At a leadership meeting, last Sunday, one of us cautioned, “As leaders, let’s not be too quick to judge people as being ‘unserious or unfaithful’ just because they don’t come for meetings or because they come late. When I was the leader of the Prayer Band, I would lock the door to the meeting room at 7am. Whoever didn’t make it there before that time would stay outside. I did that until I went visiting an elderly member of the group. When I saw where the baba comes from, I stopped locking the door on people for coming late. I realised that while I could easily get to church in 8 to 10 minutes from my house, some others travel for some 2 hours to get to church. I wept as I drove away from baba’s house…
We must also be mindful of the harsh economic situation that people are contending with. Transportation cost now prevents some people, who had hitherto been committed and constant, from coming regularly. As leaders, we must be compassionate and understanding of the current realities.”Selah!
Caring for others is the core foundation of effective leadership, transforming authority from command and control into genuine human connection, concern and shared growth. True leadership focuses on the well-being and growth of the people (team members) rather than just tracking the bottom line.
The People come first under true leadership. Active/intentional listening shows people their voices and challenges matter beyond daily performance metrics. Caring leaders build trust, transparency, and a space where the people can make mistakes and learn without fear. They protect the lives, dignity and well-being of their people. Let our political and spiritual leaders, in Nigeria and all over Africa, take note!
The 5 essential qualities of a good leader are: clear communication, emotional intelligence, integrity/accountability, decisiveness, and empowerment through active listening. As Simon Sinek said, “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.”
Selah!
DA