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Today on Leaderview, I want to talk to us about something that has been titled: Systems Leadership for Sustainable Organizational Growth using a particular scriptural reference that I discover to be very interesting in this regard. I want to reveal to us how systems leadership engenders sustainable organizational growth. Sustainable organizational growth in itself rests upon three things. Number one is THE LEADER, number two is THE TEAM and number three, THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUTURE. These three things must be in place and effective if there would be any sustainable organizational growth.
Listen to Podcast: Systems Leadership for Sustainable Organizational Growth
But let us see how these three plays together under systems leadership as we read this Scriptural reference in 1 Corinthians 12:12-18. The Bible says:
“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ (Now, this part of the reference talks about the organization structure in systems leadership. The organization is one, even though it may have different units or systems). 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit (This part of the reference explains the team, the different people that makes up the organization; and the leader of the organization, which in this context is the Holy Spirit). So, what makes up for sustainable organization growth are complete in these few verses that we have just read.
Now let us read further: 14 “For in fact the body is not one member but many.15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?”
Systems Leadership is a set of skills and capacities that any individual or organization can use to enable and support the process of sustainable organizational growth within the organization setting. As a member of any organization, there is something that you have that is meant to catalyze or push the organization forward towards achieving her aim and objectives.
THE LEADER
For leaders, they are to view every member of their team as a crucial part of the system and to also help each individual to discover his or her role and play it. This is what SYSTEMS LEADERSHIP IS ALL ABOUT!
The leader must work diligently to achieve and maintain a proper sense of balance in the organization. There must not be any form of disjoint or disconnect from any quarter. 1Corinthians 12:25 says: “that there should be no schism (a division because of disagreement) in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.” The moment there is any form of schism or discontentment from any angle, it could greatly hamper sustainable growth of the organization. So, the leader must watch it and be all out for the organization.
THE TEAM!
In Systems Leadership, the team are treated not just as some random employees of the organization but as co-visionaries. As a system leader, you must get your team to the point where they co-own the vision of the organization with you and not just people who run 8am-4pm daily just to earn a weekly wage or salary. They must be able to run with the vision of the organization. Habakkuk 2:2 says: “Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” By doing this (writing the vision and making it plain), everyone in the team is able to run with the vision towards achieving sustainable organizational growth.
Also, in systems leadership, the leader sees to the welfare of the team. While the team goes all out making sure the vision is realized, the leader also ensures the paramount welfare of the team member. Proverbs 27:23 says: “Be diligent to know the state of your flocks (your team) and attend to your herds.” Jesus is a fantastic example of a system leader. He saw regularly to the welfare of his disciples, which represented His team at the time. No wonder His ministry is still around today, over two thousand and twenty years later. In Luke 4:38-39, we saw how He healed Peter’s mother in-law.
“Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. 39 So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.”
Jesus knew there was no way Peter would have given his 100 percent commitment to the work if there was any family matter that distract him or weigh him down. So, Jesus stepped in and healed the woman once and for all. If you ask me, that is a leader seen to the welfare of His team member.
THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUTURE
To achieve sustainable organizational growth, the organizational structure must be well defined and solid. A good structure would foster sustainable growth. A bad structure on the other would inhibit or repel or prohibit sustainable growth. So, how does systems leadership help here? We can see the answer in the structure that Jesus Himself put in the church for our case study. Ephesians 4:11-12, the Bible says: “And He Himself (talking about Jesus) gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…”
Notice Jesus didn’t make everyone apostles, everyone prophets, everyone evangelists, everyone pastors and teachers. There is no way everyone in the body of Christ would have been this and there won’t be clash in His organization. So, Jesus by Himself put the structure in place and it is that structure that has made His body to remain standing and a force to be reckon with till now on earth. Let me show you another of His structure in 1Corinthians 12:28. The Bible says: “And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.”
In summary, a system leader must understand the place of the leader, The Team and the organizational structure in achieving sustainable organizational growth. If there is a disconnect or schism in any of this three that we have mentioned, growth in the organization becomes impossible, not to talk of sustainable. So, a system leader understands their interplay and brings them together in a proper mix to achieve sustainable organizational growth.
I believe you have learned something!
[Centre for New Dimension Leadership]
