It is our Calling.
- Leaders are ordinary people who accept or are placed under extraordinary circumstances that bring forth their latent potential, producing character that inspires the confidence and trust of others.
- These are people who, based on the Greek philosophers’ theories, never would have been accepted as leadership material. Yet they became some of the greatest leaders in history.
Moses.
- A fugitive from Pharaoh’s justice; a murderer and a man who presented every excuse for why he should not be considered for leadership; became the greatest lawgiver in history.
Gideon.
- A coward, was threshing wheat for his father when the call came for him to rise and become the deliverer of his nation. His response to this challenge was, My clan is the weakest in Israel, my family is poor, and I am the least likely candidate in my family. Yet Gideon became one of the greatest leaders and warriors of his generation.
David.
- An insignificant shepherd boy who was considered the least in his family has his place in history as the greatest king the nation of Israel has ever produced.
Peter.
- A simple fisherman with an impulsive personality was catapulted to the position of the first major leader of the early Christian church.
Abraham Lincoln.
- Had little formal education and an awkward style, yet he went on to become a national leader considered by many to be the greatest president of the United States.
Helen Keller.
- She was a girl from a small Alabama town who, due to an illness, lost her sight and hearing before she was two years old.
- Yet she became an internationally known lecturer, and author of more than ten books, and a powerful advocate for the rights of the physically disabled.
- She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and her book, The Story of My Life is still available in over fifty languages.
Mother Teresa.
- She was an obscure teacher and nun from Macedonia who decided to devote her life to caring for the destitute in India. Yet, in her compassion and determination to help others, she became an international leader, served as an inspiration for millions, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
A Seed of Leadership.
- Everyone has a seed perhaps, lying deep within us, buried by the misconception that only special people are called to the lofty position of leader, which is one of the greatest ignorance of our time.
- I believe there is a seed of leadership in everyone waiting to serve his or her generation. We must change our concept of leadership now and see ourselves the way our creator sees us.
- We are not all the same, but we are all leaders in our unique ways. Why should we become a leader? Because it is the calling of every human being, regardless of age, gender, circumstance, or vocation.
- It is our calling. The leader within us comes alive when we discover our purpose, our life’s vision, and our potential, and when we set out to fulfil them without compromise.
- It is said of Helen Keller that she became an exceptional leader, once she saw the potential in her mind. Created to lead, let’s consider it just one of the signs that we all have the leadership capacity.
Serving Others.
- Leadership is our capacity to serve and influence others through inspiration, generated by a passion, motivated by a vision, birth from a conviction, and produced by a purpose.
- As we commit to the process of serving others, we learn to discover our true selves and bring meaning and fulfilment to our life.
- We develop gifts and talents we were meant to share with the world and leave a legacy that becomes an influence even after we are gone.
- Though we are called to serve, we cannot become leaders unless we know what a leader is and understand the nature of leadership.
- We serve through words, actions, and overall live a quality and skill that result in a positive progression towards the fulfilment of the vision.
- We serve to benefit those whom we are leading. We can never demand the “right” to lead because we are given the opportunity by others to serve them in that capacity.
- The privilege of leading is earned through the cultivation of trust. Our role is temporary, but the leadership role is permanent. The leader changes, but leadership is constant.