The Essence of Leadership Part 4

THE CHARACTER OF A LEADER

By Apostle Felix

Constantly be on your guard against phony prophets. They come disguised as lambs, appearing to be genuine, but on the inside, they are like wild, ravenous wolves! You can spot them by their actions, for the fruits of their character will be obvious. You won’t find sweet grapes hanging on a thorn bush, and you’ll never pick good fruit from a tumbleweed. Matthew 7: 15 – 16

A leader should be judged by his character, and not by his giftedness. A gift is given, but character is developed. A gift can be coveted for, but character formation is endured. It is character that gives credence to gifts. It gives validation of the gift. Unfortunately, our generation is hungry for the gift without examining the content giving out the gift. The gullibility of our generation is unbelievable. The gullibility of the people has given a crutch to men and women masquerading as church leaders.

These are men and women without character stability who rely on charisma to find validation for their ministries. The emphasis is more on gifts than character. It is not a surprise to see masses following a man, whose character is far from being desirable. This problem is also common in politics. People do not mind voting for a politician whose character is extremely corrupt. In most cases, people vote on tribal lines, not good character.

As long as the candidate is from my tribe, character becomes secondary. The church has become more political and corrupt than the world itself. It is no longer about protecting the integrity and moral standing of the church, but protecting a man, who has violated the godly moral standing of the church.

Character is key to the longevity of ministries, businesses, marriages, and one’s life in general. A gift can bring you into the limelight, but it is a well developed character that will keep you there. Gifts can be subtle and deceptive without good character. Men fronting gifts like to receive praises of men and hence display insatiable appetite for power. Character brings about all the checks and balances in your life. Effective leadership is self-leadership first. If you cannot lead yourself, you cannot lead others too.

You will find leaders who emphasize only on ‘do what I say, and do not do what I do.’ That’s a wrong approach to leadership. The leader’s life is more important than what he says. A leader cannot be stealing pens from the office and yet telling his subordinates not to steal. Your lifestyle is more amplified than your words. Do not ignore it. Someone is watching you! People follow your life than your words. Mind the way you live. Let your life reflect the life of Christ.