The Fundamental Cost Of Leadership

Everything of value carries a cost. In fact value is a function of cost. How much you are willing to pay for something will determine how much you can get out of it. We have various categories of believers. And, how much you are willing to leave (forsake) will determine the category you belong to finally. Leadership is not an exception. Vehicles, houses are in categories, determined by how much you are ready to pay to get one. How much you are willing to pay will determine what category of leadership you belong to.

 Every child of God is a potential leader, by redemption. You have been redeemed out of every tongue kindred, people and nation to reign (Rev. 5:9). However, leadership is not occupying a seat, it is accomplishing a task, it is not in the titles we wear, and it is in the values we add. To be called great does not guarantee greatness. It is one thing to play a game and quite another to be a star in it. But every player is a potential star. 

But how much you are willing to invest in training, dedication, discipline and sacrifice will determine whether you become a star or not. Leadership is not talking the lead, it is taking the lead. Talk is cheap. Take the lead in your assignment or field, not just talk it.  Now, if we are all potential leaders, it is important to determine the price, we must pay to be effective leaders. Luke 14:28-30 it is vital to count the cost first. You have a towerly destiny in Christ, but there is a cost to it and that’s where many fail.

Many do not know the cost. Some know the cost but are not ready to pay the price. Greatness is not born, or thrust on you.   It is consciously worked out, just like you do not stumble into success. You can’t just wake up one morning and become an expert doctor. You train into it. Greatness is either achieved or it never comes to be Jeremiah 1:5 before God formed Jeremiah in the womb he had called and ordained him prophet. But does it stop there? Jer. 15:16 Jeremiah had to find the word and eat it in order to become what God called him to be. What about David? You say leadership was thrusted on him? No! The brothers came to town, but David was left behind caring for animals. His responsible lifestyle took him to the top. God’s eyes watched David defend animals from being destroyed. He knew David would take care of Israel, with such a heart. Matt. 20:20-23 Mary mother of Zebedee’s sons wished leadership for her sons. Jesus said he must drink of his cup and be baptized of his baptism. Greatness is not prayed for, it is paid for. There is a cup into it and a baptism into leadership.

The covenant of leadership.

What must you do for the leadership seed in you to grow, blossom and flourish? We call the covenant of leadership. Eccl 109:5-, There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceeddeth from the rules folly is set on great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. I have seen servants upon horses and princes walking as servants upon the earth. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and who so breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him the covenant of leadership. Read (Eccl. 10:10).

a)      Vision

This is a fundamental requirement of leadership knowing where you are going is called   the wisdom of direction. Until you identify your field, you have no future in leadership. Prov.29:18 Where there is no vision the people perish. Vision is the foundation upon which leadership is built. You discover your purpose and stay on with it. God has a plan for every one of us. Your journey of leadership begins with discovery of God’s plan for you. Once you do this and abide by it, you have secured your future. To miss vision is to lose value, and to be stripped of honor and dignity. Your future is in God’s plan not in your plan. Until your task on earth is defined, your leadership, your leadership will not find expression. Whatever comes to your mind, check it in line with God, so you don’t misinvest your energy. There are three ways to discover God’s plan for your life;

(i)           It may come to you as a heavenly vision, like Moses and the burning bush, Paul on his way to Damascus Acts 26: 19 or  1^st May, 1981 (my encounter God)

(ii)          It can come to you by a burning passion like Nehemiah, check on your inside, you may have God’s plan inside.

(iii)       By discovery of the divine gifting God has given you. They may be pointers to your God-given plan. The gift can help define where you belong. So locate your field for the leadership potential in you to come alive.

(b) Wisdom

Eccl. 10: 15x The labor of the foolish weareth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. He knows the city to go to, but he doesn’t know how to get there. Prov. 8:15 By me (wisdom) kings reign and princess decree justice. Even though you are destined to reign, wisdom is a requirement or ascending to the throne. Unfortunately many have mistaken common sense for wisdom. Wisdom is an intelligible application of acquired knowledge. Commonsense will beget common results, Matt 7:24-28 wisdom is acquired and applied sense, not common sense. Many are grounded today because they mistake commonsense for wisdom. The principal raw material for wisdom is knowledge. Covenant University is emerging as the leading university In Africa in 7 years! But before she was founded, I engaged in an exhaustive study of nine world class universities like Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, Yales etc. How they started, their growth pace, how they developed their programs. Universities that were hundreds of years old. I needed an understanding of how these great universities had acquired their greatness, so as to lay out our administrative structure. That’s how wisdom is cultivated. Many people in Africa are weary because they have no value for wisdom. They mistake native intelligence for wisdom. God called me to ministry in an 18-hour long vision. But before I started off, I studied 39 selected biographies of great ministries. So when speaking as a full time minister, I was speaking with 39 borrowers senses which goes on to enhance the quality of our decision making. Am therefore not surprised where we area today. There are people in business who have not read even one book on the business they are doing in their life. Common-sense! Poor leadership in African politics is a result of having too many empty headed politicians, who don’t belong to any school of thought. There is no president in America who doesn’t belong to a particular school of thought in politics. There are ministers of the gospel who may not have read any book of ministry, or some even can’t define ministry. Careful acquisition of facts is what guarantees you a step into practical leadership. Don’t stop learning .Keep your mind young. Wisdom is a growing virtue. Luke 2:52 Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, favor with God and man. Prov 1:5 A wise man will hear, and increase learning, and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels. Wisdom shall attain unto wise counsels. Wisdom has unlimited capacity for growth. Never forget that wisdom    demands acquisition of knowledge and applying intelligibly. There is a common saying in the West; that if you want to hide anything from a black man, write it in a book. He may never find it! Anything you engage in without acquiring adequate knowledge and applying that knowledge you get ordinary results at best.

(c)     Discipline

Eccl. 10:16-17Woe to thee o land, when thy king is a child and thy princes eat in the morning. Blessed art thou, o land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength and not for drunkenness! This statement defines self-discipline. Every truly distinguished person must be highly-disciplined. 1 Cor 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 1 Cor. 9:24-27 Race runners are many, but the winner is only one. We keep our bodies under subjection. Discipline is operating as commanded. Not as convenient. Whatever demand your envisioned future   places on you, you subscribe to it.

(d)     Diligence

Prov 12:24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule; but the slothful shall be under tribute. You can get out of life more than what you are willing to put into it. Seed time and harvest not just about money, but also about investment consciousness. You need to invest time, energy and resources. Bill Gates labored to be where he is today. Prov. 22:29seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. Billy Graham is sold out to kingdom business only. He’s a world ruler in the gospel realm. The whole world gathered to bury his wife. A diligent man in his business. Therefore, it is impossible to reign without  vision, wisdom,   discipline and diligence. Those are four fundamental costs of leadership.

(e)   Sacrifice

That’s the capital price to pay, going all the way, Luke 12:49-50 I am come to send fire on the earth, and that will I, if it be already kindled? But if I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straightened till it be accomplished! Global impact places global demand. Stretch yourself! It is a baptism of sacrifice that births great leaders. This means putting your life on the line. David was not going for Goliath to get title but to stop the harassment of Israel by this giant, at the risk of being killed. Where you say, “I rather die than watch this shame”, is what sacrifice means. Moses didn’t fear going back to Egypt Israel free. Daniel didn’t fear being thrown into a den of lions. They fulfilled their leadership destinies by sacrifice. The altar of sacrifice is broken down in Africa, it must be repaired. You never have a star without a scar. The scar of every star is sacrifice. Matt 20:20-23 it takes the cup of wisdom and the baptism of sacrifice for great leaders to emerge. Your leadership potential will find expression on this platform. If it means crawling, get at it. I have brought enough funds to cater for everything including whatever needs to be paid here. Those that in the world to get don’t amount to much at the end, but those that are in the world to add don’t loose value. Great leaders both in the Bible and contemporary history are products of sacrifice. Abraham, Moses, Joseph, David, Daniel, Nehemiah are examples. Think of Esther, Ruth, Martin Luther King Jnr., and Nelson Mandela.  The sacrifice of such men gave birth to free nations today. The quality of your sacrifice determines the quality of your leadership rating. How much are you willing to give up in driving the plan of God for your life? Always on your assignment, doing beyond normal. We are all redeemed to reign, but not without a cost. Doing more than what others do, you will be a leader in your area of endeavor. There is nothing extraordinary without extra-ordinary investment. Africa has an army of men who don’t know where they are going don’t care to learn how to get there, and those who care to learn how to get there are not disciplined enough to apply themselves to their finding. Find out what will make a difference. I went on a search of three days into financial prosperity in 1982 and found the secret. I follow it. You cannot blame God for blessing me. I’ve never had any stress helping to see others smile; you can’t blame God for sending me favors. It is one thing to find the truth and quite another to line up with it. It takes self-discipline to do it. God told me spiritual impact is the best way to enter into supernatural supplies. The people you preach to must have heart to show for it or else you won’t have access to supernatural supplies. Labor in the word and doctrines, it takes plenty of discipline, fresh preparation for every meeting, fresh noted. You can’t wish leadership. You build yourself into it. The grace to commit yourself to the fundamental cost of leadership is released upon you today. Go and work hard, anointing is no substitute for hard work. You are either a worker today or a beggar tomorrow. Prov. 13:4 Too many non-working people abound in Africa today, some at 30, they are still in their parent’s homes! God blesses what you do. Doing nothing multiplied by one million equals nothing. You don’t have a future without a working hand. You drive 80 kilometers perimeter to cover Canaan land today. Why? A mind to work. If ministry is not work for you, you can’t have results. Many say I resigned work to go for full time ministry. That’s a misconception. You make a living by working 8 hours a day, but you can only make impact by working beyond 8 hours. Receive grace to actualize the leadership potentials embedded in you by applying yourself to the price involved. Peace!!!