When we talk about healthy leadership, it does not connote that the leader is sick or is not in the capacity to discharge his or her duties. Healthy leadership simply describe a situation where everything that has to do with the smooth running and operations of the organization is taking place as planned and there is little or no obstruction to growth and productivity. This scenario can only be the case in an atmosphere where there is cohesiveness and a healthy relationship between the leader and his team or his followers.

 

There are two ways toward attaining a healthy leadership and I want to quickly share it with us in this few minute that we have to spend together.

 

#1: Healthy leadership anywhere in the world begins from the head, which in this case, the leader. Whether you talk about organizational leadership, or you talk about a nation’s leadership, or you talk about spiritual leadership, the starting point to a healthy leadership has the leader at the forefront of it. Let me show us very briefly two Scriptural underpinnings for this statement that I just made. Romans 11:16 says: “For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.” Firstfruit within the context of our discussion simply means ‘a leader’. The ‘lump’ within the context of our discussion are the followers or the entity that is being led. So, look at it this way: if the leader is healthy (meaning that he is doing all that is expected of him or her as a leader per time), the followers or the entity being led will also be healthy. In other words, the followers or the entity will take their cue from the leader.

 

The second Scripture is in Psalm 133:1-3. It says: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing— Life forevermore.” I want to zero in on some few key points in that passage that are germane to what we are discussing today. The first one says: the oil flows down from the head and then to the beard and then to edge of Aaron’s garment and not from the edge of his garment, to the beard and to the head. What does this mean? It simply means that: Healthy leadership does not flow from the bottom to the top, it flows from up and straight down to the bottom.

 

The second point says: the dew of Hermon descended upon the mountains of Zion and not ascending from the bottom of the mountain towards the head. That is the second point showing us that healthy leadership begins from the top, the head, or the leader, as the case may be. And it further showed us that effectiveness in leadership is rooted in this order of flow and not otherwise, because it says: “for there the LORD commanded the blessing— Life forevermore.”

 

So, it means that if there would be any meaningful progress or effectiveness in any form of leadership: be it organizational leadership, political leadership, spiritual leadership, you name it; this principle of leadership beginning from the leader must be upheld. The leader must arise and assume his or her responsibility and realize that if anything would move or shake positively within that organization, the decision or the vision or the wherewithal to make it happen must flow from him or her, because that is the order of productivity and effectiveness in leadership. Like the popular saying by John C. Maxwell rightly put it: “everything rises and fall on leadership.” If the leader would want to continue to enjoy unprecedented rise and rise and effectiveness in his or her leadership, then all that it requires to do that must emanate from the leader and then, every other entity would follow that direction.

 

#2: There is nothing that brings about healthy leadership outside of EMPATHY! In my opinion, being empathetic as a leader makes leadership healthy and leading a lot easier. One of the stellar reasons while Jesus’ leadership ministry is still the best model anywhere in the world is simply because Jesus displayed empathy in His leadership. Hebrews 4:15a says: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses…” You see, Jesus had compassion on His followers, He fed the hungry, He healed the sick, He forgave sinners, He sympathized with grieving parents and He raised their wards back to life and so on.

 

All these He did simply because He showed empathy. Because He did all of these things does not mean that Jesus was a weak leader, no; because some people believes that if a leader shows so much empathy, it is a sign of weakness. Empathy in leadership is not a sign of weakness, it is simply an understanding that you as the leader knows what your followers or your team may be going through and you simply can relate. Apostle Paul also modeled something very close to this in his leadership assignment. In1 Corinthians 9:19-23, Paul wrote and said:

 

“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; ²⁰ and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; ²¹ to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; ²² to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. ²³ Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”

 

How Do you Show Empathy as a Leader?

 

- Through Compassion

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” ¹⁴ Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” ¹⁵ So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

Luke 7:13-15

 

- Genuine Love for your Team

Even though you are the leader and you are expected to assume that role of leadership every time, you must never fail to show genuine love for your followers or your team as the case may be. Many leaders actually are failing in this regard and it is important that leaders take note of this very point. Let me read John 11:3, 5, and 36 to corroborate this point.

 

“Therefore, the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”

 

So: do you want to have a healthy leadership, one that is full of results to show for it? The route to it is simple, be empathetic as a leader.

 

Alright! This is where we will call it a day on today’s episode of Leaderview. I believe you have learnt something. Please don’t forget to share this podcast with your friends, drop your comments in the comments section and let me know your thoughts on what we have shared with ourselves today. Till next time on Leaderview, I remain Abiola Obayomi; stay blessed and God bless you.

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Obayomi Abiola Benjamin!

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