THE ROLE OF A LEADER
A leader must know himself. To do so, he must have the mental courage to evaluate his strengths and weakness in terms of moral, physical, and mental characteristics. He must seek an awareness of his image as viewed by the members of his congregation; either positively through verbal or non-verbal feedback or negatively, through criticism.
Moreover, a leader must understand and be able to recognize individual differences in the lives of people of his congregation. Each person has his own individual personality and the aspects of his environment affect each differently. If he is able to understand and recognize types, and analyze individuals, it will help him to select the proper appeal or approach that will cause each individual to respond willingly in the way he, the leader, desires.
His understanding of human behavioral patterns, individual differences and their need for satisfaction of basic human needs provides a good basis for:
v The establishment of good working relationships.
v The development of desirable group interaction.
v The accomplishment of the mission of the church.
It should be recognized however, that the leaders goal, the personalities of the people with whom he is working with, and the circumstances of the specific situation will have a profound effect on which particular trait or traits needs the most emphasis.
LEADERSHIP TRAITS
1. Judgment: Every leader must have a good sense of judgment. Judgment is the quality of logically weighing facts and possible solutions on which to base sound decisions. Enhance your judgment by being as technically qualified as possible.
To improve your ability of judgment,
i. Practice making estimates of the situation.
ii. Anticipate situations, which require decisions, so that you may be prepared when the need arises.
iii. Avoid making rash decisions.
iv. Always trust that the Holy Spirit will give you insight.
2. Justice: This is the quality of being impartial and consistent in dealing with people. Justice involves the rendering of reward and the meting out of punishment in accordance with the merits of the case. Anger and other emotions must never erupt when you are handling a situation. Again, prejudice of the race or creed must be avoided. Few things will disrupt the morale of an organization more quickly than unfairness or partiality of a leader toward a certain man or group of men.
Your decisions relative to people are a test of your fairness. It takes a long time to build up a reputation of being fair. One thoughtless error of injustice on your part as a leader can destroy a good reputation that took years to be established.
You need to understand human behavior to be able to administer justice fairly. Study people with the idea of learning why certain individuals behave the way they do under certain conditions. Analyze the cases that have been decided, and determine what you would have done, were you the person to make the decision. This is a personal mental process and should never be used as an occasion to criticize the decision of another leader.
To develop the trait of justice:
i. Be fair, consistent and prompt when making decisions.
ii. Consider each case on its own merits.
iii. Correct in private with dignity and spiritual understanding.
iv. Search your mental attitudes to determine if you hold grudges or prejudices; and if so, make conscious efforts not to permit them to influence your decisions.
v. Never punish a group for the faults of an individual.
vi. Be honest with yourself. The Holy Spirit will help you to do so.
vii. Recognize members worthy of commendation or award. Do not be known as one who dispenses only criticism.
3. Loyalty: Loyalty is the quality of faithfulness to your church, seniors, subordinates and associates. This quality can do much to earn you the confidence and respect of these people. Your every action must reflect royalty to your Lord.
To develop royalty:
i. Be quick to defend others from abuse.
ii. Never give the slightest hint of disagreement within leadership, when relating instructions to members.
iii. Practice doing every task to the best of your ability and wholeheartedly, supporting your leadership’s decisions.
iv. Never discuss the personal problems of your members with others.
v. Be discreet in discussing church problems with individuals not involved.
4. Tact: Tact is the ability to deal with others without creating offence. In the field of human relations, it is the ability to say and do the proper thing at the right time. It also involves the understanding of human nature and consideration for the feelings of others.
Tact is important in all personal relationships. Criticism must be clear, yet constructive. It should not cause discouragement or detract from the drive and energy of the church members. Every pastor needs to be tactful when advising those who comes to him with embarrassing personal matters. Avoid passing judgment on these matters; your role is primarily that of a counselor. Sometimes, the highest degree of tact is simply to listen with understanding interest and permit the member to arrive at his own solution. You may confirm his solution or suggest a different one.
Moreover, tact also demands courtesy. To demand courtesy and fail to return it in full measure, indicates either arrogance or lack if interest. Courtesy stems from one’s mental attitude and is expressed in both words and actions. One leader may bark out directives impersonally and abruptly; another may give his directives in a tone tingled with courtesy that implies the expectancy of obedience. Both methods may get obedience, but the second of the two will get more willing obedience and cooperation.
Usually, a calm, courteous, though firm tone of speech will bring a quick response. Thus, tact and courtesy are closely related to mental attitude as well as to manner and language.
To develop tact:
i. Be courteous and cheerful.
ii. Be considerate of others.
iii. Study the actions of ministers who enjoy a reputation for being skilled in human relations.
iv. Develop the habit of cooperating in spirit as well as in fact. Know when to be seen both officially and socially. Anticipate also when your presence or absence may cause embarrassment.
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