
4. Trusted among the people – "of good reputation."
5. Empowered for the task – "full of the Holy Spirit."
6. Competent and intelligent – "full of... wisdom."
7. Responsible – "whom we may appoint over this business."


The Development/Empowerment Process:

1. I do it while you watch. People do what people see. Model the
integrity, dedication to success, spiritual commitment and the
practice of spiritual disciplines. Give what you want.
2. We do it together. Take them along with you to your preaching or
teaching. Get them involved. Let them take risks together with you.
3. You do it while I watch. This is an opportunity to observe and
prepare positive critique if required but also encouragement. It may
also help you identify development areas.
4. We evaluate. Work together to evaluate performance. The goal of
evaluation is to seek to recognize the efforts made and encourage it.
It can also be a moment of correcting mistakes in love while showing.
5. Ask them to empower others. This is what I am asking you to do.


Assignment:

Congratulations on completing this 5 weeks training course on
leadership that endures.
1. Take a moment to write down how this has impacted your life in the
space provided below:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Write down the names of some people starting with those in your
inner circle, that you would like to empower over the next 12 months.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Have you learned something new? Email us - forteh@gmail.com

Enduring Leadership - Week 4. Integrity as a Foundation

Because God made us all in His own image, we all are leaders. Jesus
lived and taught Servant Leadership. This is not an option for the
Disciple of Jesus, it is the only option. Our service, good example
and deliberate goals for empowering others, are potent tools for
positive influence.

**************************************
Week 4. Integrity as a Foundation
**************************************

Objective: Participants will review their actions and set proactive
goals for building a lifestyle of Integrity.

Key Terms: Integrity, Stewardship, Truth, discipline.

Biblical example: Jesus – Mathew 5:8 ; 2 Corinthians 8: 21
Mathew - Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Cor- For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes
of the Lord but also in
the eyes of man.

Trust is the foundation of leadership. As leaders, husbands, parents,
colleagues, pastors etc., we are faced with choices everyday. Some
choices are easier to make than others. A Servant Leader's greatest
aspiration is to be a true disciple of Jesus. He is our perfect
example of Integrity. Though tempted in every way, He never failed.
He had a firm foundation when He walked the Earth as a Human Being.
History abounds with instances of failed leadership due to the lack of
integrity (e.g. Bernard Lawrence "Bernie" Madoff ) resulting in great
loss including human life. Bernie Madoff ran one of the largest Ponzi
schemes in American history and rid investors of $17 billion in
assets, according to court documents. Like a virus, mistrust spread
through communities, affecting many people who were not directly
touched by the Ponzi scheme. Ultimately, Madoff hurt the American
economy as a whole and is now serving a 150-year prison sentence. His
son Mark committed suicide by hanging exactly two years after his
father's arrest.

The world is experiencing a revolution in ideas which can be traced
back to the ideas promoted by Post Modernism. One of the main issues
promoted by Postmodernism is the relativity of truth. Truth is no
longer an absolute but relative as perceived by proponents of the
theory. Society is redefining morality while demoting rather than
promoting man. The values being sold on TV have little or no moral
value but somehow, in this Post Modern age if you do not agree to the
ideologies promoted you are labeled as the enemy ( a bigot). The
Bible however reminds us Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He
is absolute truth and we can look to Him for the definition of what
truth is in our marriages and other leadership contexts. As a leader,
you need to consistently sow into your "Trust Bank". Those small
actions can either make or break you.

A. How did Jesus overcome temptation?

After being baptized Jesus went into a fast in the wilderness and was
tempted by the Devil in 3 areas. They can be broadly categorized
under:

1. Pride- "If you are the son of God..."
2. Lust - "I will give you..."
3. Power – "Turn these stones into bread"

In all three instances, Jesus responded with the Word of God. He had
the big picture in mind. He also had divine backing. How often do we
only want to read what we like rather than reading the whole of
scripture? These three areas represent the three areas the enemy still
tries to tempt the disciples of Jesus in. It seems as if the advent of
the Prosperity Gospel, has made it easier to tempt this generation.
These three areas have been the stumbling stone for many leaders over
the centuries. Will you be different? Let us examine our hearts
honestly before the Holy Spirit.

Answer the following questions honestly:
a. Do you have issues with pride? Do you seek to be seen by men? Do
you get angry or sad when others perform better than you? Do you feel
you are better than others? Do you always try to justify yourself? Do
you generally think your opinion is the most important?

b. Do you invite members of the opposite to be with you alone? Do you
see God as provider? Can you sacrifice anything for money? Do you
think of other women/men as more beautiful than your spouse? Do you
comment on the beauty of the opposite sex, where-as you find it
difficult to tell your spouse how beautiful they are? Can you be
trusted with money? Do you owe anyone and despite your promises you
have not yet paid back? Are you incorruptible?

c. Do you like to be served? Do seek to always impose your will on
others? In what ways do you serve your family, church, team? Are you
approachable?
The basic foundation of leadership is the leader's character. You may
have made mistakes in the past but praise the Lord we can repent and
commit ourselves to the same values held by our savior. Because there
is such a law as the law of Magnetism (Who you are, is who you
attract), or birds of the same feather flock together etc., if you sow
integrity as a leader, you will reap integrity.

B. Steps towards building a solid foundation of trust.

1. Pre-determine your values. Write them somewhere as a reminder. What
are your values as a Christian and a leader? Please write some now.
You can complete the list later.
2. Be proactive and develop a plan for managing temptations in the
area of Money, Women, Pride and Power. Being prepared is winning the
battle in advance.
3. Draw up a plan for developing personal intimacy with God and to
develop habits of personal devotion. Some activities need to go. The
activities you involve yourself in during your leisure time, may come
back to hunt you. Are you spending too much time on the Internet,
reading news or watching movies? How is this affecting your time with
the Lord, your family and His people?
4. Engage in renewing your mind and behavior to reflect God's image.
God's image refers to reason, personality, intellect, capacity to
relate, to hear, see and speak. He also chose you to be His kingdom
agent, to rule over and subdue the rest of creation including satanic
forces. Your sexual morality, handling money, power and position,
should reflect your being salt and light. This will be achieved
through your personal discipline as you remain humble (relying on
God), a visionary (setting goals) and "convictional" (always doing
right). No one else can bear your responsibility. Without me (Jesus)
you can do nothing. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you
shall bear much fruit (John 15).

5. Develop habits of a good steward. Everything you possess is from
God. He expects you to manage, invest and use them wisely. Think about
your people, time, finance in stewardship terms. What would you change
in terms of how you mange these? You need to be an effective steward
of time ("…Redeeming the time..." Eph 5:16) for the sake of God's
Kingdom. Attached is what I wrote down as a resolution in 2008 after
taking a similar course. Read it carefully then draw your own plan for
stewardship.

6. Seek to restore wholeness to your family and local church for the
advancement of the Kingdom. As a leader bless your family and add
value to each member. Honor your wife and model (the law of picture),
submission and service rather than retaliating at each opportunity.
Develop a winning partnership with her. Discern the uniqueness in your
children and work with them to build them up as servant leaders in
their own right. Let your gifts (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor
and teacher) bless your family and the local church.

7. Expand your horizon to apply Kingdom values to the marketplace,
society and the environment. Display an attitude of gratitude, self
control and trust in God for provision. Be honest, a good repent-er,
promoter of excellence in the marketing place and an atmosphere of
peace and harmony applying Kingdom values no matter where you find
yourself.

8. Craft a plan for continuous evaluation of your personal growth in
the Lord. This will keep you humble. Humility will keep you on the
path of integrity.
It is possible to build lasting fruits of integrity. Let your yes be
yes. Again, be reminded, "Trust Is the Foundation of Leadership". Are
you worthy of trust (Proverbs 12:22- 22 The LORD detests lying lips,
but he delights in people who are trustworthy)? Have you burned some
bridges? You now have the opportunity to regain trust. Transformation
from start from within and the Holy spirit is willing to help you.

Some Quotes:
"It is true that integrity alone won't make you a leader, but without
integrity you will never be one." Zig Ziglar

"Earn trust, earn trust, earn trust. Then you can worry about the
rest." – SETH GODIN

Integrity gives you real freedom because you have nothing to fear
since you have nothing to hide. Zig Ziglar

Assignment:
Design your plan for building a solid foundation (integrity) and self
discipline, based on the 8 points discussed above.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Philippians 4: 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true,
whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things.

Enduring Leadership - Week 3. Vision and Goal setting

Because God made us all in His own image, we all are leaders. Jesus
lived and taught Servant Leadership. This is not an option for the
Disciple of Jesus, it is the only option. Our service, good example
and deliberate goals for empowering others, are potent tools for
positive influence.

**************************************
Week 3. Vision and Goal setting
**************************************

Objective: Participants will be able to define their vision and goals
for the next two years. They will understand the importance of goal
setting, identify roadblocks and commit to a culture of regularly
establishing smart goals.

Key Words: Vision, Goals, SMART
Biblical example: Nehemiah, Paul

Contemporary examples: Peter J. Daniels, Martin Luther King Jr., Billy
Graham, Amundsen and Scott (conquering the Southern pole).

We need to be interested in the future. That is where we are going to
spend the rest of our lives! Anthony D'Souza ~ Developing the leader
within you.

Key Verses:
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the
law, happy is he. Proverbs 29:18 AKJV

And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it
plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. Habakuk 2:2 KJV

A Servant Leader operates with a clear vision for him/herself and the
people he/she leads. What is vision? Is this the same as goals?

Definitions:
Seeing what others do not see (Daniel Shu).

Unusual competence in discernment or perception, intelligent foresight
(Dictionary.com).

My definition of Vision is the ability not only to have a mental image
of a desirable future (ideas), but also the ability to clearly define
this in a way that inspires commitment and challenges into action for
it's realization.

Having good ideas is NOT equal to having a vision.

Examples of vision
Bill gates had the vision of placing a PC in every home back in the
days when IBM machines cost between $2,000-1,500 per PC. Today, PCs
sell for as low as $200 (25 years later).

Martin Luther King: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most
astonishing men of the 20th century. He was one of the most respected
leaders of the Civil Rights Movement who sacrificed his life for the
vision of equal rights for all races.

What is your vision?
_______________________________________________________________________

While a vision states the desirable end, goals define the steps to be
taken intended to guide action toward the Vision.

We can therefore describe a vision as a clear picture of what the
leader sees his group being or doing. The bible makes it plain that
without vision man (or nation, church, family), is bound to fail.

No Vision >no goals > no direction > no destination > Failure!

Vision spurs you into action, gives you a direction and assures a
future, a legacy and an expected end.

Christian Leader Sundar Singh Sangma has this to say about goals;
"Goal setting is not merely a technique to achieve an objective but a
concept deeply rooted in the word of God "

Why set goals? Leadership develops daily, not in a Day. Your daily
routine indicates the direction you are taking. Do you kill or redeem
time? Servant Leaders also understand that activity is not necessarily
accomplishment. Yes, you may be busy, but how is this helping you
achieve the vision God has given you?

• 1. Goals give direction in life.
• 2. Goals promote enthusiasm.
• 3. Goals make you results oriented.

NO Goal > No Direction
No Direction > No destination
No Destination > Total failure

If you fail to plan, you're busy planning to fail. Ps 37:5 Commit thy
way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Goals can be:

a) Long Term - To build a Christian school within 15 years that will
help train the next generation of leaders in my country.

b) Medium term – Reach at least 50% of your colleagues with the Gospel
in the next 4 years and ensure at least 20% abide.

c) Short term – Save at least 100 dollars towards kids fees every month.

John Edmund Haggai on goal setting has this encouragement for
believers; "Attempt something that is so big, it is bound to fail if
God is not in it!"

SOME REFERENCES

- 1 Cor 9v24 Teaches us to discipline ourselves and say no to distractions.
- Jer 29v11 We should seek to discover God's plans for our life. Goal
setting is therefore a statement of faith.

Practical exercise:

1. Write down a list of your desires. Things you'd like to accomplish
in the next 2 years.
2. Write S next to Spiritual Goals, P= physical goals, So= Social
goals, F= Family goals, Fi = Financial, P= Personal Development and
Fa- Family.
3. Count and tabulate your results.
4. Draw 7 concentric circles, starting with a small one in the middle..
5. Mark the points on the different circles.

To live a balanced life, you need to set balanced goals in all sectors
of your life.

Let's fix them:
Your goal statements should have the following format;
a. Start with the infinitive;
• To lead...
• To own...
• To write...
• To Preach etc.

Your goal statements should have the following "SMART" format;
b. State clearly what you want to Achieve.
c. Be as Specific as possible i.e. to improve performance is not a
goal. State to what degree to make it Measurable.
d. Make it Realistic but Challenging!
e. Set the date (Time).
f. Write the goals (Habakkuk 2:2). Writing it down inspires
commitment. God's glory should be our ultimate focus.

Goals help a leader to prioritize, act at the right time and maintain
motivation in life. When to Lead Is as Important As What to Do and
Where to Go. Anyone Can Steer the Ship, but it Takes a Leader to Chart
the Course.

Some Goal Killing Habits

*Laziness - Prov 6:6
*Leave it at the level of a good idea - Commit, share and get
commitment (buy-in).
*Do not invest time and prayer in it Prov 3:5-6
*Do not write it down. Hab 2:2. Use a planner/ Diary if possible.
*Do not assign priorities, the 3M (Men- who, Money-how, Minutes -what)
and a time scale for accomplishment. Be Practical. Who (Men) is doing
What(Minutes) and How (Money)?
*Imposed goals
*Set goals every year and then quickly forget about them.

Phil 3:14 "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call
of God in Christ Jesus." (RSV)
Gal 6:9 "And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we
shall reap if we do not grow weary."

It can either be No Vision, No goals, No direction, No direction, No
destination that is Failure!
OR
Know Vision, Know goals, Know direction, Know direction, Know
destination, that is Success!

Assignment: Prayerfully review your vision and establish goals using
this format.

My life mission is:

My monthly Christ-centered goals sheet:

*SET TWO SPIRITUAL GOALS

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ" (II Peter 3:18).
1.

2.

Due Date: Actual Completion date:

*SET TWO PHYSICAL GOALS

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice...which is your reasonable
service" (Romans 12:1).
1.

2.

Due Date: Actual Completion date:

*SET TWO SOCIAL GOALS
"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor
giving preference to one another" (Romans 12:10)
1.

2.

Due Date: Actual Completion date:

*SET TWO FAMILY GOALS
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down,
shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For
with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)

1.

2.

Due Date: Actual Completion date:

SET TWO FINANCIAL GOALS
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down,
shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For
with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)
1.

2.

Due Date: Actual Completion date:

SET TWO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down,
shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For
with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)
1.

2.

Due Date: Actual Completion date:


SET TWO STEWARDSHIP GOALS
"Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down,
shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For
with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)
1.
2.
Due Date: Actual Completion date: