The Leadership Issue by Lodewykus DuToit

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

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o Als B PM IN One of the most important tools in business today is NETWORKING. If nobody knows about your business you are invisible. Join a Networking group that is serious about Business and about keeping Christ as our centre and foundation.

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CONTENTS VOICE OF THE PROPHET Becoming more Decisive

HEART OF THE PASTOR Authenic Leadership

HAND OF THE HARVESTER Leading Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leaders

Leadership Now

IN EVERY ISSUE Letter from the Editor

The Rest is HIStory

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Where to find CONNECT

CONNECT is produced by:

Tracey Olivier - Editor traceyao@gmail.com Elaine Young - Sub-Editor elaine@copyeditpaste.co.za Steve Joubert - Ad Design steve.joubert@gmail.com And a very special thank you to Ruth Brophy for her help with this months cover and is printed by: DNA Print (Pty) Ltd. nikki@jmsa.co.za Cover photo by Roger Payne www.rogerpayne.info

The Leadership Issue In Bill Hybels’ opening to the 2010

Global Leadership Summit, he made the point that a leader is someone who takes people from HERE to THERE. To do that, he argues, you have to convince people that HERE is no longer a good place to be. Why? Because the world is not longer the way it was...and the “this is the way we have always done it” mindset is slowing killing off our churches, our nation and our businesses. We have to change what we are doing if we want to see a different result. One of the things I would like to see change – and I am becoming increasingly passionate about it – is the way we support each other in business. I have had the privilege of being under the leadership of some incredible leaders in my life – great men and women who ran after their purpose and created a path for others to follow; who recognised and called out the gifts and talents in me; and who sometimes even pushed me into situations I never thought I’d cope with, and celebrated and acknowledged me when I did. To these mentors in my life, I dedicate this issue to you; this CONNECT has your fingerprints all over it. Personally I never set out to be a leader; I just had a burning passion to do what God had put in my heart to do, and one day turned around to see people following. It is a daunting task to lead sometimes, because not everyone “gets” what it is you are trying

to do, and you always run the risk of being misunderstood. Or, as you are trying to find the best way to deliver on this mission of yours, you fumble and in a blink your followers are ready to burn you at the stake. I don’t think all the books in the world can prepare you for actual day-to-day leading. Thank the Lord for the Bible, which is the only manual we need, and for the example of Godly leaders in church and business. In this issue of CONNECT, we are privileged to introduce you to a special group of leaders, and to bring you their heartbeat regarding leading people from HERE to THERE. I hope you will be inspired, encouraged and educated to take up the leadership mantle, be it in your family or business. This issue has been a defining one for CONNECT and has challenged and tested my leadership skills almost to breaking point. But as always with God, He turns everything for good for those who love Him and are called to His purpose; and I am so grateful for a team who have stood by me through this challenging time. It is with a very sad heart that we say goodbye to Robyn, our talented layout designer, who is joining her husband Mark in the exciting journey of building a new business. We pray God’s richest blessings over your framing company.

Leadership noun / the set of characteristics that make a good leader; the position or fact of being the leader; the person or people in charge of an organisation.

Thank you so much for your excellence and for taking what was in my head and heart and putting it on paper. You will always be part of the foundation of CONNECT. In the spirit of taking CONNECT to the next level we have changed our logo, but the message and mission of CONNECT stays the same. Let us know what you think on the Facebook page. The CONNECT team wishes you all a very blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

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VOICE OF THE PROPHET

Becoming More

Decisive

Have you noticed that God is always looking for someone to take the lead, so that HE can do something extraordinary? ”

circumstances, so did God. We must give God ne passage in particular stands out for something to work with. The movement they me in the Word, and it occurs in Ezekiel created was enough for God to save the whole 22:30, Psalm 69:20, Isaiah 63:5 and Psalm city. 106:23: “And I looked, but could find no man...” What of Jonathan and his armour-bearer Have you noticed that God is always looking in 1 Samuel 14? The whole Philistine garrison for someone to take the lead, so that HE can was there. It wasn’t going to go away. Yet the do something extraordinary? Those who two of them stepped up to challenge it, saying are decisive and lead in the purpose of God, God doesn’t need a lot of people to create a always seem to have a following. God needs victory. HE can do it just as well with a few. They people to stand up and be counted about became decisive. They stood in the gap and their faith and belief in His Word. You can’t led. And victory was the result. lead anyone until you What about the have something to offer them, and that You can’t lead anyone until you woman in Matthew 9:30? She wasn’t going will require a more have something to offer them, to put up with her decisive you! infirmity any longer Think of that and that will require a more and pushed through tragic situation in 2 the crowd to touch the Kings 7, where the decisive you hem of Jesus’ garment. whole city of Samaria Jesus said, “Your faith was under siege and has made you well.” The people were reduced moment she became decisive, she created faith to eating ‘Dove’s Dung’ and ‘Donkeys’ Heads’. for God to work with. There were four lepers at the city gates who It seems to me that the more DECISIVE were dependant on hand-outs from the and DECLARATIVE we become, the more we citizens, and as things got worse within the get the results we need. Learn to lead like this walls of the city, their own suffering increased in your life and circumstances, and it won’t be tremendously. That was until one of them long before you will look up and wonder why stood up and declared, “Why are we sitting here there are people following you! They will see until we die? If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,’ the that your life is over-run with the goodness of famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And God and they will want some of it. if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go Don’t sit around waiting for God to change over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our your situation. Start becoming decisive about lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but your outcomes. Start declaring the end results die.” that you want to see. That’s what Job did in So they arose at twilight to go to the camp Job 10:12. In the height of his misery, he was of the Syrians. As the lepers moved in their 6

VOICE OF THE PROPHET

things in my life...my country...my declaring God’s care and favour! Amazing circumstances...where I will taste and see stuff! The end of his story, in Chapter 42, Your goodness. Your favour is causing shows you how God can work with someone people to want to help me and be kind to who – against add odds – keeps expecting His me. Opportunities are opening up for me goodness to show up. to find employment and to prosper in this This is how David lived. He expected season. My business is prospering and is God’s goodness and favour to overtake him sought after as a first choice.... and follow him all of his days. Psalm 23:6 is a God wants us to start seeing the end decisive declaration of what he was expecting. results and decide that HE is able to produce What are you expecting? More of the same? them for us. This is the seed for the miraculous The only way your circumstances will change to manifest in ordinary is when you change people’s lives. the level of your expectation and you It seems to me that the more Pastor Allan Rockhill decide that this is DECISIVE and DECLARATIVE KINGS.net MINISTRIES what will happen. INTERNATIONAL Joel Osteen says we become, the more we get arockhill@absamail.co.za that “David lived with the attitude, ‘I results we need. Learn to can’t get away from lead like this in your life and the good things of God’.” This is a step circumstances, and it won’t up for many of us. be long before you will look We often expect the worse from up and wonder why there are our circumstances, when instead we people following you! should be declaring the favour that God will produce in them. We should get used to saying things like...Thank You Father that Your favour is working for me here. You are changing

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HEART OF THE PASTOR

Authentic Leadership A

trip to a library or book-shop reveals a flood of books on the issue of leadership, with authors each offering a different definition, Authentic perspective or secret formula regarding Leadership this age-old subject. All those in the know is godly seem to acknowledge leadership; that there is some sort of ‘problem’ regarding anything else leadership. Many agree that the ideal is ego-centred leader should be ‘real’, or ‘authentic’. How, or self-centred, as Christians, can we describe “authentic and somewhere leadership”? in the process, A leader is generally agreed to it is destructive. be a person with a vision to achieve an objective (be it short-, medium-, or longterm in nature); who is able to influence and inspire a group of people (such as a business or a church) to embrace that vision; and to take them on a journey to fulfil that vision. In the secular world of business, leadership is generally about results, dare I say by whatever means. In the church, it is more about character – who I am as a person. This is not to say that there isn’t an element of characterdevelopment in business, or goal-setting in church. One leadership expert said, “It is the management of self that should occupy 50% of a leader’s time, and to the best of their ability. And when leaders do that, the ethical, 10 0

moral, and spiritual elements of management are inescapable!”

The good, the bad and the ugly

Leaders are to be found wherever there are groups of people, small or large. People want leaders, and leaders are role-models – whether they like it or not – to those who follow them. Consider these leaders: Celebrity leaders whose fame gives them instant hero(ine) status. Celebrity leaders fall into at least three categories:  Talk-show hosts like the very effective Oprah Winfrey, who has an incredible ability to sway the nation (dare I say the world) towards a movie, a show, a book, a philosophy, what to eat / not to eat, and so on.  The Hollywood celebrity who has created a life-style that says that drugs, alcohol, visits to prison, the party-life, immorality, divorce and living together are what life is all about. They have an eager following which is always hungry for more ‘juicy tit-bits’ of insight into their lives.  The new breed of leaders for our youth, particularly in the realm of music – a group of people referred to as ‘idols’. These music-leaders generate a whole sub-culture of fashion, language and behaviour. I call these people leaders because they influence people and the industry they work in enormously, for better or for worse. Then there are leaders in the political and business world, where self-serving fraud, corruption, theft and greed set the

HEART OF THE PASTOR

tone for what is becoming the norm, because What does the Bible say about they rarely experience the appropriate Authentic Leadership? consequences of their actions. Authentic leadership is godly leadership; Where is the authentic leader in all of this, anything else is ego-centred or self-centred, and and what does this person look like? somewhere in the process, it is destructive. Consider these styles of leadership: Jesus, in calling the twelve disciples to There are four main Himself, had the intention styles of leadership. Reward of leading them, teaching Leadership offers rewards, An authentic leader them, and modelling to or approval, for doing them, everything they recognises the gifts what the leader wants. would need to establish and Coercive Leadership is nurture the early church of those around him; the opposite of Reward after His ascension. In Mark positions them to Leadership, in that it carries 10:35-45, He finds Himself with it a veiled threat of confronted by James and use their gift to its negative consequence for John who want promotion not cooperating. Expert maximum; equips them and position in His Kingdom. Leadership is where the Read His reply and with everything they leader knows more, and listen to what Jesus said, can do more, than anyone need to perform better; as He described authentic under his or her control; leadership: with the result that there “Jesus called them encourages them to is little or no discussion. together and said, ‘You know Legitimate Leadership, develop their gift to new that those who are regarded in contrast, is where the as rulers of the Gentiles lord levels of competence; leader recognises he or she it over them, and their high does not know everything; and allows then to officials exercise authority that other people have a over them. Not so with you. valuable perspective and function out of that gift, Instead, whoever wants to contribution to make; and is affirming the person all become great among you able to remain objective and must be your servant, and the way. Jesus did this, whoever wants to be first reach a conclusion or decision that he or she be slave [servant] of all. and continues to do so to must might not particularly like. For even the Son of Man did those who turn to Him! not come to be served, but to The first three styles are serve, and to give his life as a the fruit of ignorance, at ransom for many.’” best, or personal insecurity, at worst, and the He said that worldly (Gentile) leaders ‘lord leader adopts these styles to remind everyone it’ over people, meaning they dominate them, who is in charge. If the leader is insecure, he or and domination creates fear. Dominating she will ultimately ‘put lids on’ those around leaders only breed compliance in people, them to keep themselves in power. Secure, and compliance is never truly productive – legitimate leaders, together with those they nor is it godly! lead, know they are leaders. According to Jesus, authentic leadership is servant-leadership! An authentic leader recognises the gifts of those

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HEART OF THE PASTOR

around him; positions them to use their gift to its maximum; equips them with everything they need to perform better; encourages them to develop their gift to new levels of competence; and allows them to function out of that gift, affirming the person all the way. Jesus did this, and continues to do so to those who turn to Him! Authentic leadership is a gift – a God-given gift – that can be applied in a godly or ungodly way, and that depends on the character of the person. This, however, does not mean that leadership cannot be taught – it can! If it can be taught and learned, then it is important to recognise and avoid the negatives above as well...and this does not mean that every church leader displays “authentic” leadership either.

A leader is best when people hardly know he exists, Not so good when people obey and acclaim him, Worse when they despise him, But a good leader who talks little when his work is done, and his aim fulfilled, Will hear them say, ‘We did it ourselves’.

Sherwin Arnold Sherwin is a Pastor at Highway Christian Community in Pinetown arnoldsn@telkomsa.net

HAND OF THE HARVESTER

Leading Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

leaders

look around at the world we live in today and I feel a great amount of sadness for what we have become. Every day, the human race seems to find new and ingenious ways of abusing and exploiting our fellow man for profit, for fun, or just because we can. We are a broken people and evil is permeating

our homes and destroying us more each and every day. As Christians and as leaders, I believe that it is our responsibility to stand up and fight to regain the world that God created and wants for us. It is our duty to defend those

who cannot defend themselves and to fight for justice and for their right not to be hurt or abused. Unfortunately the abused are many and varied, and as individuals we cannot take on the fight for them all. For me, my calling is the protection of children against child abuse. In South Africa we had 180Â 000 reported rapes against children in 2008, and a 400% increase in the number of reported cases over the last 9 years. One in five children will 14

As Christians and as leaders, I believe that it is our responsibility to stand up and fight to regain the world that God created and wants for us. It is our duty to defend those who cannot defend themselves and to fight for justice and for their right not to be hurt or abused.

HAND OF THE HARVESTER

experience some form of abuse and it is estimated that every child will have at least three friends that are sexually abused during their school years. 75% of sexually abused children are abused by family, 20% by friends and 5% by strangers. Rape is the most prevalent reported crime against children, constituting a third of all crime against children. 40% of all sexual violence cases reported are against children. In February, myself and a group of dedicated individuals started an organisation called Just Us 4 Children, which is a public, non-profit organisation which raises funds to provide: • Specialised private investigation to investigate the alleged abuse of a child or children. This is to assist parents, guardians or adult victims who are unable to afford a private investigation in cases where the responsible government institutions are not performing adequately (thereby further risking further abuse and/or the successful conviction of the alleged perpetrator). • To increase the awareness of child abuse through Child Abuse Awareness Programmes within underprivileged schools. These programmes provide support services and training for educators, parents, guardians and children with the goal of increasing awareness, increasing disclosure of abuse and decreasing the number of abuse victims. • Awareness Campaigns throughout South Africa using all forms of media to increase the awareness of abuse and the likelihood of disclosure of abuse. As parents, each of us has not only a responsibility, but a God-given role to be ambassadors to our children. This role doesn’t just mean loving, caring, trust and forgiveness. This role is that and so much more. It is a genuine leadership. Being that leader to our children isn’t about ‘getting them to follow us’; it is about ‘creating an environment

where they want to follow’. Our children will follow us when, above all, they trust us and see our actions aligning with our words. Telling our kids not to use Mxit when we don’t know what it is doesn’t instil a desire to follow. Nor does telling them not to smoke or drink when you’re standing there with a cigarette in one hand and a drink in the other. These may be extreme examples, but they are to show that our actions are one of the biggest teachers for our children. For them to follow us, we need to lead by example. Finally leadership isn’t about knowing what the solution to a problem is, or even what the problem is; it’s about being part of what shapes and creates the solution. Just Us 4 Children would like to open our doors to anyone who would like to be part of the solution that we want to create. As volunteers, fundraisers or people just wanting to make a donation, we can stand stronger together and really make a difference.

Being a leader to our children isn’t about ‘getting them to follow us’. It is about ‘creating an environment where they want to follow’ Nicky Hardwick Director: Just Us 4 Children nicky@justus4children.za.org

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HAND OF THE HARVESTER

Leadership Now

ome of the best authorities on leadership in business and the Church came together at the 2010 Global Leadership Summit in Chicago, an annual event organised by Willow Creek Community Church. Offering powerful lessons from leaders in business and the Church, the summit has been galvanising audiences across the world to become agents of transformation by “leading where they are”. Bill Hybels...Jack Welch...Jim Collins... Andy Stanley...T.D. Jakes...the summit was a powerful two days of teaching on all aspects of leadership, from ‘igniting passion’ to ‘managing tensions’, from ‘giving’ to ‘never giving up’. For the CONNECT team a recurring message was this: Leaders need to be Authentic – to be honest and real, and to lead by doing. Inspired and energised by the teachings from the summit, which were recently broadcast via DVD in South Africa, we decided to bring the summit a little closer to home. We asked two local South African leaders – one a pastor and one a sportsman – what it means to them to be an authentic leader in their field of influence.

What we learned inspired us to dedicate ourselves afresh to doing all we can, right where we are, to breathe God’s life into the world.

JACK WELCH – bestselling author and ex-CEO and Chairman of General Electric Said to be the most studied CEO of the twentieth century, Jack Welch is synonymous with four key leadership characteristics: authenticity, energy, candour and differentiation. In his interview with Bill Hybels, we found the first characteristic resonating through each of the others. Here’s a snapshot of what he had to say: Authenticity: To lead well, leaders have to be themselves, to be “comfortable in their own shoes”. Jack points out that people wear masks because they think they have to be a particular way depending on where they are, such as at church or at work. “But people can see a phony in a minute,” he says. “And they need someone they can count on for the truth.” Energy: People need to be energised by your vision and your energy. For them to commit to the journey, you have to believe in the journey first! As a team you also need to move

People need to be energised by your vision and your energy. For them to commit to the journey, you have to believe in the journey first! Jack Welch

HAND OF THE HARVESTER

forward – to take a step and engage with each other to come up with something new; otherwise you’re just wasting everybody’s time. Candour: Say what you think, and don’t pussyfoot around people. That’ll cut meetings, speed up productivity and allow everyone to know where they’re at. Differentiation: At GE, Jack pioneered a controversial but effective strategy known as differentiation. This involved identifying the top 20% of the company’s employees, then the solid performers (a large group of 70%), and finally the lowest 10%. People’s ranking was revisited every few months, and the top performers were rewarded handsomely – to acknowledge their value, and also to inspire others to up their game. Rather than being heartless and punitive towards the non-performers, says Jack, the strategy allowed them to face their poor ‘fit’ in the organisation and move on – unlike many organisations that try endlessly to ‘fix’ people in areas that are simply not their strengths. “You can’t have a differentiated organisation without candour,” says Jack. “If you have an

Say what you think, and don’t pussyfoot around people. That’ll cut meetings, speed up productivity and allow everyone to know where they’re at Jack Welch

appraisal system that encourages candour, you know where you stand.”

BLAKE MYCOSKIE – “Chief shoe giver”, TOMS Shoes

“Giving” is more than a nice value at TOMS Shoes; it’s the very reason it exists. Young entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie started the business with an audacious vision: to give away one pair of shoes for every pair purchased from TOMS. Four years later, TOMS has given away nearly 700 000 pairs of shoes to children around the world, and the businessministry is growing all the time. What makes Blake’s story so interesting for the business world is that it’s not just another story about a non-profit organisation that’s touching lives through people’s giving. What started as an idea – a for-profit business with sustainable giving at its heart – has captured the imagination and the passion not just of millions of consumers across the US, but even of people working for opposition shoe companies. “We have learned that giving not only feels good, but is a good business and life strategy,” says Blake. “We encourage our employees to be part of the giving, and if you’ve been in the

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company more than two years, we pay for you to go on a shoe drop.” In this way, Blake explains, giving can have a transformative effect. People forget about their own problems, stresses and even office politics when they are serving and getting their hands dirty. “All we need to do at TOMS is focus on giving. If we focus on giving in a sustainable and authentic way, our customers are going to do the marketing for us,” Blake realised early on. TOMS shoes may not be a Fortune 500 company (yet), but it is a radical example of servant leadership, and of staying true to one’s principles as a leader. For Blake, two things have been crucial in TOMS’s success. Firstly, inspired by the proverb, “Give of your first fruits, and your vats will always be full,” giving was central to the business – in fact it was the business! – from the beginning. Blake implemented the ‘one for one’ model from the start, instead of doing as we often do and waiting to ‘make it’ before starting to give back. The second reason for TOMS’s success, Blake believes, is that even while they were losing money in the first few years, they stayed true to their core purpose. The TOMS Shoes story is a story that speaks volumes about the power of hands-on commitment and an outward-focused

Even while we were losing money in the first few years, we stayed true to our core purpose. Blake Mycoskie

vision in leadership.

BISHOP T.D. JAKES – Chief Pastor, The Potter’s House, Dallas

Rounding off the summit with a powerful address on “Combustible Passion”, Bishop T.D. Jakes reinforced the importance of leading, firstly, with a passion that comes from a sense of being involved in something greater than you; and secondly, with an authenticity that enables people to ‘read’ you and relate to you. “You can’t impassion people if you aren’t impassioned yourself!” says Jakes. “To do this, you need to make sure your leadership comes from a divine place, a sacred place, an inner place. It’s great to pick up ideas from others, but it’s not about mimicking others because people will get tired of following a cheap copy of a great original. You’ve got to get this ‘fire’ for yourself and pass it on.” Like Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, Bishop Jakes teaches that leadership is all about moving people from ‘here’ to ‘there’, and not just maintaining the status quo. “People follow people who take action, who take risks. And for the risk of being a great leader, I need a sense that I’m

If you’re going to lead people like Jesus, you have to be willing to show them your wounds and let them see who you are. Bishop T.D. Jakes

on a mission that’s bigger than me. . You can be so busy looking at the bottom line, that you don’t notice the light has gone

HAND OF THE HARVESTER

Like Samuel, who is called to make sure that the light in the temple never goes out, your role as a leader is to make sure that the lamp in your church, or your organisation, never goes out. out in people’s eyes; they’re doing the right things, but they’re not doing it with passion. When people aren’t enthusiastic about their job, it’s the fault of leadership for not making sure the passion flows like oil from the head...to the beard...to the skirts. Make sure that what you envision happening, gets passed down from the head, to the beard, to the skirts, and doesn’t get diluted, polluted or contaminated on the way.” To make the passion and the vision flow down in this way, clear communication is obviously vital. Jakes explains it in this way: “Your followers must have your spirit, your vision – they must be able to ‘read your spirit’. Most leaders find it difficult to be transparent enough to let people know them enough so that they can walk in your spirit and have your discipline and your attitude. So if you’re going to lead people like Jesus, you have to be willing to show them your wounds and let them see who you are.” He points out that Jesus revealed his wounds first to his disciples after his resurrection, showing them who he was “so that later when they faced opposition, they 22

learned as much from his struggle as from his strength.” Is he talking about authentic leadership?

You bet.

BRINGING IT HOME When we turned our attention to the local leadership scene, we were excited and gratified to hear the same points coming up again about leading with integrity and authenticity. The world is sick of phonies – people who say one thing but are, think and do something different. Let’s hear from Steve Wheeler and Jacques Botes.

STEVE WHEELER – Lead Elder, Highway Christian Community, Pinetown Steve Wheeler defines leadership as “taking people somewhere you believe is worthwhile, somewhere which is God’s purpose and will for them. An authentic leader knows and believes in what he is doing – he has a conviction about it. The thing is, we are always leading – even when we are at home, leading our kids, because we are taking others in the direction of a goal.” “Take the example of someone like Joseph,” says Steve. “He always had his eye on the goal and what he had been promised by God, even when the going was really tough. Between the promise and the palace was a pit and a prison – and our lives are often like that too. When there is change or transition in life, with the challenges that brings, you have to be patient and persevere. If you do, those difficult times often become the high points of your journey. “In the Church, times of major change – be it geographic change, such as planting a new church; a new vision for the church; a change of leadership; a building project...

HAND OF THE HARVESTER

you get the picture – you have to persevere and not give up on what God has promised and called you to. People are often resistant to change, and good leadership in such times involves communicating a vision to people that will excite them and bring them on board. “That’s not to say that change is painless. Sending out leaders to plant a new church is painful as well as exciting, and there is a tearing that has to happen, but in the end it’s a high point for the church. The key is to get the process right. We have found that good communication between the eldership team and the church is absolutely vital – it’s not just good leadership, it’s good manners. Following a fresh revelation of God’s grace in 2009, He downloaded an exciting new vision for our church. We involved people in

Good leaders understand their followers’ fears and concerns and address these sensitively while never compromising the end goal. In this way, the challenges along the path of change can - and we have found always do - become the high points! Ps. Steve Wheeler

that vision from the start by massaging in God’s revolutionary message of grace and allowing them to see its truth for themselves – rather than simply pulling the carpet of familiar performance-based Christianity out from under them.” “When did you first recognise yourself as a leader?” we ask Steve next. “Well, I would say that it’s others that recognise you as a leader. My wife Janet and I knew we were called for the Gospel, and we prepared ourselves for that by going to Bible College, which taught us what we believe. It didn’t make us leaders. That happened while we were ‘on the job’, when others recognised us as leaders.” “You could say there are four ‘stages’ to becoming a leader,” Steve continues. “The first level is being given a position of leadership, often with a title to go with it, such as ‘home cell leader’. The second happens when you build relationships while you are in that position; people begin to relate to you and start wanting to be part of your group. The next is when you have built others around you up to such a degree, and empowered them with such a sense of purpose, that they can be released into their own dreams and purposes. You reach the last level when you have build up such a reputation, and such trust amongst your followers, that your name alone is enough for people to identify with. The name ‘Billy Graham’ is one of these; you don’t have to have met him personally to trust him as a leader. “It’s important to remember that spiritual leadership is different from leadership in any other setting. Pastors who model their leadership on secular principles will find that these strategies will work for a time, but will incur a cost to the flock. And spiritual principles such as sowing and reaping, turning the other cheek, operating in love and so on, will often clash with secular business

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principles – though they can and should be implemented. The thing is, there is no magic formula. Be it in the church or in the workplace, leadership grows as it is tested.”

JACQUES BOTES – Sharks flanker “The best leaders lead by example,” Jacques tells us. “And when the going gets tough, you can look to them – they don’t say one thing and do another. A good leader is also authentic. Wherever he is, he is reliable and consistent. Some guys are different people depending on who they’re with; but it’s important that a leader has the same values all the time. In a team, when you blow your lid, they need to know you’re serious...and they won’t know that if you’re inconsistent. Another thing about a team leader is that he needs to drive the passion in the team. If he doesn’t have the passion, they won’t either.” This brings us to the inevitable question: “As a Christian, how do you lead by example amongst the manne?” “People often say one thing but live another way,” Jacques acknowledges, “and that’s always a challenge. For example, there is the inevitable post-match environment of girls and booze to resist, and you will still get Christians who make mistakes. Within the team, we have a small group of Christians who meet at the stadium once a week to encourage and bounce ideas off each other about how we can make a greater impact as Christians. We’re very aware that people are watching our lives, whether we like it or not, and what sort of impact a moment of weakness on

our part can have on our witness.” Asked which leaders have most influenced his own leadership style, Jacques lists his own three captains – Johann Muller, Stefan Terblanche and John Smit. Although he admires each of these men for his own style of leadership, Jacques has learned that a leader has to be true to himself. “I used to think that a leader must be outspoken and charismatic like John Smit,” he recalls, “but I now know that you can’t try to be someone you’re not. You’ve got to know who you are, and then lead where you are.” Jacques agrees that sport and the business world had a lot in common, both being driven by results and the need to perform to achieve those results. And that, even though they are working together towards a common goal, individual team members can be motivated by very different things – some by financial reward, some by recognition, some by the need for personal fulfilment, some by passion for the team or the brand. Our last question to Jacques is this: “How does a good leader motivate a diverse team towards a single goal?” “Realising what a privilege it is to be on the team is a huge motivating factor in itself,” says Jacques. “It’s not just provincial pride and fan support that’s at stake; there are many actual businesses that depend directly on us. As an ex-player himself, our coach, John Plumtree, is deeply passionate about the Sharks ‘brand’. As such, we are all aware that we are only ‘borrowing’ the jersey and can be replaced at any time; it’s our duty to leave in that jersey a certain

You can’t try to be someone you’re not. You’ve got to know who you are, and then lead where you are. Jacques Botes

At the end of the day, you have to be able to face the ‘man in the mirror’. Jacques Botes ‘Average is not good enough,’ he tells us often, and we have often been rapped over the knuckles for shoddy performance. John is tough and honest – he can be our best friend or our worst enemy – but that’s what we need.” “Something we’re starting to see more of is servant leadership in the team, with people starting to lead by example and put others first. At the end of the day, you have

to be able to face the ‘man in the mirror’. As it says in a poem in our change rooms: ‘You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years, And get pats on the back as you pass, But your final reward will be heartaches and tears, If you’ve cheated the guy in the glass.’” Being true to the guy – or girl – in the glass pretty much sums up what it means to be authentic and have integrity. But even Hitler led with authenticity and integrity. If we are to shine as Godly leaders in a dark world, we need to make sure that the man in the mirror is more than just us...that it’s Jesus Himself. At the end of the day, we’ll lead best when we reflect His face, not our own; when we stop trying to be lightbulbs and realise that we can only shine when we mirror the Son himself. Elaine Young elaine@copyeditpaste.co.za

Courtesy of Gerhard Duraan / Juiced Photo

standard for the next person to live up to.

www.connectmagazine.co.za • CONNECT

FUTURELIFE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME fter hearing wonder ful stories about A Future Life cereal, and sampling it ourselves, CONNECT paid Future Life CEO Paul Saad a visit.

Shying away from any form of hero status, Paul shared a simple story of being in the right place at the right time, working hard, and allowing God to use him as a “conduit to assist people”.

“Challenges are like hills – you move forward to meet them and they flatten out. That’s what my mother always told me,” Paul says as we sit down. His first point is that business is never “easy”. We may look enviously at successful businesses and wish we had the same ‘magic ingredient’, but the truth is, business is about hard work. “In the sport arena, the person with the best results is the one who works the hardest; and it’s the same with business. Never slip into the notion that if you just pray about something, it’ll happen. Seeing success in your business depends as much on commitment and hard work as it does on faith.” Paul has had several successful businesses, but none, he says, as fulfilling as Future Life. Why? “When you have a passion about something,” he explains, “everything falls into place and you’re prepared to sacrifice for it. For me, it’s incredibly special to be in a place, through Future Life, where I can help others.” A Chartered Accountant by training and the son and brother of Chartered Accountants (Paul’s brother is CEO of Aspen Pharmaceuticals), Paul comes from a strong business 28

background. “I got involved in financing businesses, one of which was a FMCG (fastmoving consumer goods) group. In this line of business, I was exposed to the governmentsponsored food parcels being given to the poor. The problem with these was that although they were food, they weren’t nutritious,” Paul recalls. “Then someone said to me, ‘Paul, can’t you make a balanced meal that can just be mixed in water to help people?’ That’s where Future Life was born...” Since 2007, the high-energy, low-GI, immunity-boosting product has developed exponentially, meeting a truly incredible range of dietary needs – from families seeking balanced nutrition and added energy, to diabetics, cancer and HIV sufferers and athletes. (Take a look at the Future Life website,www. futurelife.co.za and you’ll be blown away at what it’s doing for people.) “People from all walks of life are noticing that there’s just ‘something’ about Future Life that makes it incredibly effective,” says Paul. Careful not to take any personal credit for its miraculous effectiveness, Paul acknowledges that the cereal has the ‘right mix’, or synchronicity, of ingredients – and that God is using it to make a health difference in people’s lives. “Keep moving forwards and don’t be arrogant,” Paul advises business people. “And along the way you’ll meet the right people to help you. It’s also vital that you believe in your

Challenges are like hills - you move forward to meet them and they flatten out

product and know that it works.” Regarding the challenges referred to in his opening statement, Paul is practical and businesslike. “For example, our original target market has a great need but little income, so our margins are very low on the cereal. But we are looking at ways to boost our income through other, more exclusive, Future Life products.” The point, Paul says, is to be practical and not naïve; to “call a spade and spade” and face the facts. If you’ve made a mess of something, accept it and do something about it. Paul also encourages people to find their

own niche. “If you’re not a good runner, don’t expect to win the race. Be passionate, enjoy what you’re doing, and be in an area where you’re comfortable. Remember, success is not necessarily determined by material gain. Your success may be in impacting on other people’s lives, and in that you may be way more successful than a business that makes a lot of money.” Paul is passionate about making a difference in people’s lives through Future Life. “I see the company as a conduit to assist people,” he says in closing. With Future Life cereal – then only just a year old – having won the “Best New Product Launch” award for KZN in 2009, the rest, indeed, is His Story.

www.connectmagazine.co.za • CONNECT

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