5 – Deadly Mistakes Most Leaders Make

My mother once said to me, “You may be wiser than the people who follow you but do not ever call them fools or make them look stupid before you – or else, you will lose their loyalty.” 

Good talk! But these days, I see many leaders falling into this deadly traps by their actions and peradventure you are doing this unknowingly, read the the following points carefully and adjust as soon as possible.

I know it All – When you begin to see yourself as an Island of knowledge, you have begun to shoot your success on the legs – and you will soon fall. Opinions of other people are so important, it may not be as vital or relevant as you envisage but do not make light their contributions.

Looking and Talking Down the Subordinates – everybody wants to be valued, respected and treated with dignity – and that includes our pets – but when you ridicule your subordinates, reducing them to crumbs; you will soon be deserted and you will see yourself standing alone in the crowd.

I am in charge – It is true that bosses are in charge but s/he needs to respect those working for him and at least appreciate them for their contributions, no matter how little or insignificant it is. For example, the Doctor in the hospital needs to respect the cleaner; though he performs surgery, he won’t arrange the bed or push the wheelchair. 

Nobody can question my authority if I break the rule – Good, you call the shot as the boss but the workers are working your footsteps. If you love coming late to the office, your workers will become habitual latecomers and if you are the type who wastes resources, your workers will do worse.

Calling the subordinates names or denying them their rights – You can succeed at this for a while but it will soon dawn on you that you can only pull that prank for a while. You will soon lose the grip – and whatever they have learnt from you will be used to beat you in the open market.

Life Transforming Lesson You Should Imbibe From Watching SOCCER

Soccer is one sport that combines several efforts; and when I say several – I mean many segments, sections, people or groups and so on are involved.

It is not a game of me, myself and I (Trinity of Self); many other things are factored in before it commands such a huge respect and adoration.

To make soccer match fascinating, several units and people are needed

1)    The Players (aka the teams)

2)   Coaches

3)   Trainers

4)   Physiotherapists

5)   Trainers

6)   Analysts

7)   Spectators

8)   Commentators

9)   Ball boys

10) Referees/umpires

11)  Linesmen/Assistant referees

12) Technical Directors

13) Football associations or coordinators

Some of the actors listed above are not known to most people – and yet they help in determining the outcome of a match or a team’s position on the league table.

Lessons:

1.     Truly, your life is yours. It was a gift of God and He expects you to make full use of it but your full potential cannot be expressed in isolation. You need people who may be for/against you to realise your full potentials.

2.    You need people to help you become better in life. Though, it is not good to be fully dependent on others, yet it is expected of you to lean your weaknesses on some others by being interdependent on them so that your full potentials can be realised.

3.    One tree cannot make a forest – even good players have at a time or the other credit their strengths on somebody or blame their weaknesses on others.

4.    If you want to become a winning sensation, you won’t be able to achieve your aims in isolation. You need people!

To be a great player:

a)    List those that have helped you come this far – both the positive and negative influences.

b)   Strike-out the names of those that have influenced your life/ventures negatively. Say goodbye to them now but don’t forget the lessons you have learnt from them.

c)    Did you include God in the list of your positive influencers? Get on your knees and thank Him for the gift of life and the benevolence of good ideas.

d)   Call or SMS two of the people on the positive side and say thanks to them.

e) List possible people you can include in your team and make a move towards recruiting them

Tax and Duties: People's Obligation and Government Restriction

And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this? They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Matthew 22:20, 21

In essence, Jesus said, “You acknowledged this to be Caesar's coin; the currency of the Roman government and your proof of submission. Don't therefore be unjust; but render to Caesar the things which you acknowledge to be his; at the same time, be not impious, but render unto God the thing's which belong to God.”

This answer is full of consummate wisdom.  It establishes the limits, regulates the rights, and distinguishes the jurisdiction of the two empires of heaven and earth.  The image of princes stamped on their coin denotes that temporal things belong all to their government.  The image of God stamped on the soul denotes that all its faculties and powers belong to the Most High, and should be employed in his service.

Therefore, the civil government under which a man lives, and by which he is protected, demands his honour and reverence and we should pay our tributes (taxes and duties) to the government. 

At the same time, the Caesar (or government) have no right whatsoever to intrude into the things of God. It cannot coin a new creed, or broach a new Gospel to rule the conscience, while he rules the state. 

If that happens, the government must be disobeyed; he is taking the things of God, and he must not get them.  Give not therefore God's things to Caesar, and give not Caesar's things to God.  That which belongs to the commonwealth should, on no account whatever, be devoted to religious uses.