The art of leadership has become an all- important course of study for all people including young people who choose to live outstanding life. Why because everyone is a leader with some group of people looking up to him as an example. You are a leader either as a family man or woman, or as elderly child with siblings behind, as a big brother or sister to someone, or as a group leader in church, school or community, or as a leader in government or an organization. Many people have been ignorant about this fact and they have ignorantly set negative examples to those looking up to them unknowingly. However,
- Leadership answers to understanding what it is.
- Leadership is a responsibility either endowed by God, nature or circumstance.
- Leadership answers to leading yourself first.
- Leadership answers to development of art, ability and skills of leading.
- Leadership answers to capacity building not position.
- Leadership answers to character not only charisma, gifts and talents
- Leadership answers to price you are willing to pay.
- Leadership answers to sacrifice not self- centeredness.
Leadership therefore is what anyone willing to pay the price can do at any age and level. Just as King Josiah was 8 years old, Uzziah was 16, Jotham was 25, David was 30 years old when they all began to reign. If they did, you also can! (2 Chro. 34:1-2; 2 Chro. 26:1-5; 2 Chro. 27:1-4; 2 Chro. 29:1-2; 2 Sam. 5:1-4)
A. Understanding Leadership – Kings 12:1-11
As a young fellow, whether age or not, whether leading young group or adult group of people or not, leadership is the same. In a very simple way, check the following to understand what leadership or leading is about:
1. Leadership is About People – As a leader, people are the greatest asset of your leadership and they must be your greatest concern. Leadership is about proving to people through your actions that you worth receiving their confidence, trust and support. Leadership is about making people to feel free with you, making people better than you met them; it is about training your team and pouring yourself (value, principles) into them and believing in them to delegate assignments to them.
2. Leadership is about Solving Problems – Every leadership seat is peculiar with one problem and the other. The world and its system have problem and people everywhere have problems and that is what necessitate a problem-solving leader.
3. Leadership is About Study – To lead well and successfully, study yourself (strength and weakness). Study the group of people you are leading, situations or problems you are in position to solve. Study successful leaders and their strategies of success. Also study the art and skill of leadership. Continuous and all round study is key to successful leadership
4. Leadership is About Getting Information – This means updating yourself with latest news about people, problems, victories achieved and how many battles left to be won. Both information from God, people, reading books from relevant authors and modern means of information are important for you to be a relevant leader.
5. Leadership is About Decision-Making – Having studied people and problems, you must know and make decision on what to do and do it fast. Make decision to change strategies and policies that guarantee results. Take decision to address issues on crisis before it fester. Take decision to set up a standard or put a process of operation for future success in place.
6. Leadership is About Getting Result – Result is the outcome or byproduct of right decision made. Result is what proves the kind of leadership you have provided. The greatest long lasting result is the result of changed lives, where your people are thoroughly transformed for the best.
These facts are fundamental understanding of what leadership should mean and must mean to us all.
B. Leading As a Young Person – 2 Chro. 26:1,4-5; 2 Chro. 34:1,3
Leading people, big organization or nation as a young person is what many have done successfully with the following qualities in their lives:
1. Seek God and Live Pleasing Life – Without God’s backing, you will fail. God’s help guarantees you allround victory and sure success. Therefore seek Him, be addicted to Him; maintain constant fellowship with the Lord in study of the Bible and consistent prayer life.
2. Respect – 1 Tim. 5:1-2 – Honour people’s age, their persons and status but be frank and principled. Don’t be ego freak or carried away by position and authority. Rather, respect elders, age mates and those below you.
3. Justify Your Position – Prove that you are fit for the seat as a leader, through knowledge, understanding, patience with people and maturity. Wisely prove you know what they don’t know, learn ahead of the people and get information they don’t have.
4. Godly Mentor and Model = Wisely choose mentor(s) for various areas you need a guide. A mentor is someone who respects you but does not fear you. One who can tell you point blank truth. Therefore pick a successful leader as a father for counsel and guide. Read him as a book, open up to him on secret issues and challenges; and trust his counsel.
5. Boldness and Courage – There are people who believe you are too young or not fit to be a leader over them, you need to be bold to stand to take decision when situation calls for it.
6. Vision – Vision is a compass that helps you see where you should be in the future. As a young leader, you should see farther, be sound in mind and through vision you must help people navigate where they should be in the nearest future.
7. Focus – This is the ability to know and always see the picture of what you are in position to achieve and keep to it amidst of distractions.
8. Commitment and Tenacity – Nobody knows you for anything great until they see your commitment to a worthwhile purpose. Be committed to a course as a leader and hold tenaciously to your vision. Be consistent with personal development, your programmes and what you are called by God to do.
9. Maturity – Maturity is not of age but of understanding and personal improvement. Maturity is ability not to get angry even when you are already boiling. Maturity means you are not childish in reactions to issues. You need maturity to handle issues and different people with different characters.
10. Personal Growth – This is daily improvement and development of your mind, capacity and how you relate with people. Work on your character, weakness and strength through personal effort. Ensure you are growing and becoming better.
11. Continuous Study – A leader is an addicted and perpetual learner. As a young leader, you cannot do without books on leadership, you have to study leaders who are ahead of you, attend summit and conferences.
12. Training – As a young leader you must develop the ability to train more young people, build a soldier, strong, determined and focused character out of them.
Recommended Reading
UNDERSTANDING CHURCH GROWTH: Seasons In Church Growth
The Habit of Generosity—Why Giving is Essential in a Christian’s Life
From Shame to Honor: Top Ten Lessons From The Life Of Rahab – New!
INTRODUCING & MANAGING CHANGE IN THE CHURCH: LEADERSHIP CHANGE
C. How To Lead Youth-2 Cor. 6:6-7
There are stories of leaders like youth coordinators, Excos, youth president and youth pastors who have led groups of youths in churches and the youths scattered under their leadership. Here are suggestions on how to lead:
1. Be an Example – One positive example of good character, godliness, transparency, honesty, spiritual fervency is better than a thousand preaching and teaching that generate grumbling issues among people. What you want your youth to see, show it with your own life.
2. Purity and Innocence – Lead by clean hands, good conscience and holiness. Both in your secret and open life, let your people see holiness in you. Don’t sleep with them or take advantage of any of them.
3. Knowledge – You cannot impart more than you know. Lead with understanding. You cannot afford to remain in the same level of knowledge and expect people to follow you. What you know which they don’t know will keep them following you.
4. Patience and Kindness – Youth are such group of people you need much patience to lead. You must be patient with their habits, characters, restless and impatient attitude. But by kindness, care, love with patience you can get the best of out them.
5. Spirit-Filled Life – The spirits controlling youths are very desperate and terrible. It takes the workings of the Holy Spirit in you to tame the end-time spirits manipulating youths. The Holy Ghost has to be working in you, through your programmes and your teachings before you can successfully lead them in the path of righteousness.
6. Sincere Love – Until you develop love in youth you cannot tolerate them. But love in action and willingness to see them know and love the Lord and become who God wants them to be is the key to win them.
7. Word of Truth – Leading youth with gimmicks and secular strategies of ceremonial events is not the best. But making them to value and love sound teachings of the word of truth, sitting them down and dishing the scriptures to them is the best way to lead them and best way to see them become sound and vibrant youth for the Lord.
8. Power of God – Psalm 110:3 – It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to break the youth exuberance and habits ruling end- time youth. That is why the power of God must be engaged before, during and after each events and programmes.
9. Armour of Righteousness – Pro. 14:34 – Righteousness means standing right with God, appearing as God wants you to appear, it means God’s nature in you. The people must see righteousness in you and you also must emphasize it in all you do and teach. Why because righteousness exalts people, but sin is a reproach.
10. Good Report – Acts 16:1-2 – Leading by good reports about your own life (story of how you got married, school life, goodwill) will help your youth leadership better than what you say but you don’t do. You must be well reported among the brethren, at work, in community and in your marriage. These are all biblical and scriptural qualities required by youth leaders, Excos, youth ministry leaders and youth pastors that hope to make lasting impact in this generation.
Recommended Reading
WHY YOUTH MINISTRY IS CRUCIAL FOR THE FUTURE OF YOUR CHURCH
BALANCE: A WOMAN, WIFE, MOTHER, AND MINISTER
HOW TO RAISE YOUTH PASTORS/LEADERS THAT WILL RAISE OTHER YOUTH
D. Strategies and Keys For Outstanding Youth Leadership
1. Fellowship – Psalm 5:3; 63:1-2; Mark 1:35 – “He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day” – John Bunyan. Your fellowship must daily begin with God before meeting with people. If you don’t have a strong relationship and intimacy with God in prayers and study of the scriptures, you don’t have a future as a leader.
2. Exemplary Living – Live what you teach both in secret and in open. Lead yourself first and successfully if you hope to lead young people and have outstanding results. Take heed to your character, weakness and strength because people are watching you
4. Learning – Isaiah 50:4 – Leadership is better learned than inherited. Possess learning spirit. Know that you don’t have enough knowledge required to lead outstandingly, so learn through books, one-on-one contact with your mentors, listening to tapes and through conferences, seminars and specialized courses.
5. Sharing – Always create platforms and avenues to pass to your youth/people the things you have learnt. Share and address core issues on love, affairs, relationship, marriage, sex, preserving the future, discovery of personal ministry and other subjects pertinent to young people. It is then your leadership can be said to have fulfilled divine purpose.
6. Contact Acts 20:28; Phil. 2:19-20 – Lead through networking, get to know the state of your youth. Be bold to ask questions about their private issues which they may not talk to you about. Seek to be a leader in and out and all-round.
7. Relevant Programmes – “Programme is the midwife of vision” – Bola Akin-John. Engage your youth/people constantly with programmes loaded with relevant events that are able to direct them towards the plan of God for their lives. You can sandwich and modify your programmes, but not at the expense of the sound Word of God. Use the major time of your programmes for the study of the scriptures, thereby building the value for God’s word in your people. This is the best way to lead outstandingly and see lives thoroughly changed
8. Planning – Planning oneself is a product of self-discipline. Plan yourself, your time and programmes to make full proof of your ministry reaching out to the people you are sent to. Keep to-do-list of what to do for each day, plan who to meet, the books to read, the time to pray, and the teachings to prepare for different age- group of your youth. Also plan the process and system to build up youths from an age group to another. This will help you to be a moving leader not positional and title carrying leader.
If you follow these steps you will be a leader filled with joy in future when you see those that pass through you doing exploits.