The faithful leader knows that power is never an end in itself

When people think of leadership, they often think of power, and there’s no denying that a leader wields power. However, the word power, must be looked out more closely. Whilst power can be associated with coercion and oppression, it should also be linked to influence and guidance. Power can corrupt, but without it, nothing of importance and magnitude can be achieved, without it.

Leaders get things done. In other words, there is no way of escaping power, and there is no way to lead without it. The real issue is, what kind of power a leader should possess, and how is that power exercised. The essence of leadership is motivating and influencing followers, to get the right things done.

The leader is the one who defines the reality, announces the plan, and directs every part of the organisation toward the goal. At every stage in the process, power is used. So, what is the essence of power?

Is it the cult of personality? Personality is important, but it will fall flat, when conviction wanes, or competence is lacking. In addition to the power of personality, power also comes from the office the leader holds, and the proper stewardship of the power the office commands, is crucial.

Faithful leaders therefore, must never allow personality, to be the defining mark of leadership. The wise leader knows, that the stewardship of the office, is a matter of highest priority, and the health and welfare of the entire institution depends on it. Perhaps the best way to think of personality is like this: If the leader’s main task is to lead by conviction, then the convictions must be more central and prominent, than the leader’s personality.

Wise leaders, seize the opportunity to define the reality in terms of, convictions, mission and truth. The truth of the matter is, that the people within the organisation, must feel safe and secure, when the leader leads. The most sobering thought, the leader will make decisions that will impact other people’s lives, by virtue of the stewardship and leadership invested in the individual. The faithful leader will learn the stewardship of power, without resorting to the kind of crass calculations, offered by modern day Machiavelli.

So then, with power and responsibility must come accountability. The stewardship of power is one of the greatest moral challenges, any leader will ever face.