Anthony Jay once said that; “The only real training for leadership is leadership.” Meaning that the kind of leadership you follow or submit to determines the kind of leader you become. So, if you train under the right leadership you will emerge as the right leader the society is waiting for.

So, Luke 6:40 says; “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” This statement made by Jesus may just seem to be a mere statement but embedded in it are certain leadership mysteries. He began this statement by making an emphatic statement, He said a disciple is not above his teacher. He was simply driving this mindset into the consciousness of His disciples, the feeling being of being above your teacher disqualifies any disciple from becoming like his teacher. That was why Apostle Paul said I do not count myself to have apprehended. The sense or feeling of being above your teacher puts you in a state of apprehension. It ought not to be so. When you come to the feet of Jesus the great teacher to receive and to learn, you must sit not as one who has already attained but as one who is empty and hungry.

One of the hindrance to being perfectly trained which will ultimately make the disciple become like his master is the ability and willingness of the disciple not to assume to be a master before the training begins. I am skeptical as to whether this statement is clear enough. But let me put it this way; your becoming like your master is a function of training or process, but the result does not come first before the training, it comes after the training.

Making it very clear that there is a distinction between a disciple and his teacher. He said a disciple is not above his teacher. Jesus began to deal with the issue of pride and the feeling of attainment. No one takes up this status and actually ends up like his master. What makes the distinction between a disciple and his teacher could be a huge cap in age, experience, skills, anointing, or technical knowhow, levels of access; etc. what is most important is that there is a level your teacher has climbed and you need him to get you to that point also. Then He said in the latter part of that verse; if that disciple would ever become like his master; knowing what the teacher knows, and doing what the teacher does, then such a disciple must be perfectly trained. That’s why the Scripture says God gives grace to the humble, but He resist the proud. Let me say this at this point; it is not the training you go through that brings out the perfection in you as a disciple, it is the posture of your heart while you go through the training. It is possible to go through a training yet not attain perfection or to measure up to the fullness of the good teacher.

So, what is training all about? It is the action of teaching a person, a disciple, a particular skill or a type of behavior. Another definition puts it as the action of undertaking a course of exercise and diet in preparation for a sporting event. So, no training process becomes successful, no training brings out the desired result when the trainee is rigid, refusing to be flexible in the hands of God the trainer. This is Jesus placing emphasis on training. Not just a wishy washy training but a perfect training that produces a perfect disciple. This training is towards an end, Apostle Paul spelt it out in His epistle to Timothy in 2Timothy 3:17. He said It is so that the disciple may be complete, and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

So, the few paragraph you read above serves as a background to the focus of this article; talking about leadership, succession and the role training would play in order to make a disciple become perfect for leadership and capable to take responsibility. Hebrews 12:11. It says; “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” You could put this Scripture this way; no training seems to be joyful for the present, it could be painful, it could be hard, it could deny you of comfort, and all the pleasures you really desire it says but “afterwards.” That’s the word; after a while, afterwards, it produces, yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness.  

Haven had this background let me introduce us to why the Holy Spirit inspired me in this manner. A lot of us desire to become great leaders, i.e. to become like a picture, a mold we admire so much but are not ready to suffer or to be trained by God just as God had done with that mold. Even though we say we are ready and able to suffer or go through that process, our actions, behaviors and attitude speaks differently.

So, there is always the question of succession when the subject of leadership is mentioned, especially when there is a need for nations, organizations, churches, and different organized bodies to change leadership or have a need for new set of leaders, the question that would be asked is this; is it possible to fit into the shoes of their predecessors? Especially when the leadership of the previous is characterized by excellence and diligence.

What is succession? Succession is a process for identifying and developing new leaders who can replace leaders when they retire, die, step-down or leave. It's a process based on developing a plan that increases the availability of experienced and capable leaders who are prepared to assume leadership roles. This is why training is very important and this was the reason why I began with training and process.

When your posture under this leadership is not correct, when the time to take over the baton comes it will be difficult to fill the space successfully, and this is what breeds lapses and collapse of leadership, organizations, institutions, and nations. A typical example of what I am saying is written in 1 Kings 5:7, It says; “So it was, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly and said, Blessed be the LORD this day, for He has given David a wise son over this great people!”

I want us to read the concluding part again and slowly this time and allow the Holy Spirit let these words seat deep in our spirit. It says for He has given David a wise son over this great people. It is one thing to have a great people, it is another thing to have a great leader over them. Do you know that it is a great leader over a people that qualifies the people as great? The greatness or weakness of a people is determined by the nature of leadership they have. When a people are great and the leadership is not, they will become just like the leadership. People tend to follow the patterns of a leader and they don’t just follow they become like the leader. So, when the leader is great and strong, the people will be the same, when a leader is weak and fearful, then such a leader will have a people who are fearful and weak. This could be a little bit of digression but it’s important for our discuss.

The reason why Hiram rejoiced greatly was not because David’s favorite son became king after all the drama that happened in the palace about who desires to be king or not, He rejoiced because a capable successor was chosen by God to oversee the people. Apostle Pater said at a point in Acts 6:3, “Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men confirmed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will appoint this responsibility to them” this translation said confirmed to be full of wisdom; there is a process that makes this confirmation evident or visible upon any leader. The criteria and qualification here to handle responsibility to be full of the Spirit and wisdom so as to be appointed leaders fitting perfectly into the plan and the purposes of God.  

The point I am trying to make is this; there will be no point to hope or assume that a leader will naturally lead well when they are appointed, it is out of place to think such a miracle will happen. The principle is that successive leaders must be perfectly trained so as to develop in them the same capacity that is already available. Training or process is not a phase any leader should skip because of how tedious, or how ‘unbearable’ it is assumed to be, because inherent in it lies the emergence of the better you.  There were times were Joshua followed Moses, there was a time when he stepped perfectly into his shoes, there was a time were Elisha followed Elijah, there was a time where Elisha became a prophet a whole nation could not ignore. There was a time Samuel serve Eli, there a was a time he was established as a prophet in Israel. There was a time where the disciples of Jesus were so weak, faithless, powerless and clueless, then a time came where they locked exactly like Jesus and were expected to do greater works and the list goes on and on.

If the destiny of people will be committed into your hands, if you will lead successfully just like the leadership you admire is leading, you must be willing to follow and be trained, so that when the time for succession comes, when the time where baton will be handed over to you comes, you won’t be found lacking or wanting in any area. Let your leadership not be a weaker representation of the old, but an invigorated, self-motivated, productive, Spirit-filled.

 

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Apeh Francis Abah!

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