| May 2011 |
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Nr 05/11 Content of Edition
“It is the very essence of good leadership to give away all credit for positive achievement, to identify only team goals and always to refer to them as such.” - Joe Klock A man was once asked why are you doing so well in the corporate world? In his reply, he referred very little to himself, but mentioned all other people around him. By doing this the people started working for him, not merely for financial stability or acknowledgements, but worked since the people among themselves has put personal goals where they want to be in a few years time. Knowing that their boss supports self improvement, they enrolled in different kinds of courses, because the working environment brought satisfaction beyond the corridors of the company. This being the very essence of productivity, happy personnel leads to an increase of initiatives, which could only benefit the company and thus the profits in their own as well as those of company directors. Being a leader means that one is leading a ship and thus the attitude of the leader depends on the attitude of its workers. Working in a Coffee Shoppe, with staff, the manager now and then surprise them with something which they haven’t expected, like a cold drink or something else. Such a gesture shows that everyone within the organization is appreciated and that their efforts have been seen. A leader doesn’t seek to criticize only rather to look for ways in which one could praise the employees for their hard work and show it by one way or another. A lot of companies do this by letting their employees work for a time of vacation with their families sending them on a holiday and the only request they have is sending a post card. No company or business can function without dedicated staff and thus a dedicated leader realizes that it’s about developing his staff even if it means that they start to stand out, instead of cutting them down, build them up and your organization will grow along the way. An organization is as good as its leader and therefore when things start to evolve around the leader, the fruits will start to show since its staff isn’t motivated to give more. The goal of the leader thus becomes the goal of the people because they themselves can take ownership not just for the successes but also for all failures as well. The work of a leader isn’t tested by its quantity rather by its quality and thus the confusion does occur that one should rather remain small because then it is better manageable. No business or organization just wants to be manageable; rather one wants it to grow in order for it to become sustainable. Therefore, in growing one’s organization, one need to develop a method where people want to work for you. The people need to want to work for you and therefore you should create a method in which applicants can identify themselves with your organization. If you as the leader have got a negative attitude, not only will you lose people who are willing to work for you, but your clientele will also decrease since people within an organization will feel the tension among management and staff. Your organization thus becomes the people’s organization and this is not meant in the Communistic manner as this is mostly abused by so-called “Liberation Movements” who just want to oppress the people. Those working for you are co- owners of your vision, since their vision is meeting yours in one way or another. If this was not the case, then why would people then have applied for that work, or even to study in that specific direction? The way a leader treats his employees thus reflects the leader’s attitude towards the organization as a whole. In any organization it’s the workers that counts and success depends all upon the leader whether he communicates problems and his vision correctly with those he depend on as well as on those who depends on him to lead the way. During May-July 2008, South Africa was hit by a nation-wide strike in the petroleum industry. As a manager at a filling station, negotiations started long before the strike, which helped the owner to remain in business as thus not suffer as a result of the strike. Employees from other filling stations all went on strike except this one, because the leadership took the employees seriously enough through the gesture of taking heed to their call for wage increase without the fact that they had to enforce a shut down, because they were not taken serious enough in the beginning. Humanity finds it easy to criticize one another, but struggle to give credit where it is necessary and it is Klock’s recommendation that a leader rather focus on giving people credit than finding mistakes to justify the action that one is taking against them. You are a leader, however the success rate of your leadership depends on people and it was those people you serve who have put you there in the first place. Leaders enable others to dream and your organization should become that one organization above all other that should scream aloud, “We can make your dream a reality.” It is a dream of an individual that could make a difference in your organization and by making that person part of your “dream team” your dream to be known as a successful leader becomes a reality. Whether you like it or not, people will speak about your leadership abilities and thus it depends on you how the people will remember you and how people will model their lives and leadership method around yours and thus it is in this way that you can leave a lasting legacy and a prosperous organization for future generations. In conclusion: The success of the Trump Organization is seen by the millions of entries into the “Apprentice show”, which were viewed by billions of people around the world. People wanted to work there, since it is not only a well-known organization, but it allows the contestants to use their creativity, teaching them to work together as a team and shows that where people reach success through team work, the joy becomes so much more greater. There is a time for everything and as a leader, there should also be a time, where you pat someone on the back, saying to them “You did a good job, thank you” just as there is a time to say “We expect more of you, it’s time to put a bit more effort in your work.” The challenge is to find the right balance along with truthfulness and accountability. You cannot be successful without one of these. Lead with Integrity!!!! With Kind Regards Georg Kehrhahn
2. FINAL REVIEW - GOD’S CALL FOR INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS - PART 4 We have come to the end of our second book review this month and there is no better way to end a book review with the reminder that God relates to us continually. As we live our lives daily, we experience things that lead to the end of one aspect of our lives, while entering into another. As things in our lives changes daily, we can find comfort in the fact that God through Christ” remains the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and thus living a life with Christ, we will become more and more aware of His presence and how he continues to relate to our suffering, our joys, our moments of intense questioning and our moments of breakthrough’s with him. Our need for a continuing relationship with Him extends over all boundaries and therefore God is part of our lives everywhere where we might be and he is busy not to address our daily needs but also the needs to those who depend on our need for Him being fulfilled. With God you will endure a lasting a solid relationship, which will extend throughout all the trails that you will experience and by just doing that “the loss or lack of solid, enduring relationships has, will and is already been met on the Cross of Jesus Christ. This reality is being supported by “a seventeenth-century Anglican poet-clergyman John Donne who wrote, “No man is an island” in which he merely recognized the truth of what God had said before he created Eve: “It is not good for man to be alone” Genesis 2:18 (McDowell &Williams, 2006:162).” So being in a continual relationship with God is an open invitation from God to get off the Island of self-pity and despair and see the people around you who He has put there to support and love you throughout the times off solitude. You were created to be among people, who love you and who stand next to you even if you do not want them to be there. One that is loyal to you and cherishes your friendship deeply, one that hears you heart and thus blocking out the superficial chat that is so much in this world out of fear that people might hurt us if we dare to allow others to see our hearts. The sad part is that others do see our hearts and wants to be part of our lives by entering into a sort of relationship with us, but out of fear of getting hurt they do not find the courage to reach for it. Superficial chats like “chatting about the weather, work, shopping and sports is not enough. We all long for and need deep relationships where our hearts are interwined with others. We need relationships in which we can safely bare our souls, knowing and understanding the other person intimately. We want enduring, unconditional relationships with others. We want assurance that in spite of our faults, weaknesses, and failures, they will always be there—available, and always reliable. (McDowell &Williams, 2006:163). Where such a need to going unfulfilled, people starts to withdraw themselves from their communities, with suspicion always luring. They become suspicious towards everybody and that reflects on even their relationship with God. You and I have got something on our hearts, but where will we turn to? Is there anyone in this world who will relate to me, knowing that it is difficult for me to express my need to be met even though I have faults weaknesses and experienced failure? In relationships among a young man and woman this becomes apparent, especially when they talk, hearing their conversation, which is so superficial even though their body language speaks of a different desire. Suffering of depression, this becomes a daily struggle, one where I and God speak everywhere we go, trusting Him alone, since He is committed to us and the only one who knows our hearts. These true and intimate relationships are out there and sometimes closer to us than what we want to hold as truth, and it is “such relationships which gives us assurance that we have value - that our existence has meaning and our lives have purpose. To have another who desires your company, who enjoys your personality, who wants to explore your mind and heart, who cares what you think and how you feel, who wants to protect you from pain and harm, and who seeks you out and wants to be with you gives you a powerful sense of worth. You know you have value simply because you can see that value reflected in the heart of another. Relationships validate us by allowing us to see the effect of our lives on the lives of others” (McDowell &Williams, 2006:163). Meeting such a person reflects back to you the heart of God, which lifts all the doubt you have about His presence in this world. Meeting such a person helps you to break through the defenses which you have built up around yourself. Such a person battles the battles on your behalf enabling you to sit back fighting your own demons that try to re-build these false defenses around you in order to keep you trapped. When you are judged by your failures, God sends someone to confirm your status within your immediate surroundings, therefore you do not have to make yourself more important than whom you really are, since God validates you already through the one person you love more than life itself. God provided me with such a person and finding the courage for the final breakthrough all depends on God’s timing and not my own. Christ relating to us daily, we can relate to others and Christ presence manifests itself through our lives. Thus, as McDowell & Williams would put it, we are being transformed through Christ presence in our lives in becoming “Little Christ’s”. They argue this point in the following manner: “When Jesus ascended back into heaven, he gave us the privilege of replacing him, of becoming what he was - bodies on earth in whom God can live and express his nature. Essentially, when the Spirit of God enters us, we become “little Christ’s.” We show God’s likeness (Genesis 1:26-28) to those who are not yet Christian yet by drawing them into the same loving relationship that we experience. Thus we fulfill the charge that Jesus gave to his desciples before he ascended to heaven: “ But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere” (Acts 1:8, NLT) (McDowell &Williams, 2006:173). None believer’s as we know is very aware of this reality, since they tend to use this as an excuse not to become Christians. This they do not just as an accusation against Christians, but one could also understand that they are seeing something within any Christian which makes us unique, therefore the way in which we deal with people, especially none Christians may bring people to Christ or push them further away. When travelling I saw a lot of cars, which states “Real Men follow Jesus”, the sign of the Fish, which is a early sign used by Christians for identification, being stick to the bumpers. Even though it was stick there with good intentions, it happens that one shows signs in a moment of traffic rage, all the people remember seeing is that sign they saw on your bumper and the sign you showed and all Christians must be the same. Christ therefore once again met our need for a lasting relationship and whether we keep that relationship with Christ alive is up to us, meaning whether we choose to remain fixed to him in our daily walk or whether we want to reject this lasting relationship. Whatever we choose Christ has already chosen you and therefore he remains to you, while watching out for you, just as the Father of the Prodigal Son stood and stared into the distance awaiting his son with open arms. Through Christ’s love all restoration to our broken relationships is possible, since “God’s plan for redemption is centered on his love for us; the scope of it is much broader than just reestablishing his relationship to humankind. He ultimately intends to restore all things to their original creation ideal. With the power of God relationships can be good and continues, this means that although humanity is renowned for breaking one another’s hearts, God will restore your heart by bringing the right people upon your way, and blessing you with the right heart. It is thus vital that Christ take the central place in all your relationship and it is from this place where you can draw your strength. It’s from this place where you can look at one another, while knowing the truth, which people love hiding from one another and say: “In the name of Jesus Christ, I forgive you” and by doing that, you restore Christ to the position that was originally intended for him. To be in a relationship with someone you love isn’t a right, but a privilege which God has blessed you with to take care of someone He dearly loves and thus entrusting you with this special task and role. May all your relationships grow from strength to strength!! God bless and may this journey along with us through this book be a blessing to you in the future as it was for us to provide you with this review. Our next book review, will be in the July edition of Igniting Christ’s compassion, where we will be looking at the power of intercessory prayer. Bibliography McDowell, Josh & Williams, Thomas (2006) “The Relational Word - A Biblical Design
3. FOLLOW OUR LATEST TREADS ON TWITTER Yours in Christ!! Roland Rieseberg Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity. Dear Friends We have an intercessor who is praying on our behalf, pleading with the Father to hear our prayer, thus an intercessor reveals the heart of a person or persons before God and take it upon themselves to stand in for us. We all struggle to talk to God at some point and yet its during these periods of struggle that we experience the intensity of God’s presence as we became aware of the changes that’s happening around us. Being an intercessor thus means that at the lowest point of your life, someone in our immediate world puts aside their own personal problems for a moment while looking out for someone else. Praying for someone in truth, trust and faith, thus expressing through prayer that one is willing to stand on the truth of whatever the intercessor is praying for, trusting God who act for good of the person or people you are standing in for and thus expressing faith through your act of service for others. King David in our text is praying for his people and in reading our text, it shows that there might be rivalry within and without the walls of Jerusalem, as the enemy is closing in. As things are being done in preparation for a possible assault, David retreats into his sanctuary, asking God to guide and lead them through this ordeal. His request is short and to the point, therefore being an Intercessor, you are called to represent people in need, indicating that it’s a gift of God to be able to intercede for others. Being an Intercessor isn’t a show, but a humble calling knowing that God will make a difference in his own way and time, within someone’s life. Jimmy lost his job and being the main bread winner in the family, the family undergone a period of agony, not believing in this intercessory thing, but since he has got nothing to lose he decided to give it a try. While responding to an altar call, Jimmy walked down the aisle and his eyes met a praying man in one of the pews. Not knowing the man, he felt interconnectedness with this man and couldn’t understand why. Puzzled by this unexplained feeling, he walked back to his seat after receiving laying on of hands and prayer and yet his eyes was once again fixed on him, only this time the man looked up at him and smile. Jimmy met an intercessor without knowing or understanding what has really happened. God places intercessors in every sphere of society and most of the time, one only realizes that someone have interceded for you well beyond the time thus he places people virtually everywhere you are going, praying that God would reveal an aspect in your life, which you need to go forward. Once you’ve realized that someone prayed for you a special bond of friendship is in the forming process, since one connected through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen Roland Rieseberg |