Leadership and Mentorship: Lessons From a Few Years in Leadership

Leadership and Mentorship: Lessons From a Few Years in Leadership

I'm not a great leader. I've never been... But I always have something to say... (I don't know if it is a good thing to always have something to say or a bad one, but I'm okay with it.)

Anyway, here is what I have to say about what I have learned from leading in various capacities while on different teams these past 10 years. I'll go straight to the point and keep it as short as possible;

1. When practising leadership, some people or things will never change. Wisdom is when you know which ones and grace is when you understand how to deal with each without compromising progress.

2. Every great leader needs at least two kinds of people; someone who looks them in the eye and points out all the stupid things they are doing, and another one who pats them on the back and tells them they're doing great.

3. Only God has got your back. People will say they do, but they mostly understand so little of the weight of whatever they are promising.

4. People are fantastic. People are messy. Get used to it.

5. Not everyone wants the success of your team or leadership. There are members of your team and sometimes even leaders above you that will always think that you're not good enough. Get used to it.

6. Competing with other leaders and comparing yourself with them are some of the most stupid things you can do as a leader.

7. Your main goal as a leader is to simply glorify God and leave a legacy that gives Him glory. Everything else is overrated.

8. Lead. Be on the front line. Give direction. That's what leadership is all about. If you're doing anything less, you're missing the point.

9. Your passion and vision will be what determines where your team is headed. The lazier and less committed you are, the more your team falls apart.

10. There are so few leaders and mentors today, but so many people with positions and titles, that's the crisis of leadership in this century.

11. A perfect person cannot lead. Leadership is messy almost all the time, so a perfectionist will die sooner than they can make a second step in the right direction.

12. Great leaders never work alone. Never. (I learnt this from Andy Stanley). No matter how good you are, you'll always need people.

13. As a leader, the Spirit of God has got to work in you before He works through you. It's useless and stupid to keep giving instructions you never follow.

14. Do your work, play your part. Leave the consequences to God.

15. Keeping up and practising spiritual disciplines with consistency is what helps to keep you grounded as a leader. Get this document on discipleship and read about spiritual disciplines therein.

16. Learning new ways to lead and being open to new ideas helps a leader avoid moving around in circles.

17. My mistakes as a leader don't only affect me but a few hundreds of people that look to me.

18. People don't have to like you, but they sure do need to know where you stand on the most important issues of life.

19. I'll at any time accept on my team the committed, consistent and available person than the unavailable that seem influential.

20. Burnout, loneliness and depression are never that far in leadership, so delegate and share more.

21. There are always people under and around you that can lead better than you do, so stay humble.

22. People will quit on you. It's normal. Please don't overthink it.

23. Let your word be your bond; and let your actions always agree with whatever your mouth speaks. It is stupid to make promises that you are not ready to follow through to fulfil.

24. So many of us leaders only choose to see those under us through what they give and what they do and not what they can become. That's prejudice.

25. People are always waiting on the leader... Most of the time, they will only do and go as far as the leader does and goes.

26. There is a difference between wanting a leadership title and loving to lead; and a difference between commanding and leading.

27. Leaders are not gods, they're tempted and face challenges just like everyone else. Of all gifts, I think leadership is the most overrated.

28. Only leaders that have been tested and tempted and have hit rock bottom can understand, empathise and pray with people who hit rock bottom.

29. Instead of complaining against leaders, pray for them and offer advice.

30. Team meetings help leadership more than you could ever imagine. Almost all successful leaders hold consistent, true and constructive meetings.

31. Great leaders are some of the most unappreciated people in the world.

32. There are blind leaders who neither have vision, passion nor direction. A life under them is like living in hell.

33. To any reasonable leader, gossip is shit.

34. It doesn't matter how long you've been in leadership or in ministry, you just haven't learnt enough yet.

That's all for now.


Bonface Morris.

Leadership: Leaders, Are You Delegating or Dumping?

Delegating tasks is very central to effective leadership. Image from www.quickbase.intuit.com

Delegation (allocation of a task/s or responsibilities or power by the leader to someone else) is a common phenomenon in leadership. It is likely that if you are a leader, you have either done it, are scared of it, are unsure of it or are likely to do it in the near future.

There are various reasons why leaders should delegate. They may include but are not limited to;

1. Doing it as a practical step in mentorship.
2. To avoid or trim burnout.
3. As a practical step towards inclusive leadership, and
4. As part of obeying given laws or guidance as stipulated in a given constitution.

Some leaders feel comfortable delegating tasks to fellow leaders or those under them while others have a problem with it. The latter find themselves in the trap of dumping tasks on people under them (I define dumping as throwing a task/s or responsibilities or power at someone).

This may be because;

1. The leader is insecure and thinks that once those under them take on tasks and perform them well, the leader may end up losing their “credibility”.
2. The leader is selfish with power and is title-hungry: they just can’t let go of power and responsibilities.
3. The leader is a perfectionist who is scared of other people “messing up” and otherwise preconceived outcome.
4. It may be as a result of a poor relationship (mostly poor communication) between the leader and the one/s handling tasks.

Be it as it may, a leader will find himself/herself in need of someone to take charge and do whatever the leader normally does or what is required. It is at this point that we are going to gauge whether the leader is delegating (as defined above) or they are actually dumping task/s (throwing a task/s or responsibilities or power at someone).

These two terms need to be looked at with a relational perspective towards leadership. This is because the use of both terms is greatly affected by how the leader interacts with those under him/her. They also determine whether the task will be performed out of goodwill or out of a sense of duty and a need to obey a certain command and honor a certain title or position.

Delegation and dumping are action tasks and from the table below, we’ll discover that it takes a lot of intentionality to do either of them. They can only be performed when the leader steps out to do them. Also, being a “dumper” doesn’t entirely mean that the leader in question is a bad leader, but rather, that they are more inclined towards accomplishing the task than they are interested in the person doing it. (Which is a negative thing in leadership by the way.) However, such leaders are still way better than those who never delegates at all!

In this regard, here are six ways to differentiate between delegation and dumping;

No.	Dumping	Delegating
1	The only time the leader gives up a task or duty is when they are absent.	The leader gives up tasks or duties even when they are present.
2	The leader only gives out a duty/task when it becomes tough for them to handle.	The leader gives out both the simple and the hard tasks.
3	The leader gives out a duty/task in order to escape the aftermath of the bad thing that will happen.	The leader hands over a duty/task even when the aftermath is predictable as good.
4	The leader cares less about other tasks being performed by the person they’re handing over the task to. They also don’t care about how committed the other person is at that moment; they just add them more tasks anyway.	The leader cares about the tasks already being performed by the person they’re handing over the task to and will inquire before adding them more tasks.
5	The leader has no relationship or closeness between him/her and the person receiving the task.	The leader has a good relationship with the one receiving the task and they are able t openly communicate even in an informal manner.
6	The only time the leader gives out tasks is when such tasks are of minimal value or effect to the vision of the team.	The leader gives out both tasks of great and minimal value or effect to the vision of the team.

After looking at both sides of the table above, you are able to know your weak points as far as delegation is concerned. I pray that God gives you the strength and the will to become better in delegating duties and in so doing bettering the leadership capability of the people around and under you.

Read more on delegation here:

1. 13 Warning Signs that What You Delegated Won't Get Done

2. How to Delegate Effectively

Bonface Morris.

Leadership and Mentorship: Why Do People REALLY Leave Teams?

Well, to answer the question above, sincerely, I don’t know. Each case is different and unique at many levels. But I do have an idea and I am sharing it with you below.

*******

Leaders deal with this issue of quitting members all the time. Imagine a leader in some kind of monologue:

“Phew! Why did so-and-so REALLY leave? Was it my mistake? Was I a bad leader to them? Am I a bad leader? Will my “bad” leadership therefore lead to more and more of these that are remaining to leave too? What if (insert name of a member of the team that TOTALLY got the leader’s back) left too? Oh LORD, I would die… Please just take me HOME already, this is too much…”

And the story goes on and on and on…

When members leave, it is always a source of stress and a season of endless self-scrutiny to the leader.

In my tiny capacity as a leader, I've had quite a number of leaders complaining about people quitting their teams. Of course every leader takes it personally when a member of his/her team leaves:

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Was it the right decision to be made at that time? Am I this unbelievably bad that they can’t trust me to lead them anymore?”

“Can they please (just please, yes, please) drop me an email or a WhatsApp or a text message [sic!] or anything and state the reason/s why they left?”

Some of us have a tendency of becoming temperamental in the heat of the moment and end up yelling at the remaining members of the team: "You can as well leave! I won't hold you back!! So-and-so went because this wasn't their place, they weren't important to our mission!!"

And as the matter becomes frothy - thanks to pride - we end up not apologizing for the unintended yelling. As a result, more people leave. And the cycle continues: it adapts an auto-repeat status which in due course leaves the leader running solo. Pride is such an evil master!

And those who remain, albeit unwillingly, keep on asking themselves, "So someone existed on our team who was not important to its mission?" And sarcastically, the next time the team meets, the leader, while still squirming and soaking in the bad blood of yester days, would unknowingly answer back and say, "Yeah, I feel the Lord is taking away the weight that was weighing us down."

But realistically speaking, the rest of the team would inherently figure out it, shake their heads in private and conclude that it has never occurred to them that they could have had on their team (or if you please, the Lord would allow on their team) someone who was not supposed to be there. Life is not a game of betting and chances. That person served a purpose, and because they are now gone, they’ll be missed. It may be dumb, but it’s still a purpose.

“On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” (1 Corinthians 12:22, NIV)

*******

So after weighing in on the kind of relationships that are birthed between the leader and the remaining members of the team after other members have left (like the one above), I came up with a few things that cause people to leave teams. This isn’t conclusive, but it is a good place begin.  

People leave teams because of a few things:

1.    Bad or poor leadership

Poor leadership would mean anything from a leader that doesn’t know how to lead and handle people to one who keeps on forgetting what he/she should be doing as a leader in the first place. I am a victim of both quite a number of times (so help me LORD).

Here is the reality;

a)    When a leader leaves his/her team feeling eroded instead of growing up and feeling burnout instead of refreshed, it is because the leader has neglected their duty of adding value into the team’s life. Most growth-oriented people will not hesitate to leave if left in this position for sometime.

b)    When the leader is not valuing an individual’s input to the team and this member feels that there might be another [better] place where their input may be felt and appreciated, they’ll leave. Leaders that are so mean with words of affirmation or praise will always face this reality in the long run.

c)    An arrogant leader who doesn't value team work and sees no need to seek for feedback from the team while making important team decisions will always lose people. Always. People want openness, so if they are not getting it, they won’t stick around for long.

d)    Team members will always quit a team where the leader is abusive and divisive either in the use of power or in the execution of rights.

A bad leader is abusive and divisive either in the use of power or in the execution of rights.

e)    Vision hungry team members will leave a team where the leader lacks a straightforward vision for the team and where the leader provides no definite strategies towards running the team’s mission (if present). A team that keeps moving in circles can’t survive the steam of an ever-changing sub-culture.

f)     When the team’s vision no longer serves to help team members reach and fulfill their life goals as far as service is concerned, members will lack zeal and they’ll drop away.

g)    Members of a team whose strength is action (the desire and ability to act on things and execute plans without delay) will always feel discontented with a leader who refuses or eternally delays to take action to stop things or issues that are threatening the team's ethics and unity i.e. gossip, the welfare of members etc.

h)    A leader who refuses to take responsibility for his/her own failures (like the one I gave in the example above) but either keeps blaming innocent members for his/her own failures or pretends that nothing is wrong when everything is falling apart will lose as many members as there are sands on the shores of the Indian Ocean. Just the other week, Andy Stanley (one leader whom I greatly admire and respect) had to give an apology for a statement he made about small churches. He owned his mistake, and it helped him gain our trust again.

i)     When the leader is a coward who cannot take risks to move the team into a better place or to new ground, he/she loses the trust of the members. No one wants to trust someone who is only comfortable with where they are and does not show signs of moving forward.

2.    Carnality or immaturity

A carnal person is jumpy. Spiritual toddlers are never settled in the same place. They will always move out regardless of the type of leadership in a place (whether good or bad). These people are easily persuaded by the devil to leave teams and it therefore becomes a spiritual battle for the leader. Leaders shouldn’t blame themselves for people who refuse to grow, yet threaten to leave.

3.    The devil is at work

Remember what he did to Judas Iscariot in Jesus' day? Jesus was a great leader, but Satan convinced one of the closest members in His team (Judas) to sell lies about what Jesus’ ministry was all about. Judas left, Jesus suffered rejection (which is very common amongst leaders today), Jesus’ team got divided and shriveled for a while and probably everyone thought, “Aaah, this is done! He was just like every other useless leader we see!!” But thank God that, later, Judas’ lies were exposed, Jesus’ reputation as a leader remained intact and His team came back with a bang! With the intervention of God, Satan’s lies will always be exposed and God’s work will go on.

Matthew 16:18 (KJV) “…and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Gossip is one of the major sources of division/s and lack of trust in a team.

The devil may also cause influential members of a team to spread stale, unverified, inappropriate and [sometimes] dirty rumors/gossip about the leader or about each other that will end up harming the team's spirit of unity and purpose. This will cause the bond of unity between the leader and the rest of the team members to weaken, making many members to leave, or causing divisions within the team. It is all the devil’s work.

His work can also step in further and cause members of a team to start undermining the leader’s ability to lead. They may do this openly or in public when al the team members are present. Eventually, they may end up taking over the leadership or unlawfully expelling the leader out of the team.

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You now realize that not all people leave teams for the same reasons. Some are genuine, while others are diabolic. The leader needs to sit down, analyze himself/herself and those under him/her and find out the causes of the vanishing team members.

Any team member is justified to leave a team because of the reasons in Point Number 1 above. Anyone who is haphazard in decision-making won't stay in such a team. Also, why stick with a team which isn't going anywhere and one which lacks a sense of direction? But for the second and third reasons above, the leader needs to understand that he's facing a spiritual battle and that "...we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12, ESV) and therefore, the leader should pick up their armor and fight the good fight of faith and allow God to win the war for him.

Bonface Morris.

Live Blogs: Leadership Seminar, K.A.G. Kakamega

Hi guys,

I did write some live notes from the KAG National Youth Office visit to our district (Kakamega) on 28th and 29th October, 2015. Below is a summary of the stuff we learnt (it'll be long, but I guess it is worth it);

National Youth Office Visit
Kakamega District
28-29/10/2015

1st Meeting 

Leaders' Meeting
28/10/2015, Wednesday Night (8pm) 

Speaker: Bishop Alulu

Text: 1 Samuel 7:3
1 Samuel 7:3 (NIV) And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines."

Notes:
- Samuel tried to so much convince the Israelites that if God was in control, all was well. Him taking the central place in the nation was critical to its success.
- Returning unto God was necessary > committing themselves to the Lord fully and serving Him only; be determined to serve the Lord only.
- Satan cannot be defeated by might or power but by the grace and power of the Spirit of God.
Psalms 37:5, 1 Kings 8:61, 2 Chronicles 16:9.
- We cannot lead on our own to succeed. We need God.
- The best example of true commitment is seen in the sacrifices seen and made in marriage. 1 Peter 3:15-17.

2nd Meeting 

Thursday
29/10/2015
10.30am

PS: There were neither T-shirts nor pens for sale, people. The leaders said that we may be able to buy them during our District Convention. Let's wait and see.

Programmer: Pst Musyoki (Assistant National Youth Director)

Speaker: Pst. Musyoki 

Text »»» Psalms 57:1-3 (NIV)
[For the director of music. To the tune of"Do Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam. When he had fled from Saul into the cave.]
1. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed.
2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me.
3 He sends from Heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; [Selah] God sends His love and His faithfulness.

Sermon/teaching topic: "Grace"
- Undeserved favor
- We've all been given grace to do mighty things.
- Such a grace was bestowed upon David to be leader and king over Israel.
•
He insisted on the following :-
- Support both ministry and our leaders. Because our blessings are hidden in supporting and helping the leadership of those above us.
- Be fully dedicated to God's work.

Mike (National Youth Secretary)
He had the following announcements to put across;
- A good number of youth from Kakamega District attended the National Youth Conference. That was a great thing.
- Thanks for giving towards buying ministry vehicle (Toyota Caldina).
- Pst Sammy was elected as the Youth president for East and Central Africa; also as the deputy Secretary General of Africa Assemblies of God Alliance.
- Renovation of Youth Centre has been done to modern standards.
- We need two million KES to continue with renovation of Youth Centre for it to be able to accommodate more people and to be a training centre for leaders.
- Schools ministry.
- The Annual National Youth Conference will be in Kitale next year (2016). Registration: 1,000/=. Dates: 18-23/04/2015.

Pst Monica (National Youth Treasurer)
- Gave our district's full financial report
- The whole district pledged to give KES 20,000 towards renovation and building of the Youth Centre and pledged to have at least KES 100,000 from Youth Day deductions to be send to the National Youth Office next year.

Pst Sammy Kihu (National Youth Director)
- Are we faithful in the capacity and grace God gave us as a district? (In giving, in using our gifts and talents e.t.c.) We should make sure we are.
- Renovation of Youth Centre is intently to train youth workers in liaison with the Global Youth Network.
- Dates for training will be announced to us during the National Youth Conference. Trainings will last 2 days. The program will be spread throughout the year. (4 to 5 times throughout the year where one chooses which one to attend.).
We'll be allowed to testify after every lesson to tell what practical measures we've taken to put the lesson we learnt in action.
After this, there will be a training of trainees to pass the lessons to grassroots levels.
- Trainings seek to bring forth well nurtured youth workers that are well "packaged and empowered". Packaging of information for teachings to reach out to youth will be unique to enhance message reception.

Schools ministry.
• They are purposing to use tools like the "Reach for Life NIV Bible" to reach youth in both Primary schools and High schools. Biblica is giving these Bibles for free after they train you on how to use the Bibles to reach youth.
• Suggestion that each youth group in our local churches should adopt a school to minister to.
• Give contacts of interested people in this ministry to attend training probably early next year.

He taught on the following:-

The 360° Leader

Text: Genesis 1:27
Genesis 1:27 (NIV) "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

- We have a tendency to associate leadership with titles or positions.
- Leadership is influence. We lead best without title or position when we lead with influence.
- Do what you can, where you are at.
- A 360° leader is able to influence people he/she reports to, people at their level and people who report to them. They influence people at all levels of the organization.
- If we are able to prepare to lead in the next level of leadership, then we'll be in position to be efficient in leadership.
- The reality is that 99% of all leadership occurs not from the top but from the middle of an organization. We should seek to unravel the various myths that cripple leadership in order to be effective and efficient.

Here are the various leadership myths;
1. I can't lead if I am not at the top.
2. When I get to the top, then I'll learn to lead.
3. If I were on top, then people would follow me.
4. When I get to the top, I'll be in control.
5. When I get to the top, I'll no longer be limited.
6. I can't reach my potential if I'm not the top leader. (When we begin to live out our potential, we attract positions.)
7. If I can't get to the top, then I won't try to lead.

Truth: Building relationships with others on a team to gain influence naturally has a greater impact than possessing a title.

The Five Levels of Leadership  (adapted from John Maxwell) 
1. Positional Leader
- Lead because they have been elected or appointed to the position of leadership.
- Influence is seen as a "right" and people follow because they have to.

2. Permission Leader
- Leadership is as a result of relationship.
- People follow willingly because they are being impacted.

3. Production Leader
- The leader starts producing visible results. - People follow because of what the leader has done.
- Success is visible.

4. People Development
- The leader is reproducing him/herself.
- People follow because of what you have done for them.
- Impact is felt beyond the current organization.

5. Personhood Leadership
- The highest level of leadership.
- Respect is at the utmost.
- You are followed because of what you represent.

»»» Key Question »»» At what level of leadership am I operating?

How To Lead Up.
(Influencing or adding value to the leaders above you)
1. Lead yourself exceptionally well because the first and the best victory is to conquer self. (Plato).
2. Lighten your leader's load by asking your leader: what can I do to help you?
3. Be willing to do what others won't. Go the extra mile. (Matthew 5:41)
4. Do more than just managing. Lead. Managers know what is to be done, leaders know why it is done.
5. Invest in relational chemistry. Be a friend with your leader.
6. Be prepared every time you take your leader's time. Research. Come to your leader with suggested solutions, not just problems.
7. Know when to push and when to back off. Remember you are a follower.
8. Become a go-to player. Be irreplaceable. Be loyal and hardworking e.t.c.
9. Be better tomorrow than you are today. Read books, go to school, learn from others, learn from your mistakes.

How To Lead Across.
(To lead those at the same level with you).
1. Complement your fellow leaders. Don't seek competition.
2. Be a friend. Make partners out of other leaders.
3. Avoid office politics.
4. Expand your circle of acquaintances. Know people. Learn from them.
5. Let the best idea win.
6. Don't pretend you're perfect. Know this and learn from others.

How To Lead Down.
(Influencing those under you.)
1. Visit those under you. Know where they live if possible. Call them. Pray with them.
2. See the good / the best in everyone.
3. Develop each team member as a person. Deal with each one individually.
4. Place people in their strength zones.
5. Lead by example by modelling the behavior you desire. (1 Peter 5:1ff)
6. Transfer and share the vision with those under you »» you'll then be headed in the same direction.
7. Reward results.

That's all.

Share this with as many leaders you get as possible.

Cheers.

Here are some photos taken during the sessions;

Bonface Morris.

Leadership: 10 Toxic People to Leadership Today

This seems to be my second post (or maybe the third) about leadership on this blog. (Or so I think... They may be many. No?)

I always think the first one was this one; Leadership: Mentorship And Consultancy and then this one; Leadership: Guidelines to Leading Worship and Worship Teams Today. But the rest is for you to judge and conclude. There may be more.

Leading toxic people

*******

First and foremost, leadership is a unique gift. It is unique because it calls for direct inescapable accountability. To be a leader, you need to have a close relationship with at least three attributes: commitment, accountability and team-building skills. 

Of course you'd want to say responsiveness, creativity, decisiveness, risk-taking, adaptability, good character, being a visionary etc etc should be listed here too but I pick the above three because they relate more to this post than the rest. They are not the major ones, but they are relevant here for now.

NB: If you would like to read more on various Productivity, Leadership, Self-government and Management Principles, download this pdf booklet I compiled with materials from www.lared.org sometime back. It has proved to be quite useful to me over the years, and I know will be useful to you too. Here's the download »» Foundations For Achievement.

Having said this, it is good to note that the so-called "great leaders" (yeah, it depends with what greatness is all about to you) have a whole score of attributes that contribute to them being called "great".

If you were to ask most of them what contributes to "great" leadership, they would tell you that leadership requires sacrifice and determination. That it requires a heart of steel and a heart of a dove. It is neither for the faint hearted nor for the strong-willed. It is more of a lifetime test of balance between power and meekness, between greatness and humility, between madness and sanity.

"Great" leaders would also tell you that there are many times when as a leader, you are tempted to behave in a manner not soo rhyming "with the norm and status quo" due to how different people from different backgrounds and personalities react to situations, to other people and to assignments; but you choose to behave differently in order to preserve the dignity to the title and the authenticity of your call.

Leaders would also assure you that every situation and encounter with people calls for a different response. And that there is no kind of leadership that can be successful without adequate people skills. Mostly, there is no distinct "black and white" in leadership when dealing with people. Each situation and encounter with different kinds of people calls for a different action. 

Every leader, depending with the crowd subject to your guidance, has different challenges. I always think the most challenging leadership is when you lead people who have all the freedom to say "no" but instead, choose to say "yes" to ideas and activities in your team.

*******
Yes, people behave badly all the time, but some behave well all the time too. People make us feel nasty. Others make us feel great. Sometimes people make you want to lead more; other times they make you want to quit.

Now, with these different kinds of people leaders meet and lead, I'm picking out those who seem to always make us feel discouraged. This is what this blog is about: showing you the different types of toxic people in our midst - people we (as leaders) should either tolerate or avoid.

If you spot these kind of people as a leader, beware of their poisonous influence on your leadership.

Here are the ten types:

1. Insubordinate people
Have you ever had an event, wrote people messages, made phone calls and was happy everything was well catered for because everyone responded soo positively? Then all-of-a-sudden after you were smiling all night looking forward to a successful day ahead no one appeared? Or no one showed up until the whole event was over leaving you to take care of everything? 

If you are a leader, this is the day you go in recess for 12 hours after the event. This is the day you disappear into yourself. This is the day you refuse to receive calls and reply to messages.

Such people who disappear without notice show insubordination, a lack of discipline and a full measure of arrogance. They show the most elevated sign of lack of accountability.
I always wonder: why is it so hard for people to be accountable and pass on their apologies in advance if they'll be absent for an event or to perform their duty? Or is it taking God and His work for granted?
Leaders should act with diligence when dealing with these people because they lack submission to authority and care less about commitment. They, in every way, don't care about the success of a team, project, service, program or event. They are complete letdowns.

2. People who are hype with refined suggestions on how things should be run but are poor at helping accomplish tasks 
These kind of people say a lot of good things and give the best ideas but are rarely present to put them to effect. They are sweet talkers who fear commitment. Their habits involve stirring up people with enthusiasm towards a specific course but come up with excuses once the day of action comes.
Simply put, they act with fear and would rather say good things concerning a project and how it should be run, but run away during its establishment.
Leaders should listen to these kind of people with one ear open and the other closed; and should not accept wholly their call to commitment. This will bring the leaders less disappointment.

3. People who think that change is an overnight thing
Change is complex. Sometimes it takes five minutes. Sometimes it takes a month. Other times it takes a whole decade. Or two. And sometimes, it never really happens at all. (There are also times when change is not even supposed to happen.)
People who demand instant change think the power to change other people, tasks and situations belongs to them or to leaders. I won't deny that power to bring about change is sometimes fully in leader's hands, but this isn't always.
People who sometimes quit being part of a team because "the team is not spiritual enough" or that "you are not visionary enough" are likely to bring about divisions and conflict in the team. They should either be taught otherwise or be prayed for. The world and circumstances are not driven by the power of men but by the grace and will of God. No matter how much we try to bring about change, if it is meant for another season and time, it is not going to happen right now.

4. People who think leadership is as easy as it is put 
Organising and managing different people from different walks of life as one flock is not easy. Everyone desires to see you meet their needs and expectations. The more in numbers they are, the harder it becomes. No wonder Moses' father-in-law suggested to him to get people to help him in service. Leading a crowd is tough. No wonder the apostle Paul instructs that deacons should be good managers of their families (a smaller crowd) before they are allowed to lead the church.
Things are not easy as they seem. Really. Leadership is like this. Some people think it is all about one thing (the thing they see and know) yet it may be about twenty other things. 

Leadership is always about seeing the big picture: people who only see the "now" are harmful to the visionary leader because they seem to see simple, yet there is so much that makes for complex.

5. People who think leaders are gods
We all have our shortcomings. So many of them actually.
I have a list of sins and mistakes that run from here to Pakistan. You see? People overrate me. People overrate us. These people think we can't or should not make mistakes. Seriously, this is putting pressure on leaders and others suffer burn out while trying to play "Mr/Mrs Nice Guy/Lady" to all the people they lead.
People who push leaders to their limits while trying to be perfect are playing an unfair game of wits on their leaders which will lead to these leaders dropping down and failing completely. You can't play an actor/actress, god/goddess full time. You'll lose yourself sometime soon. Really.

Leaders do show and give direction, but they are not gods.

6. The always complaining and always opposing lot 

These ones will never agree with anyone on the team. They always think their mission and suggestions and superior to others'. They demonize other people by making them feel inferior. They demoralize other members of the team that have good ideas and keep them from speaking out for fear of being pulled down in the long run.
If a leader doesn't deal with these demoralizers early enough, the only members of the team remaining will be him/her and that Einstein guy/lady.

7. People who look down upon leaders because of their social or cultural status in society
"He/she is short."
"He/she is not that educated."
"He/she isn't that grown up - he/she is still a child."
These are some of the comments that come from these people. They think leadership is about social, marital, economic or intellectual classes. They think that only the "old" people can lead.
These people will make good teams drop or chase away good leaders due to pettiness and end up electing quacks to cannot perform. That's what Israel did with King Saul, remember?

8. People who think they can lead better than the present leader when placed in that same leadership position
These ones always blow their own trumpets. It may be deliberately/directly or indirectly.
They aspire to make the whole team think, "If so and so was the leader, he/she wouldn't do that" or "If so and so was the leader and if he/she had the authority the leader has, he/she would have done such and such a thing differently."
If team members listen to them (and yeah, they always have a voice amongst all of you - probably louder than yours), they'll vote you out very soon. Sooner than Kenyan teachers can have their salary increment. ;-)

9. People who value their own opinions and others' opinions rather than what God has to say
There is this thing amongst millennials, this thing where we are always saying, I'll have my say, no matter what! Okay, I don't deny that everyone "should" have something to say, but thinking that what we have to say is superior to what God is saying about a specific team is ridiculous.
Just because a certain method or skill worked elsewhere, it doesn't mean we should now listen to the majority rather than to the voice of God.
Every leadership, every team and every situation has a unique place in God's plan for us. Those people who try to override this plan by thinking like men and without putting God in the picture will lead a team into a deep bottomless pit.

10. People who make promises but never keep them
"I'll give 10k!"
"Oh, I'll be around to clean up and cook" 

"Morris, I'll preach/sing/take care of the visitors on that day!"
This crowd of toxic people are almost like the first group, but the difference is that they may show up but "forget" they promised to do some specific thing. They'll blame the leader for not reminding them.
"You should have reminded me!", they say. "I would have come on time / I would have given out the cash." "You should have reminded me! I was just at home!"
Oh, really? You were just at home? You forgot, huh? Just forgot? God help you.

As leaders, and with all these people challenges facing us, we should remember that our calling to the work given us (whether in a corporate or spiritual sense) is greater; and that the grace we need to deal with all this kinds of people is sufficient.
Because it is written;
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

and

Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

So, take heart and stay blessed.

Bonface Morris.

Singers Vs Worship Leaders

“Morris, please teach us microphone techniques…”
“I cannot sing in that key, it is too high for me…” 

“I am not able to sing as backup while he/she is leading worship… their key is too high, er, guys, can you please tweak that key a little… just a little?” 

“This is how I am used to singing, if you don’t like it that is your own problem. I just can’t sing in the manner you are recommending… I just cannot…”

“That keyboard player/instrumentalist/drummer/guitarist ain’t playing what I want the way I want it… they ain’t bringing out that hook as it should… they are making it too hard for me to sing…”

If you are a leader in a worship team, the above concerns from team members are as common as it can get. You probably have heard it from your team members hundreds of times (depending with how long you have been in charge of singing in that given congregation.) It is also likely that whenever these team members bring up these issues, they actually are not so much interested in making corrections or improving in the art of worship and singing, and in the area of their complaints.

Today, in a short but very direct way, I want to help us differentiate between so-called singers and lead worshipers with reference to a worship team and a church congregation of any size.

First things first though…

I describe singers as anyone who can sing. They sing in the bathroom, while doing laundry, while cooking, while out with friends partying… they just can sing. They may sing with or without order and may or may not be committed members of a worship team. That is what they are.

On the other hand, worship leaders (and not necessarily worship team leaders)are members of a singing community or team that are able to lead and teach others how to sing, and can interact with a crowd (or congregation) and make them (through conviction, gentle persuasion or whatever way) on how to sing whatever they want them to sing – how to sing anything. One unique thing about them (worship leaders) is that they command the stage and everyone falls in tune with whatever they are directing or guiding them to do.

Inasmuch as there are these differences, it is good to note that there is a close resemblance between the two (singers and worship leaders) because they both sing and are both involved (in one way or another) in standing before an audience while singing.

Notable quote: Everyone can sing, but not everyone can lead others in singing. (Especially a congregation full of diversified people from different classes – okay, classes shouldn’t be in Church, or should they? – and cultures.) Everyone knows a song or two, but not everyone can teach that song to everyone else so that they may come out knowing it as much as they should.

So you may be asking yourself, “Morris, why in the whole good world of music are you talking to us about such obvious things…?” Obvious things, huh?

Well, note the following…

The definition of music and worship in the Church has changed a lot over the years. Since the times of The First/Early Church, corporate/congregational worship has changed exponentially. You will agree with me that our differences in denominational upbringing have not only influenced our doctrinal inclination within the Christian community, but that it has also affected the manner in which we worship God. The way we structure our services (on whatever day we have chosen to worship God), the tools and instruments we use, the manner in which we display acts or worship, the stance of our worship leaders, the kind of songs each congregation sings, the way we include others in our singing/worship, the way we incorporate Scripture in our singing/worship services etc… have influenced and redefined the general aura of congregational worship in every church across the world.

Of course, the centre of argument within most worship leaders and pastors in the Christian fraternity around the world will be that we are all seeking to worship God in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24), but notably, the truth is that while seeking to worship the Creator in spirit and in truth, we have formed for our own selves differing views on corporate worship and the fruits thereof. This in itself has changed how (or has helped redefine how) members of a given worship team interact with each other and afterwards, with the congregation. This also defines how well they will rehearse and practice before presenting the aftermath of this to the congregation.

For instance, a worship team that cares less about the quality and influence of the music they produce before God and the congregation will have more singers than worship leaders. It will have a greater number of its team concentrating on performance than on a relationship and intimacy with the God that is being worshipped. This team will practice less, mind less about knowing their strong and weak points while working as a team and will neither pray for a better presentation and the movement of the Spirit of God nor about the people being ministered to during the worship service.

You probably have also heard of the emergence of the so-called commercial worship leaders/singers or worship-rock-stars found within many “mega churches”. They have a tendency to not submit to authority and they lack spiritual fervency while “ministering” in those “mega churches” or the spontaneous crowds they are given to “worship” with. They move from place to place “ministering” and “preaching” to these oblivious crowds/congregations and have little or no commitment at all to wanting the impartation of something new and something from God, within the people they “minister” to. This also has contributed to the increase in the number of singers in our worship teams as compared to the number of those who can actually lead worship.

In the preview I read of a book by Stephen Miller called Worship Leaders, We Are Not RockStars, he reiterates that the manner in which a worship leader chooses to worship God even at an individual level, is very determinant of how well they are going to interact with their fellow team members and the congregation that awaits their ministry. He also adds that as a member of a worship team, the central thing should not be to compete on who strums the guitar best, who plays the piano best, who sings best or who knows best but on how much as a team, you are positively moving your church/congregation towards worshiping God in spirit and in truth.

The table below summarizes what I am talking about (Singers vs Worship Leaders);

No.	Singers	Worship leaders/Lead worshipers
1	They can only sing and have fun. They care less about the influence their singing has on the audience.	They can sing and lead others in worship as well. They enjoy the singing yeah, but are also keen on making the congregation meet with their Creator.
2	They claim to have difficulty in singing in set-up groups with other singers within the worship team. They are oblivious of the team’s strengths and weaknesses.	They can sing, lead and back-up. They interact well with team members and can point out strengths and weaknesses within the team.
3	They have no understanding of their vocal or voice range.	They understand the whole concept of where their voice or vocal range is and can alter it at any time.
4	Have a high affinity to blaming others when things go wrong and would rather teach than be taught.	Are reluctant to lead and think themselves as imperfect and still need to do a few things with their skills before they are ready to lead.
5	They concentrate on performance rather than on intimacy and a relationship with the One being worshipped.	They concentrate more on a relationship and intimacy with the One being worshipped rather than on performance.
6	They are more of people-pleasers than they are God-pleasers. They therefore seek excitement and “a feeling” first before the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit through their singing.	They are more of God-pleasers than they are people-pleasers. They therefore seek the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit through their singing before excitement and a sense of “feeling”.

As a warning to most of us who care less about worship as a ministry that plays an important role in the spiritual growth of a church, and one which cuts across all the major offices of the church, Christ Jesus our LORD said the following in Matthew 15:13 (NKJV) “But He answered and said, ‘Every plant which my Heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch…’”

Till next time,

Bonface Morris.