LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
equipping leaders with skills, weapons and tools to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission.

Thursday, 1st June, 2017

TITLE : The Leadership Lessons & Wisdom Principles From The Ants 8

Prov 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise

Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision the leader perish" emphasis added mine

#4 THE PRINCIPLE OF VISION

The ants possess the ability to see the future before it comes to being and that's vision. This is why ants gather food, energy in the summer and prepare for winter (unknown). We should never forget that the ability to see the unseen or know the unknown is a function and operation of the spirit of wisdom. Only wisdom can give vision.

Vision is so essential in leadership and it's a function of wisdom or spiritual maturity. If you've ever listen to me teach, or been reading my article or known me for the past five - six years now then you'll have observe that the central theme of my teaching is stirring young minds to discover their personal vision which activates a sense of purpose and ultimately release their leadership potential. Again I want us to look at some meaning of the term vision in the context of leadership.

WHAT IS VISION?

•Vision is a vivid imaginative conception or anticipation of the unseen or unborn future.
• Vision is an internalized mental picture of a preferable or desired future you want to feature that incorporates one's personal purpose.
• Vision is seeing the future before it comes to being. It is a preview of what you'll become.
• Vision is the ability to create, handle what exists but cannot be seen.
• Vision is the optimal desired future state - mental picture of what you want to achieve over time.
• Vision is the ability to see the invincible, believe the unbelievable, know the unknown and do the impossible.
• Vision is the bridge between the present and the future.
• Vision creates what exists but cannot be seen.

Vision is so powerful and it is a major component of leadership. Without a vision in your life, your life has no meaning, definite bearing or direction, or shape. You can't expect much from a life without a vision. Vision is what gives life a meaning, it's what makes life worth living. Vision is not only essential to leadership, it's essential to succeed in any field because it's the take off point to any significant achievement in life. Parents need vision to succeed, teachers need a vision, ministers of God need vision, business men need vision. There isn't anyone who desire to succeed that doesn't need a vision. It's the thing we're born to do. It draws on our talents, gifts, abilities, passion and personality. It appeals to our highest ideals shape. It sparks our feelings of destiny. It's inseparably linked to our purpose or original assignment in life. There hasn't been any leader both in the secular or in the religious circles without a vision. Both natural and spiritual leadership requires vision.

IMPACT OF VISION ON LEADERSHIP

So Why is Vision so Important in Leadership?

1. Vision activates your leadership potential.

Every man has the capacity or potential for leadership but not every man is a leader. The word potential simply means dormant abilities, untapped power, capped abilities, unrealized or undiscovered abilities and unused resources. Every seed has the potential to become a tree, every bird can fly but not every bird will fly. The leadership of birds is to fly but not all birds fly.

The leadership potential of a person is activated or comes alive when he or she captures his personal vision in life. Our leadership potential lies dormant until we discover a vision for our lives. This is why we often say leadership is primarily not position. Position can make you a leader (give you some influence) but it cannot give you true leadership. There are so many 21st century leaders without leadership. Leadership is birthed when a person's vision is more vivid than the experience of the past or present. When a non leader captures his or her vision, his leadership functions begins to stir. The leadership potential of Joseph was stirred when he captured his vision. He envisioned that God has created him to lead his generation despite his age. Paul captured his vision on his way to Damascus and he became one of the greatest leaders in church history. Yours need not to be dramatic like Paul's but you must capture it as true leadership is futile, unnecessary or invalid without an uncovering of a sense of unique purpose or vision because a leader primarily exist to fulfill a specific vision. Vision gives your life a meaning. It gives you hope of fulfilling your purpose in life. It explains the purpose of leadership and reason for your existence. A leader dies when there is no sense of vision.

Becoming a leader, means you must capture the vision of a future that incorporates the fulfillment of your life's primary assignment or unique purpose. God has an exciting purpose, plan, and vision for every one of His children. If you haven't found yours yet, This teaching article will help you discover and fulfill your God-ordained destiny. You're not another person,
You do not exist just to go to school and earn a degree, get married, make a living, pay rents. No! Revive your passion for living. Pursue your dream. Discover your vision--and find your true life. A strong vision inspires passion. This passion controls and transforms your life, dictates your decision and choices. Vision affects how you spend your life and resources because vision is the source  of discipline.

Prayer : Lord reveal me to me. Amen

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
equipping leaders with skills, weapons and tools to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission.

Monday, 29th May, 2017

TITLE : The Leadership Lessons & Wisdom Principles From The Ants 7

Prov 6:6 Go to the *ant,* thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be *wise:*

Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no *vision*, the leader perish" emphasis added mine

#4 THE PRINCIPLE OF VISION

We're still considering the Leadership lessons from the ants. In the last episode we considered *preparation* and today I want to take an entire different approach by showing you some leadership traits in ants. Ants are a wise creature not only that ants are distinct in their morphology. Though ants typically have limited vision , Bulldog Ants or jumper ants can see and identify targets from about a meter away. Some ants e.g Bull ants have special kind of eyes called *compound eyes* that provide *excellent or advanced vision*. The compound eyes is specifically adapted for excellent vision. 👁👁

Why Leaders Must Have Vision 👁

True leadership always starts with vision. Every leader has a vision. You can't lead if you don't have a vision. Leadership is impossible without vision because every leader exist to fulfill a specific vision. Warren Benni's said _"Leadership is the capacity to translate a vision to reality"_ Great leaders have vision. There are very few natural visionary leaders in the corporate world. It is probably the most powerful tool in a leader’s toolbox. So what is a vision? How does it work, and how is it different from a vision statement?

Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”

Oprah Winfrey, at the age of 22, was fired from her job as a television reporter because she was ‘unfit for TV.” She is now world renowned TV presenter.

Steven Speilberg was rejected from film school, not once…not twice…but three times.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. He became one of the greatest basket baller in the history of sports.

Thomas Edison failed some 10,000 times before successfully inventing the light bulb.

What led these successful leaders to continue despite failure and rejection? Vision!! Vision!!!

What is Vision?

Let's begin by defining a vision statement and a vision. A vision statement is a statement of words describing where and what an organization wants to be in the future. It usually remains unchanged for many years. There is nothing wrong with vision statements. They have their place in the organizational structure.

In contrast,

• _vision can be defined as a picture in the leader's imagination that motivates people to action when communicated compellingly, passionately and clearly_.

• _Vision is a mental picture of the future. It is an idea of what the future can hold, but has not yet happened._

• _Vision is the thing inside of us that guides us. It creates a desire to grow and improve._

• _Vision embodies our hopes and ideals. It gives us a sense of purpose. Visions brings us flashes or glimpses of what is possible._

To be a *visionary,* a leader need have nothing more than a clear vision of the future. The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It's got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. There's nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can't clearly articulate why we're doing what we're doing. Leaders have vision. They share a dream and direction that other people want to share and follow. The leadership vision goes beyond your written organizational mission statement and your vision statement. Leadership vision is an essential means for focusing attention on what matters most; what you want to accomplish in your life and what kind of leader you wish to be. A useful vision has to be rooted in your past, address the future, and deal with today's realities. It represents who you are and what you stand for.

*So why is Vision important in Leadership?
*What's the impact of vision on leadership?
*Where does vision come from?
*How does a leader develop a clear vision for the future?

We shall continue this series in the next episode. Thanks for reading.

© David Oyeleye

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
equipping leaders with skills, weapons and tools to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission.

Saturday, 20th May, 2017

TITLE : The Leadership Lessons & Wisdom Principles From The Ants 6

#3 PREPARATION

"There be four things which are small upoun the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer." — Proverbs 30:25

"Be prepared, and prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. - Ezekiel 38:7

“Chance favors the prepared mind."
-Louis Pasteur

I love the statement above by Pausteur. Do you agree with the great quote above? I definitely do. Instead of believing in pure luck, I believe that luck is what happens when opportunities come to those who are prepared (well trained, groomed, mature, equipped) for them.

We're still considering the subject of preparation as a major wisdom principle of the ants and I want to believe you found this piece thoughtful, helpful and inspiring. The ants prepare itself for the future. That's the point here!! Do you have any ready plans for the future?

Understanding the times and seasons is one of the key wisdom of the ants. The ants prepares itself during summer when it's supposed to enjoy, it sows seeds during the summer when it is supposed to eat. Success always come at a price. That is a lesson I learned a long time ago. It's only in the dictionary that success comes before hardwork. Work usually comes before success. You can pay now and play later, or you can play now and pay later. Either way, you're going to pay. Creating a climate for potential leaders also requires a leader to pay a price. It begins with preparation. Proper Preparation prevents poor performance. If you fail to prepare for life, ministry, marriage, career, chances are you should prepare to fail. If you don't prepare you'll have a lot of things to repair.

Many people don't think like the ants, they live in the present. They lack a insight or foresight into the future. Only few people think about tomorrow because it takes wisdom to see tomorrow. Yet tomorrow is the harvest of the seed sown today. Your preparation during summer determines your harvest. The ants teaches us that the best time to prepare for tomorrow is today. Just like the ants, are you sowing seeds for the future? Remember it's the law of sowing and reaping. What a man sows he'll surely reap. You can't feature in a future you're not adequately prepared for. The quality of your seeds determines the quality of your harvest. Sow seeds that you want to reap in the future. If you don't like your harvest, change the seeds.

What Is Preparation?
The word prepare is a combination of two words pre and pare. Prepare is from Latin praeparāre, from prae before + parāre to make ready]. Thus preparation in simple terms means to groom, mature, equipped, make ready, or suitable in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event. It also means to put things or oneself in readiness; educate for a future role or function. It means to undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession, ministry, career or vision.

Preparation does four basic things for us, it positions people correctly, it helps one maximise or take advantage of opportunities, it increases your level of effectiveness and competence, it increases your level of performance, productivity and results. And it is often the separation between winning and losing.

Preparation also means to put yourself in a position that makes it easier for opportunities to come. Your location is where your allocation is. Some people aren't rightly positioned and this reduce their opportunity to succeed. While four of them are very important, I think the second one is more important. Why? Because what makes the difference is whether or not you can take advantage of the opportunities. What’s the use of getting a lot of opportunities or platforms if you can’t take advantage of them?

So, because the second point is more important, I will focus on it here.

Preparation Takes Time

There is one important characteristic of preparation that you must understand: it takes time and patience. (We will consider this amazing statement in a latter episodes). You can’t prepare for something big overnight. Many people especially the 21st century youths are too hasty. One major attitude we must cultivate as young leaders is the ability of delay gratification, ability to wait and that requires patience. Some things just take time. You can't get 9 pregnant women to give birth to a baby in one month.. Sure you know It doesn't work. It takes 9 months to deliver a real baby, your 9 months could be five, six, ten to 30 years. The ant has the ability of delay gratification... It's willing to wait. You should understand that waiting time is not wasting time....You're birthing greatness.....
In fact, bigger opportunities or platforms require bigger preparation. Just think about the level of preparation it takes to go to the Olympics. Those who want to go to the Olympics must prepare themselves for years, often from an early age.

Although winter comes as no surprise, many of us are not prepared (fit, ready, mature, equipped) for its arrival. That’s why it’s important that you prepare for future opportunities. Wisdom prepares for the unknown, the unseen and the intangible. Most people live in the realm of the seen. Don’t wait for opportunities or platforms until they come before you start preparing for them. It would have been too late by then. Most people aren't prepared for the demands of leadership. Prepare yourself early and you will be ready by the time they come.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Prepare yourself early and years from now people will be amazed at how “lucky” you are.

Reflection: The size of your vision determines the level of your preparation.

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
equipping leaders with skills, weapons and tools? to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission.

Friday, 19th May, 2017

TITLE : The Leadership Lessons & Wisdom Principles From The Ants 5

#3 PREPARATION

"There be four things which are small upoun the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer." — Proverbs 30:25

"Be prepared, and prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. - Ezekiel 38:7

The Quality Of Your Performance & Productivity is determined By The Quality Of Your Preparation.

Ants though small are wise. You think they are one of the weakest creatures, but they have wisdom that many men do not have. An ant brain has about 250,000 brain cells. A human brain has 10,000 million so a colony of 40,000 ants has collectively the same size brain as a human. But what does the ant do with its little brain that we can learn from? It prepares for tomorrow. Are you prepared for the future?

Today I want to share with you the third leadership lesson I observed when meditating on the anchor verse. It's the word prepare that caught my eyes. Wisdom doesn't live in the present but prepares for tomorrow. Preparation is another crucial wisdom principle I want us to observe in the life of the ants today.

Agur, a little known figure in the Old Testament who wrote the proverbs of our anchor text, sat down with his son and daughter and took an entirely different approach. He said, "Children, I want you to imitate the ant.

The Bible says in Proverbs 30:25 "....The ants prepare their food in the summer."

The word "summer" here speaks of the present while winter speaks of the future. It takes source of insight or wisdom to store up food or prepare for tomorrow that isn't tangible yet. The ant works today for tomorrow. Or, to put it another way, the ant knows and understands the time and seasons. The Bible say in Genesis 8:22 "While the earth remains, seedtime (a time to prepare for harvest) and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." This means preparation precedes harvest. The ants is so wise to ignore the summer and prepare for the winter. The ants has the ability of delay gratification... It's willing to wait. You cannot prepare yourself if you don't have the patience to wait for the harvest.

A lot of people don't know, don't understand, the time. Some live in the past. Or they live on the sins and tragedies of the past. They remember every time and every hurt that others have inflicted upon them. They can never forget and always remember the sins of their youth. Others live only in the present. They live only for today and give no thought to tomorrow or yesterday. Since yesterday doesn't exist for these sort of people, the sins and lessons of yesterday don't exist either. So they never learn, they never make amends, they never attain progress. And, of course, they never save up for a rainy day or give a thought to their future. Then there are those who live in the future. They never do today what they can do tomorrow. Their constant and favorite refrain is "after" or "later." After I get married, after I graduate, after I get promoted, after I retire, then I'll do this or that.

The ant, in contrast, knows and understands the times and season. It has developed an instinct to prepare itself in the present. It knows it has to work in the summer to prepare for the winter. Ants love picnics, but not as a time to relax. Before you are gone the ants are carrying off the cookie and hamburger crumbs – one crumb at a time. The whole time you are eating and enjoying yourself they are busy, busy, busy – working, straining, carrying the load.

Like the ant we are to know and understand the time. Like the ant, we are to use the present in order to prepare for the future. So in the natural preparation is important. Preparation can never guarantee success, but the lack of preparation can certainly increase your propensity toward failure. As the saying goes, “ Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity ."
When leaders fail, it’s highly attributable to their lack of preparation. When an opportunity is missed, it’s often because leaders didn’t prepare themselves or their employees well enough to see and seize it. “If you want to take advantage of opportunities to use your talents, skills and giftings, then you must be prepared when the opportunities arise. Once the opportunity presents itself, it’s too late to get ready.”

“Preparation doesn’t begin with what you do. It begins with what you believe. If you believe that your success tomorrow depends on what you do today, then you will treat today differently… If you are preparing today, chances are, you will not be repairing tomorrow.”

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
equipping leaders with skills, weapons and tools? to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission.

Thursday, 18th May, 2017

TITLE : The Leadership Lessons & Wisdom Principles From The Ants 4

#2 No Excuses For Handicaps and Weaknesses

"There be four things which are little (weak) upoun the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer." — Proverbs 30:25

"Your value or worth as a true leader is not determined by your physical strength or size but by the operation of wisdom in your life."

Go to the ant is an inspired imperative to observe and learn from nature. Ants are creatures of wisdom though small yet they possess fine leadership qualities. God has a way of using the least likely to do the almighty because greatness is not measured by size. The ants teaches us that the the scope of your wisdom is not determined by your physical size or strength.

In Proverbs 30:25, the Bible says; "The ants are a people not strong." Ants are not strong!!. I want to point out another crucial point and a great leadership lesson here to you today that will change your mindset about leadership.

Great leadership does not mean we have all our acts together. Being a good leader doesn't mean you don't have some areas where you're weak or deficient. No matter how much you think you're strong you obviously know you aren't strong in some areas. We all possess weaknesses at different levels. We all struggle with one habits or the other. A danger of teaching conferences or writing great stuffs like this one is that people start to assume you're an expert who has mastered and practice everything you teach. Don't believe it. Like you, there are principles I don't do well, so I'm still working to improve my leadership. Just like you I have weakness. This is why we should never condemn people when they blow it because everyone is still a work in progress. God is not finished with me yet!!

So the lesson i want you to learn today is ants are also weak creatures yet they accomplish so much in life. They have colonised almost every landmass on earth except areas like Antartica. Ants are creature of small strength yet they thrive in most ecosystems. In fact ants are described as superorganism by zoologist. They can survive in so many environment.

Just like the ants, Leaders should not make excuses for or focus on their handicap or weakness rather they look for ways to make their handicap work for them. The ants are creatures of small strength and definitely not strong but this handicap does not stop them from achieving their goals. The ants are naturally at a disadvantage because of their size (weakness or disadvantage) but this does not hinder them from being a great leader.

The Bible say the ants are people not strong. Isn't that amazing? They do not thrive because they are strong. This teaches us that physical strength is not necessarily a requirement for leadership. It also means that God displays wisdom in the weakest people. What's that weakness in your life that you think its bigger enough to hinder you from becoming all that God has created you to be. The ants are not strong and the Bible acknowledges this. However a lack of strength does not stop them from reaching their goals. Did you observe that when God wanted to teach wisdom He didn't say we should go to the lion because the Bible say in Ecclessiates 9:16 wisdom is better than strength...even weapons of war. The most powerful animal i believe is the ants not the lion. Let me explain, Ants though they aren't a strong creature yet they are not intimidated by the size of their workload, ants can carry a load or food size that is weigh 30-40 times their individual size. Have you ever tried lifting an object that is twice your own weight? Of course you'll crash and fall. The ants can lift an object that is 30 times their original weight. The elephants and no other powerful animal possess this kind of amazing strength (wisdom). This is why I wrote that the ants are the most powerful animal on earth because they are exceedingly wise. Ants are model of wisdom and strength. Being strong doesn't mean you're wise but a wise man is indeed a strong man.

Proverbs 30:24-28 (NIV)
"Four things on earth are small,
yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; Coneys are creatures of little power,
yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand,
yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

These verses were written by Agur the son of Jakeh, he was a contemporary of Solomon’s and was considered wise enough to be included in this book of wisdom. In this text, Agur lists four things on Earth that are very small – yet, despite their size – they are wise . . . and when we study them, we can find some great lessons.

The Ant: (Speaks of Preparation)
What he’s not: STRONG
Wise because: He prepare for the future.

Reflection : A strong leader is not necessarily a wise leader but a wise leader is a strong leader.

© David Oyeleye

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
equipping leaders with skills, weapons and tools to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission.

Wednesday, 17th May, 2017

TITLE : The Leadership Lessons & Wisdom Principles From The Ants 3

#1 SELF MOTIVATION

"Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest." Proverbs 6:6-8

Andrew Carnegie said "People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents."

Yesterday i said "If you want to excel in life, self motivation is essential. That’s the only way to get the power you need to overcome difficulties."
The question you're asking is: how do you motivate yourself? Here are several tips I’ve found to be effective to build self motivation:

#1 Have a purpose for living

I can’t think of a more powerful source of motivation than a cause or purpose you care about. Such cause can inspire you to give your best even in the face of difficulties. It can make you do the seemingly impossible things.
While other causes could inspire you temporarily, a cause that matters to you can inspire you indefinitely. It’s a spring of motivation that will never dry. Whenever you think that you run out of motivation, you can always come to your cause to get a fresh dose of motivation.

#2 Clarify your Vision & Dreams

Your cause is a powerful source of motivation but it’s still abstract in nature. You need to make it concrete in the form of a dream or vision. A vision is an inspiring picture of the future that energizes your mind, will, and emotions to do everything in your power to achieve it. A vision is an inspiring picture of the future that energizes your mind, will, and emotions to do everything in your power to achieve it. “Vision gives you reason to get up in the morning.” A vision leads the leader. It provides the spark that propels a leader forward. Vision activates your sense of purpose, connecting your daily work to your understanding of why you were placed on this earth. The clarity of your vision relates directly to your level of motivation. Having a dream is important because it’s difficult to be motivated if you don’t have anything to shoot for. Just think about people who play basketball. Will they be motivated to play if there is no basket to aim at? I don’t think so. They need a goal. You need a goal. That’s what your dream is for.
But just having a dream is insufficient. Your dream must be big enough to inspire you. It must be realistic but challenging. It must stretch your ability beyond your comfort zone.

#3 Be hungry

I love what Les Brown said about being hungry

"Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way."

To be truly motivated, you need to have hunger
and not just a mere wish . Having mere wish won’t take you through difficult times since you don’t want things badly enough. In many cases, hunger makes the difference between the best performers and the mediocre ones.

#4 Run your own race

Someone said I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself. Comparing yourself with others is an effective way to demotivate yourself. Even if you start with enthusiasm, you will soon lose your energy when you compare yourself with others.
Don’t let that happen to you. You have your own race so how other people perform is irrelevant. Comparing yourself with others is like comparing the performance of a swimmer with a runner using the same time standard. They are different so how can you compare one with the other? The only competitor you have is yourself. The only one you need to beat is you . Have you become the best you can be?

#5  Let go of the past

Always remember to forget the things that demotivate you and never forget to remember the things that inspire you. Believe it or not, one of the best demotivators is your past. Your past can drag you down before you realize it. Your past can give you a heavy burden on your shoulders. The good news is it’s a burden you don’t have to carry. Take it off your shoulder and leave it. You might make mistakes in the past. You might disappoint others with what you did. But it’s over. It’s already in the past and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Today is a new day and you have the chance to start again. No matter how bad your past might be, you still have a bright future ahead waiting for you. Just don’t let the burden of the past stop you. Thanks for Sharing this article.

To be continued.....

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
equipping leaders with skills, weapons and tools to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission.

Wednesday, 17th May, 2017

TITLE : The Leadership Lessons & Wisdom Principles From The Ants 3

#1 SELF MOTIVATION

"Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest." Proverbs 6:6-8

Andrew Carnegie said "People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents."

Yesterday i said "If you want to excel in life, self motivation is essential. That’s the only way to get the power you need to overcome difficulties."
The question you're asking is: how do you motivate yourself? Here are several tips I’ve found to be effective to build self motivation:

#1 Have a purpose for living

I can’t think of a more powerful source of motivation than a cause or purpose you care about. Such cause can inspire you to give your best even in the face of difficulties. It can make you do the seemingly impossible things.
While other causes could inspire you temporarily, a cause that matters to you can inspire you indefinitely. It’s a spring of motivation that will never dry. Whenever you think that you run out of motivation, you can always come to your cause to get a fresh dose of motivation.

#2 Clarify your Vision & Dreams

Your cause is a powerful source of motivation but it’s still abstract in nature. You need to make it concrete in the form of a dream or vision. A vision is an inspiring picture of the future that energizes your mind, will, and emotions to do everything in your power to achieve it. A vision is an inspiring picture of the future that energizes your mind, will, and emotions to do everything in your power to achieve it. “Vision gives you reason to get up in the morning.” A vision leads the leader. It provides the spark that propels a leader forward. Vision activates your sense of purpose, connecting your daily work to your understanding of why you were placed on this earth. The clarity of your vision relates directly to your level of motivation. Having a dream is important because it’s difficult to be motivated if you don’t have anything to shoot for. Just think about people who play basketball. Will they be motivated to play if there is no basket to aim at? I don’t think so. They need a goal. You need a goal. That’s what your dream is for.
But just having a dream is insufficient. Your dream must be big enough to inspire you. It must be realistic but challenging. It must stretch your ability beyond your comfort zone.

#3 Be hungry

I love what Les Brown said about being hungry

"Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way."

To be truly motivated, you need to have hunger
and not just a mere wish . Having mere wish won’t take you through difficult times since you don’t want things badly enough. In many cases, hunger makes the difference between the best performers and the mediocre ones.

#4 Run your own race

Someone said I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself. Comparing yourself with others is an effective way to demotivate yourself. Even if you start with enthusiasm, you will soon lose your energy when you compare yourself with others.
Don’t let that happen to you. You have your own race so how other people perform is irrelevant. Comparing yourself with others is like comparing the performance of a swimmer with a runner using the same time standard. They are different so how can you compare one with the other? The only competitor you have is yourself. The only one you need to beat is you . Have you become the best you can be?

#5  Let go of the past

Always remember to forget the things that demotivate you and never forget to remember the things that inspire you. Believe it or not, one of the best demotivators is your past. Your past can drag you down before you realize it. Your past can give you a heavy burden on your shoulders. The good news is it’s a burden you don’t have to carry. Take it off your shoulder and leave it. You might make mistakes in the past. You might disappoint others with what you did. But it’s over. It’s already in the past and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Today is a new day and you have the chance to start again. No matter how bad your past might be, you still have a bright future ahead waiting for you. Just don’t let the burden of the past stop you. Thanks for Sharing this article.

To be continued.....

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
equipping leaders with skills, weapons and tools to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission.

Tuesday, 16th May, 2017

TITLE : The Leadership Lessons & Wisdom Principles From The Ants 2

#1 SELF MOTIVATION

"Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest." Proverbs 6:6-8

Andrew Carnegie said "People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents."

Ants are amazing creatures.  It’s estimated that if you were to weigh all of the ants on earth, they would weigh more than the total human population. Whilst we don’t want them running around in our kitchens, there is a lot that we can learn from them. The ants appear to be a small and insignificant part of nature but the reality is that although they are small they are in no way insignificant as they possess some very fine leadership qualities. Every leader or aspiring leader in any field of endeavour has something to learn from these creatures. The Bible mentions them in the book of Proverbs which happens to be the book of wisdom. This is not surprising, as they are, without any doubt, creatures of wisdom. To teach us the danger of laziness or foolishness in our lives, God points us to an unlikely teaching source. “Go to the ant”, He tells us, to learn valuable lessons. What can we learn from the ants? Ants teach us how to be self-motivated. “Which, having no captain, overseer, or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest” (Prov 6:7-8).

If you want to excel in life, self motivation is essential. Self motivation is the first leadership lesson I highlighted in the beginning of this ant series. We're currently studying the ants. Ants are self motivated. Leaders are naturally self motivated. You must know how to motivate yourself. You must be able to keep your spirit high no matter how discouraging a situation is. That’s the only way to get the power you need to overcome difficulties. Those who are discouraged in difficult times are certain to lose even before the battle is over. Self-motivation is a power that drives us to keep moving ahead.

WHAT IS SELF MOTIVATION?

Motivation is what pushes us to achieve our goals, feel more fulfilled and improve overall quality of life. Self-motivation is, in its simplest form, the force that drives you to do things. It is the ability to do what needs to be done, without influence from other people or situations.
People with self motivation can find a reason and strength to complete a task, even when challenging, without giving up or needing another to encourage them.

Self-motivation is a key life skill and something that everybody interested in personal development should think carefully about. It is also a key part of emotional intelligence, one of the three areas of personal skills that are integral to the concept.

Are you motivated to achieve what you really want in life?
So, what's the difference between those who never reach their goals, year after year, and those who achieve one goal after another? Often, it's their self-motivation. Wanting to do something and motivating yourself to actually do it are two different things.

Self-motivation is the force that keeps pushing us to go on – it's our internal drive to achieve, produce, develop, and keep moving forward. When you think you're ready to quit something, or you just don't know how to start, your self-motivation is what pushes you to go on.
With self-motivation, you'll learn and grow – regardless of the specific situation. That's why it's such a fundamental tool for reaching your goals, achieving your dreams, and succeeding, in this journey we call life.

The best motivation is self-motivation. In fact, not many people succeed in life without self-generated drive. If you rely on others to energize you, or hesitate until the right mood hits, or delay until circumstances are ideal, then you’ll spend most of your life waiting. Leaders motivate themselves internally rather than depending on external incentives. There’s a world of difference between unmotivated and self-motived people.
Unmotivated people give required effort. Motivated people give inspired effort.

If self-motivation is such a valuable leadership trait, then the question is: where does self-motivation come from?

We will continue this discussion in the next episode as we study more leadership lessons and attributes of wisdom that we can learn from the ant.

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
equipping leaders with skills, weapons and tools to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission.

Tuesday, 16th May, 2017

TITLE : The Leadership Lessons & Wisdom Principles From The Ants 2

#1 SELF MOTIVATION

"Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest." Proverbs 6:6-8

Andrew Carnegie said "People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents."

Ants are amazing creatures.  It’s estimated that if you were to weigh all of the ants on earth, they would weigh more than the total human population. Whilst we don’t want them running around in our kitchens, there is a lot that we can learn from them. The ants appear to be a small and insignificant part of nature but the reality is that although they are small they are in no way insignificant as they possess some very fine leadership qualities. Every leader or aspiring leader in any field of endeavour has something to learn from these creatures. The Bible mentions them in the book of Proverbs which happens to be the book of wisdom. This is not surprising, as they are, without any doubt, creatures of wisdom. To teach us the danger of laziness or foolishness in our lives, God points us to an unlikely teaching source. “Go to the ant”, He tells us, to learn valuable lessons. What can we learn from the ants? Ants teach us how to be self-motivated. “Which, having no captain, overseer, or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest” (Prov 6:7-8).

If you want to excel in life, self motivation is essential. Self motivation is the first leadership lesson I highlighted in the beginning of this ant series. We're currently studying the ants. Ants are self motivated. Leaders are naturally self motivated. You must know how to motivate yourself. You must be able to keep your spirit high no matter how discouraging a situation is. That’s the only way to get the power you need to overcome difficulties. Those who are discouraged in difficult times are certain to lose even before the battle is over. Self-motivation is a power that drives us to keep moving ahead.

WHAT IS SELF MOTIVATION?

Motivation is what pushes us to achieve our goals, feel more fulfilled and improve overall quality of life. Self-motivation is, in its simplest form, the force that drives you to do things. It is the ability to do what needs to be done, without influence from other people or situations.
People with self motivation can find a reason and strength to complete a task, even when challenging, without giving up or needing another to encourage them.

Self-motivation is a key life skill and something that everybody interested in personal development should think carefully about. It is also a key part of emotional intelligence, one of the three areas of personal skills that are integral to the concept.

Are you motivated to achieve what you really want in life?
So, what's the difference between those who never reach their goals, year after year, and those who achieve one goal after another? Often, it's their self-motivation. Wanting to do something and motivating yourself to actually do it are two different things.

Self-motivation is the force that keeps pushing us to go on – it's our internal drive to achieve, produce, develop, and keep moving forward. When you think you're ready to quit something, or you just don't know how to start, your self-motivation is what pushes you to go on.
With self-motivation, you'll learn and grow – regardless of the specific situation. That's why it's such a fundamental tool for reaching your goals, achieving your dreams, and succeeding, in this journey we call life.

The best motivation is self-motivation. In fact, not many people succeed in life without self-generated drive. If you rely on others to energize you, or hesitate until the right mood hits, or delay until circumstances are ideal, then you’ll spend most of your life waiting. Leaders motivate themselves internally rather than depending on external incentives. There’s a world of difference between unmotivated and self-motived people.
Unmotivated people give required effort. Motivated people give inspired effort.

If self-motivation is such a valuable leadership trait, then the question is: where does self-motivation come from?

We will continue this discussion in the next episode as we study more leadership lessons and attributes of wisdom that we can learn from the ant.

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
equipping leaders with skills, weapons and tools to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission.

Thursday, 11th May, 2017

TITLE : The Leadership Lessons & Wisdom Principles From The Ants 1

#1 SELF MOTIVATION

"Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest." Proverbs 6:6-8

Ants appear only twice in the Bible, both times in the Book of Proverbs being lauded for their wisdom (Proverbs 6:6-8, 30:24-25).
To teach us the danger of foolishness in our lives, God points us to an unlikely teaching source. “Go to the ant”, He tells us, to learn valuable lessons.  It's amazing that one of the smallest of God's creatures can become one of His greatest teachers.This tells us that the scope of your wisdom is not a function of your size. If an ant could be deemed as wise because of certain practices, then no one has an excuse for not being wise. What can we learn from the ants? Are you ready to learn from the ants?

The first leadership lesson we are told about the ant in our anchor scripture is that they have no guide. This speaks of self leadership or self motivation. The Ants teach us how to be self-motivated. “Which, having no captain, overseer, or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer.."
Unlike sheep that need someone to lead them, direct them, encourage them. The ant does not have anyone to tell it what to do. In other words, the ant uses its initative without supervision. The ability to preempt situations and act accordingly is a key attribute of wisdom and leadership.

World renowned Business consultant, Brian Tracy said "only 2% of the world population can work effectively without supervision. We call these people leaders. This is what you are meant to be". You're not a leader if you cannot work or do what you're supposed to do without supervision. As a matter fact this quality of working without supervision is a litmus test of maturity. No one carries a whip behind the ant to ensure the work gets done. There are no time cards in the anthill. No ant mothers nag their babies to get out of bed. These creatures are self-motivated, and need no captain to ensure they get their work done. Why? Their work is for their own good! As Christians, maturity means we no longer need someone standing behind us, Bible in hand, to ensure our work gets done.

Leaders are initiators. John C. Maxwell has said, "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way."  This is true of the ants; they have no leader because they require no leader. They know the way, they go the way and definitely they show the way to all who care to learn from them. These creatures are leaders, they are self-starters, and they are initiators. No one needs to point them in the right direction or monitor them to ensure they go there. They are able to do this all by themselves. This is without doubt the characteristic of a leader.

Leaders are motivated irrespective of feelings or circumstances. Leaders do not require motivation to do what they know is important and required. They are self-motivated. These creatures do not need a leader to motivate them to get the job done; they motivate themselves.

The ants are initiators, self motivated and can work effectively without a leader or supervision. Do you possess this quality as a person.

We will continue this discussion tommorow as we study more leadership lessons and attributes of wisdom that we can learn from the ant.

Thanks for reading this article.

Leadership Capsule.

..Equipping leaders with tools, skills and weapons to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately the Great Commission..

Monday, April 03, 2017

TITLE : Leadership Is Empowerment

Preparing the next Generation to Lead

The call to leadership is a call to empowering people. Christian leaders are given the great responsibility to not only lead well, but to invest in the next generation so that they can carry on the gospel task. This is essential for leaders and future leaders to remember. In fact, one of the goals of leadership is to make yourself replaceable. Ideally, a leader should put people and systems in place so that if they have to leave their leadership role for some reason, things will keep running smoothly.  The best measure of a leader is the leaders that he or she leaves behind.
Max DePree put it well when he said that: “Succession is one of the key responsibilities of leadership.” Moses, David, Jesus, and Paul all did this well: they identified followers who would lead God’s people well after they left.

A leader is great, not because of his or her power, gifts or position but because of his or her ability to empower others. Empowerment or Mentoring is a nonnegotiable function of successful leadership. True leaders know that their success is measured, to a large degree, by their successors.  Success without a successor is a failure. I don't know what you want to accomplish in life, but I can tell you this : legacy lives on in people, not in things. Too often leaders put their energy into organizations, buildings, projects, or lifeless objects. But only people live on after we are gone. Everything else is temporary. Make sure you pass the baton. Just anybody can make an organization look good for a moment, but the best leaders lead today with tomorrow in mind. They make sure they invest, empower, mentor, train and build people who will carry their legacy forward. Why? Because a leader's lasting value is measured by succession. Like Paul, a leader should seek to identify future leaders, build them up, empower them and give them resources and opportunities, and turn them loose.

True leaders invest in people and not in cathedrals. Leadership is not building monument. Jesus the greatest leader that ever lived never invested in buildings, programs or projects. He was focused on the assignment to raise leaders that reproduce other leaders. Jesus did not invest in multitude because He understood it's impossible to mass produce leaders. Jesus devoted his life empowering the 12 leaders that will live his legacy. The life and ministry of Jesus taught me an important leadership lesson that a leader's success or influence is not determined by the number of his followers. Jesus never focused on following because he understood that the function of leadership is to create more leaders not followers.

TITLE : Relationships 101 : Growth & Development Of Relationships 19

Trust: The Foundation of Leadership

DON’T LET BROKEN TRUST RUST OUT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

“To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.” ~George MacDonald

We're currently in the third section, nineteenth episode of "Relationships 101", which covers the growth and development of relationships.
Today I would like to talk to you about the topic of trust and how you can repair broken trust.

A relationship that is not built on solid trust will soon rust. When you’ve broken a teammate’s trust, don’t let the relationship rust; take action immediately to repair and restore it.
I consider it a great privilege when people share their dreams, weaknesses, secret or life story with me. It shows a great deal of courage and trust. And at that moment, I'm conscious that I have great power in their lives. That's no small matter. A wrong word can crush the relationship. If someone thinks enough of you to trust you about his or her life, take care.

As a leader, you’re out in front casting vision and giving direction. You’re vocal and highly visible; your words and deeds affect a lot of people. You must be tact in communication. Relationship is 85% communication. Ever since I knew the impact of words on people I'm careful to speak what will hurt the person. A leader must be tact in communication. Eventually, you’re going to say or do something that violates another person’s trust in you. You’ll deliver criticism at the wrong time, speak more harshly than a situation merits, forget to fulfill a promise, etc. However, it’s not an initial misstep, but the poor response to it, that does the most damage in a relationship.

Steps to Repair Trust in Your Relationships:

#1 Acknowledge That Trust Has Been Broken

Rust on the body of an automobile may barely be noticed at first, and it poses no immediate threat. However, if not dealt with sooner or later, it will cause a problem. Rust slowly corrodes metal and thus eats away at the frame of the vehicle, damaging its structural integrity. Like a car owner who would rather overlook the rust on his vehicle than spend time and money to fix it, we often ignore having violated trust in our relationships.

#2 Choose to Forgive the Other Person’s Misbehavior

Once we acknowledge that we’ve broken someone’s trust, we also have to seek forgiveness. We must choose to forgive before we will be able to sincerely work to repair trust in the relationship. People who have difficulty forgiving others do not have a realistic view of their own fallibilities and weaknesses. By withholding forgiveness, we’re operating under the assumption that we do everything right. The moment we realize how much we mess up and stand in need of forgiveness, we become more understanding and forgiving of others.

#3 Admit Your Responsibility and Apologize

Admit that what you did was wrong and say you are sorry. It may be painful for the moment, but it strengthens the relationship in the long run.
Apologizing isn’t costly; making amends is. Whenever possible, make restitution to those you have harmed. Say you’re sorry with your actions and not just your words.

Life is more scenic on the high road! Be quick to accept responsibility for the part you have played in damaging trust in a relationship. The only way you can make a man trustworthy is by trusting him; and the surest way to make him untrustworthy is to distrust him and show your distrust.” Haven’t you found that to be true of yourself? We all want to be trusted. And by taking the leap of faith to trust in someone, you give them a gift that they usually want to repay. Remember, the greatest gift anyone can ever give you is not their time, energy, or effort, affection but their trust. So do everything in your power to deserve it and to preserve it.

TITLE : Relationships 101 : Growth & Development Of Relationships 18

Trust: The Foundation of Leadership

How Can I Build Trust with Others?

“To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.” ~George MacDonald

Welcome to the 18th episode of the Relationship 101 series. I hope this spur and challenge you to becoming a better leader. Today we begin the third and final section of "Relationships 101 series". This section covers the growth and development of relationships. I would like to talk to you about the topic of trust and how it is the foundation of leadership.

Strong character - values or integrity is the basis of trust. Character is the most essential component of leadership. Trust just like respect is the one quality that cannot be acquired, but must be earned. It is given by co-workers and followers, and without it, the leader can’t function. Trust is the foundation upon which relationships in every setting are built. It is the emotional glue that holds leaders and followers together. The moment trust is gone in leadership, everything begins to fall apart. trust is necessary in ALL good relationships. Good marriages, business relationships, and friendships all require trust. Without it, there can be no open and honest interaction, and the relationship will be only temporary.

The highest gift anyone can give you is not their time, energy, respect, admiration, resources or their effort. The highest gift they can give you is their trust. Do everything you can to protect it.

Trust is an attitude that allows people to rely on, and place confidence in, other people. By establishing trust, leaders introduce a degree of stability and certainty into the chaos of life. “Do my people trust me?” is the central question of leadership, and leaders must continually monitor the level of trust that exists on their team.

Building Trust

#1 Show Respect : People are drawn to those who make them feel valuable. Leaders win trust when they expect the best from their people and treat them as worthy of respect. In a sense, followers are like mirrors: they reflect back the level of trust that’s shown to them.

#2 Be Dependable : People trust what has proved to be reliable over time. They take note of a leader’s readiness to sacrifice for their benefit and of his or her willingness to work hard on their behalf. Once they’re convinced that the leader is on their side, fighting for them, people naturally extend trust.

#3 Speak truthfully : Being truthful involves the twin components of consistency and honesty. Honest leaders speak in a sincere, forthright manner. They mean what they say, and they refuse to shy away from the truth—even when it’s uncomfortable. Leaders help people get past the discomfort of painful truths and help them move toward decisions that improve their situation and bring growth. In the long run, people trust and appreciate straight-talkers more than sweet-talkers.

#4 Develop Character

Character is integrating your words, deeds and actions. (I'll share deeper on character in the new series). Perhaps nothing evaporates trust faster than when leaders are weak in values or character.  A leader demonstrates consistency by making words and action compatible. "When your words and actions match, people know they can trust you." Character makes trust possible.
Trust makes leadership possible.

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
... equipping leaders with tools, skills, and weapons to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

TITLE : Relationships 101 : Growth & Development Of Relationships

Trust: The Foundation of Leadership

How Can I Build Trust with Others?

“To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.” ~George MacDonald

Welcome to the 17th episode of the relationship 101 series. I hope this spur you to becoming a better leader. Today we begin the third and final section of "Relationships 101 series". This section covers the growth and development of relationships. I would like to talk to you about the topic of trust and how it is the foundation of leadership.

Strong character - values or integrity is the basis of trust. Character is the most essential component of leadership. Trust just like respect is the one quality that cannot be acquired, but must be earned. It is given by co-workers and followers, and without it, the leader can’t function. Trust is the foundation upon which relationships in every setting are built. It is the emotional glue that holds leaders and followers together. The moment trust is gone in leadership, everything begins to fall apart. trust is necessary in ALL good relationships. Good marriages, business relationships, and friendships all require trust. Without it, there can be no open and honest interaction, and the relationship will be only temporary.

The highest gift anyone can give you is not their time, energy, respect, admiration, resources or their effort. The highest gift they can give you is their trust. Do everything you can to protect it.

Trust is an attitude that allows people to rely on, and place confidence in, other people. By establishing trust, leaders introduce a degree of stability and certainty into the chaos of life. “Do my people trust me?” is the central question of leadership, and leaders must continually monitor the level of trust that exists on their team.

Building Trust

#1 Show Respect : People are drawn to those who make them feel valuable. Leaders win trust when they expect the best from their people and treat them as worthy of respect. In a sense, followers are like mirrors: they reflect back the level of trust that’s shown to them.

#2 Be Dependable : People trust what has proved to be reliable over time. They take note of a leader’s readiness to sacrifice for their benefit and of his or her willingness to work hard on their behalf. Once they’re convinced that the leader is on their side, fighting for them, people naturally extend trust.

#3 Speak truthfully : Being truthful involves the twin components of consistency and honesty. Honest leaders speak in a sincere, forthright manner. They mean what they say, and they refuse to shy away from the truth—even when it’s uncomfortable. Leaders help people get past the discomfort of painful truths and help them move toward decisions that improve their situation and bring growth. In the long run, people trust and appreciate straight-talkers more than sweet-talkers.

#4 Develop Character

Character is integrating your words, deeds and actions. (I'll share deeper on character in the new series). Perhaps nothing evaporates trust faster than when leaders are weak in values or character.  A leader demonstrates consistency by making words and action compatible. "When your words and actions match, people know they can trust you." Character makes trust possible.
Trust makes leadership possible.

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
... equipping leaders with tools, skills, and weapons to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission

Monday, March 20, 2017

TITLE : The Awesome Power Of Encouragement

Leaders are called to be encouragers

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Encourage one another and build each other up.."

Hebrews. 3:13 “Encourage one another daily…”

Let’s face it — life can be really hard or tough. God is good, but in the midst of his goodness, we are still living in the midst of brokenness, hurts because we live in a fallen world. God is on our side and He loves us very much, but that doesn’t exempt us from experiencing deep, deep pain. There are times in this life when many of us might find ourselves right on the edge… ready to give up on our marriage, give up on a child or give up on our faith. We might get to the point where we feel like we can’t take it any more.
When this happens, sometimes the only difference between us going on or giving up, succeeding or failing is a simple word of encouragement . Encouragement doesn’t mean having sympathy, or feeling bad for someone.
The definition of encouragement is: “To inspire with courage, and to help someone to continue, to give aid, support and help.” This help can come in many forms, such as in a friend’s loving presence, a letter, a phone call, or a prayer.

In the last episode we studied the life of Barnabas which means "son of encouragement". Can you imagine how devastating it was for Mark when Paul refused to let him go on the next missionary journey? He could have been so discouraged that he quit the ministry or even gave up on God. However, Barnabas (Son of Encouragement) stood beside his friend John Mark despite his past failure and encouraged him in the work of the Lord. He lifted John Mark up and gave him another chance and inspired him to continue in the ministry. Barnabas’ encouragement changed John Mark's life. Think about it, what would have happened if Mark had quit? We probably wouldn’t have the Gospel according to Mark. John Mark later became useful to the ministry of Paul. That's the awesome power of encouragement!!

The story is told about an old man who lived in a small town who was known around town for never saying any unkind words to anyone. Every word that came out of his mouth was encouraging and positive. And people in the town couldn’t stand it because they liked to talk about people. So one day, a vicious, dog, who terrorized the towns people for years, died. And so the towns people got together and began to say all kinds of bad things about the dog. After a while, the people went over to the nice man’s house to see what he would say about the dog.
They knew that he could not say anything good about the dog. However, when the town's people asked him what he thought about the dog, the nice man paused, and said, “That dog sure did have pretty teeth.”  If we look for the best in people and not the worst, we will always find something good in everyone.

LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS.

When someone does something good in your eyes, simply tell them. It will make a world of difference to that individual.

For example:
a. If you enjoyed someone’s prayer, tell them.
b. If someone becomes a Christian, encourage him or her in their faith.
c. If someone at your work does a good job, give them a pat on the back.
d. If your children do something good, give them praise. Children constantly need encouragement because it builds up their self-worth and importance.

Finally Brethren, we need to be a people of encouragement!! The Bible commands us to do this. By being an encourager, we can change someone’s life,  chart a new course in their destiny and we can build people’s self-worth.

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
... equipping leaders with tools, skills, and weapons to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission

Saturday, March 18, 2017

TITLE : The Awesome Power Of Encouragement

Leaders are called to be encouragers

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Encourage one another and build each other up.."

Hebrews. 3:13 “Encourage one another daily…”

During Jesus’ last night on earth, the number one thing he wanted us to know was this: “Love one another the way I have loved you.”  Why? Because when we sacrificially and unconditionally love one another the way Jesus loved us, then the whole world will know that we are his followers. So how do we specifically love one another in concrete, tangible ways from the heart?One of the most important ways we can love one another the way Jesus instructed us is by encouraging each other. One of the most important ways we can love one another the way Jesus instructed us is by encouraging each other - hoping and believing the best in people.

Today, I would like to take a quick look at the life of Barnabas, and share with you why he earned the name “ Son of encouragement.”' His original name was Joses, or Joseph, but the apostles in the early church gave him the name Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement” or “ Son of Exhortation” ( Acts 4:36 ). By the way, this name is very special. The word for “ consolation, or encouragement” comes from the same Greek word Parakletos  that is translated “ Comforter”, and which refers to the Holy Ghost, John 14:26 .  Like I said yesterday Parakletos refers to one who comes alongside of another to offer help and encouragement, exhortation or comfort.

Can you imagine being so encouraging to others that Christ's followers would choose a new name to call you to fit that? Being “full of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 11:24 ), Barnabas seemed to excel at encouragement and exhortation. We read an interesting account in the later portion of Acts 9,  Acts 11:22-24 that sheds more light on Barnabas' encouraging nature.

When Apostle Paul, formerly called Saul, tried to reconcile with the Jerusalem church after having persecuted many of its members before he became a Christian, the church did not accept him at first because of his past and how he had killed christians but Barnabas was at his side and encouraged Paul. Barnabas spoke to the apostles and verified Paul's story of his conversion.( Acts 9:26-30 ). Barnabas also supported Paul by explaining how strongly he had preached in Damascus. Eventually, Paul was accepted within the Church (albeit perhaps with some caution). But would he have been accepted in Antioch and Jerusalem had he not been “vouched for” by someone with such a solid reputation as Barnabas? There is still a need for this kind of ministry today! We need to make the effort and take the time to reach out and encourage those around us who seem to be lonely or who have been rejected by others.
This is especially true at church. We should do our best to make everyone who comes to this place called church feel as if they belong here and are accepted just as they are. Every person who darkens these doors should feel like they have returned home after a long absence! We need to love them, welcome them and accept them into our services regardless of their life!

In Acts 11:22 - When the church in Jerusalem heard that there was a new group of believers in Antioch, they sent Barnabas to them to help them along. The Bible tells us that when he arrived, he “ exhorted ” them. This means that he “ offered them encouragement! ”

After some time had passed, Paul proposed that he and Barnabas retrace the steps of their original journey and strengthen the churches that had been established ( Acts 15:36 ). Sadly, a serious disagreement came between Barnabas and Paul over whether young John Mark would accompany them on this trip. Apostle Paul was so upset with John Mark returning home in the middle of their first journey that he didn't want him to come on this trip. Barnabas insisted that they should take Mark. With this matter standing between them, they went separate ways ( Acts 15:39-41 ). This disagreement was not permanent, however, as Paul and Barnabas later worked together in serving the church in Corinth (see 1 Corinthians 9:6 ). Barnabas continue to encourage (teach) Young John Mark in his ministry. Later still, Paul implicitly acknowledged that Barnabas had been right not to give up on John Mark because he had become a good minister—he was “useful” to Paul for ministry (2 Timothy 4:11 ). God used Barnabas in a very influential way in the development of the early New Testament Church. His nickname of Encourager flowed from living God's way of life.

Again, there is a lesson here for us today. We ought to do everything in our power to encourage other believers in their walk with the Lord.

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
... equipping leaders with tools, skills, and weapons to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission

Friday, March 17, 2017

TITLE : The Awesome Power Of Encouragement

Leaders are called to be encouragers

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Encourage one another and build each other up.."

Hebrews. 3:13 “Encourage one another daily…”

We all experience times and situations when
we need an encourager—someone who lifts us
up if we’re down, motivates us to keep going
when we want to give up, and stands with us
through every challenging circumstance. What’s more, each of us needs to be an encourager
to someone else. There are people all around us who are discouraged and could use a word of comfort or an act of kindness. Whether friends, family members, acquaintances, or strangers, we could make a tremendous difference in someone’s life.

Leaders are to be encouragers and not discouragers. God has called leaders especially Christians to be encouragers. In our churches today, we need to be encouragers--building one another up, inspiring one another, and strengthening one another in our faith. Although God has commanded us to encourage one another, sometimes, we do just the opposite. Since we are human beings, at times, we…
a. Discourage one another instead of encourage one another.
b. Concentrate on people’s weaknesses and faults instead of their strengths and abilities.
c. Criticize others instead of complimenting them on their good qualities.
d. Tear down instead of building up.

When Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica,
he encouraged them with assurances of Christ’s
return and information about what to expect.
Then he said, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another just as you also are doing (1 Thess. 5:11). The Greek word for an encourager here is “parakletos,” which means “one who is called alongside to help.” Encourager also mean to comfort, exhort, build up, help, bear burden. And that’s exactly what we are to do for one another—come alongside to help. The night before His crucifixion, Jesus told the disciples that although He was leaving, He would send them another Helper (John 14:16-18). This is the same Greek word, “parakletos.

TODAY WE WILL EXPLORE TWO POINTS REGARDING ENCOURAGEMENT THAT I HOPE WILL INSPIRE US TO BE ENCOURAGERS AND NOT DISCOURAGERS.

FIRST, WHY SHOULD WE BE AN ENCOURAGER?

We should encourage people because God's Word commands it and also BY BEING AN ENCOURAGER, WE CAN CHANGE OR INFLUENCE SOMEONE’S LIFE. To often we can diagnose people unfairly and label them a failure. Moreover, we treat them as failures. However, in reality, we should believe in and encourage them and when we do, we can possibly change the course of their lives.

SECOND, HOW CAN WE ENCOURAGE OTHERS?

WE NEED TO LOOK FOR THE BEST IN PEOPLE AND NOT THE WORST. That is how we can change the course of their lives. I already defined encouragement as believing and expecting the best in people. We all have weaknesses. No one is perfect. And since we are all frail human beings, we could pick each other to death with destructive criticism. But if we look at people’s strengths and good qualities, we will enjoy each other and build each other up. We cannot dwell on people's weaknesses, but instead we should focus on their good qualities!

Brethren, we need to be a people of encouragement! The Bible commands us to do this. It is so easy to get caught up in tearing others down. There is nothing good that can come out of discouraging others. So if you are constantly tearing people down, it is time to stop it and start building them up with kind words of encouragement. Be an encourager, the world already has plenty of critics already.

When you leave this earth, do you want to be remembered as an encourager or discourager?

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
... equipping leaders with tools, skills, and weapons to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission

Friday, March 17, 2017

TITLE : The Awesome Power Of Encouragement

Leaders are called to be encouragers

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Encourage one another and build each other up.."

Hebrews. 3:13 “Encourage one another daily…”

We all experience times and situations when
we need an encourager—someone who lifts us
up if we’re down, motivates us to keep going
when we want to give up, and stands with us
through every challenging circumstance. What’s more, each of us needs to be an encourager
to someone else. There are people all around us who are discouraged and could use a word of comfort or an act of kindness. Whether friends, family members, acquaintances, or strangers, we could make a tremendous difference in someone’s life.

Leaders are to be encouragers and not discouragers. God has called leaders especially Christians to be encouragers. In our churches today, we need to be encouragers--building one another up, inspiring one another, and strengthening one another in our faith. Although God has commanded us to encourage one another, sometimes, we do just the opposite. Since we are human beings, at times, we…
a. Discourage one another instead of encourage one another.
b. Concentrate on people’s weaknesses and faults instead of their strengths and abilities.
c. Criticize others instead of complimenting them on their good qualities.
d. Tear down instead of building up.

When Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica,
he encouraged them with assurances of Christ’s
return and information about what to expect.
Then he said, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another just as you also are doing (1 Thess. 5:11). The Greek word for an encourager here is “parakletos,” which means “one who is called alongside to help.” Encourager also mean to comfort, exhort, build up, help, bear burden. And that’s exactly what we are to do for one another—come alongside to help. The night before His crucifixion, Jesus told the disciples that although He was leaving, He would send them another Helper (John 14:16-18). This is the same Greek word, “parakletos.

TODAY WE WILL EXPLORE TWO POINTS REGARDING ENCOURAGEMENT THAT I HOPE WILL INSPIRE US TO BE ENCOURAGERS AND NOT DISCOURAGERS.

FIRST, WHY SHOULD WE BE AN ENCOURAGER?

We should encourage people because God's Word commands it and also BY BEING AN ENCOURAGER, WE CAN CHANGE OR INFLUENCE SOMEONE’S LIFE. To often we can diagnose people unfairly and label them a failure. Moreover, we treat them as failures. However, in reality, we should believe in and encourage them and when we do, we can possibly change the course of their lives.

SECOND, HOW CAN WE ENCOURAGE OTHERS?

WE NEED TO LOOK FOR THE BEST IN PEOPLE AND NOT THE WORST. That is how we can change the course of their lives. I already defined encouragement as believing and expecting the best in people. We all have weaknesses. No one is perfect. And since we are all frail human beings, we could pick each other to death with destructive criticism. But if we look at people’s strengths and good qualities, we will enjoy each other and build each other up. We cannot dwell on people's weaknesses, but instead we should focus on their good qualities!

Brethren, we need to be a people of encouragement! The Bible commands us to do this. It is so easy to get caught up in tearing others down. There is nothing good that can come out of discouraging others. So if you are constantly tearing people down, it is time to stop it and start building them up with kind words of encouragement. Be an encourager, the world already has plenty of critics already.

When you leave this earth, do you want to be remembered as an encourager or discourager?

LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
... equipping leaders with tools, skills, and weapons to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission

Thursday, March 16, 2017

TITLE : Relationships 101: Become An Encourager

1 Corinthians 13:7 Amplified Bible (AMP)

"Love bears all people [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]."

#2 Become An Encourager

We are still considering the second section of this series, the building blocks of relationships. Yesterday I shared that to be an encourager is to believe the best in people. The word encourage and believe goes together. Today I want to give you an acrostic of the word believe. This will help you to become a better leader but before
then let's look at the meaning of "encourage"

What does it mean to encourage?

The word encourage is made of the prefix, en meaning to cause to be and the word courage means power, strength or ability. To encourage someone means to impart, instill or give somebody support, courage, inspiration or hope. The word encourage or encouragement contains the word courage. Thus it means people find courage when you encourage them. It also mean they loose courage when you discourage them. And this is seen most in our words.

There isn't a person in the world who doesn't have the desire to be someone, to have significance even the least ambitious and unassuming person wants to be regarded highly by others. Anybody who helps or encourage somebody Influences a Lot of bodies. It is often impossible to quantify the impact that our interactions or conversation with someone can have. "What you give toone person overflows into the lives of all the people that person impacts". While that can bring a great deal
of satisfaction, which is a great reward in itself, it will often result in direct benefits from the grateful recipient.

So then, how can we become more effective encouragers, and increase our ability to believe in others.??

Let's consider the following seven suggestions, forming an acrostic from BELIEVE:

B -elieve in them before they succeed

It's easy to believe in someone who has demonstrated their ability or great attitude. This isn't what i'm talking about. The challenge is to put your faith insomeone who is untested. "But that is the key in motivating people to reach their potential. You have tobelieve in them first, before they become successful, and sometimes even before you can persuade them to
believe in themselves.

E-mphasize their strengths

Some people believe that they should point out other people's weaknesses and try to help them to addressthese. I used to believe that also but now i disagrees and suggests focusing on people's strengths produces greater results. If someone believes that they havewhat it takes to accomplish some task, they are more likely to succeed than if they are focusing onaddressing their perceived weaknesses. Praise for positive abilities and skills should be both public and
private.

L-ist their past achievements

Helping people to recall their past successes can be a great source of encouragement. Many people lack theability to recall their past achievements, or may not be able to see the link between a past achievement andthe current task.We can get courage from the past.

I-nstill confidence & courage when they fail

Many people give up easily at the first failure. Encouragement especially kind words at this critical point can make a huge difference. A
good way of handling this is to tell of your own past failures. I often share my past failure with the people i train, teach or lead or close to me, it doesn't make me feel good tho but they get encouraged from my past failures. Often people won't realise that you have alsomade mistakes and had failures, but have managed to move on beyond them. This can be a huge source ofencouragement to people.

E-xperience some wins together

Assisting people to successfully complete a challenging task can be a huge boost to their belief in their ownability. Help people to achieve small successes and you build their ability to conquer larger problems. Boththeir faith, confidence levels and their skills are boosted in this way.

V-isualise their future success

Vision is the ability to see the future before it comes into being. This is one of the greatest asset any leader can have. In fact leadership is impossible without vision because all leaders exists to fulfill a unique vision.

I read a laboratory experiment which got me inspired where rats were dropped into jars of water. If the jar was left indarkness the rat would swim for just over three minutes and then give up and drown. If there was a ray of
light shining into the jar the rats could keep swimming for 36 hours! That's a powerful illustration of thepower of hope or vision. If we "cast a vision... and paint a picture of their future success" for people it will give them
a great source of inspiration, encouragement and motivation.

E-xpect a new level of living

We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon. Encouraging people to stretch themselves and expand their horizons will help them to move on to a new
level of effectiveness and achievement.�