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The broadness or narrowness of any leadership would be to the degree of the broadness or narrowness of the leader’s mindset. Nothing places limitation on any leadership endeavor other than the limitations that are entrenched in the mind of the leader. Whether we want to accept it or not, limitation is a thing of the mind. How far a leader would go in his or her leadership assignment would be determined by how broad or narrow the leader is in his or her thinking. Now, what does it mean to be narrow-minded? To be narrow-minded as a leader is to have a closed mind or not receptive or opened to new ideas or new ways of thinking, or new ways of doing things. It could take any of these forms that I have mentioned.
Listen to Podcast: The Cost and Implication of Narrow-Minded Leadership
The cost of narrow-minded leadership sometimes can be difficult to quantify, if at all it can be quantified. There is a story in 2 Kings 7 that would form the basis of our discussion today. We are going to read from verse 1-2 then 16-20. The Bible says: “Then Elisha said, Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will sell for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria! 2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, If the Lord should make windows in heaven, could this thing be? But Elisha said, you shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”
The word of the Lord came through the mouth of His servant, Elisha, that the situation of the people and the country at large would change for the better twenty-four hours from the time Elisha prophesied and spoke. One of the right-hand men of the king, a captain in the army, a leader; didn’t believe what the man of God had said because the situation was really terrible that nothing miraculous could have happened to alter it within that little space of time. Now, apart from the harsh realities of the time, the captain could have decided not to say anything to counter the words from the mouth of Elisha verbally. He could have kept his doubt within himself and wait to prove the man of God wrong if nothing happens in 24 hours.
But he chose to speak and made public his negativity and how narrow-minded he was. Now, something happened within the twenty-four hours of the prophesy of the man of God that changed the narrative. You can read the entire chapter of the book when you are less busy, but let us jump to verse 16-20 to see what eventually happened.
“Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So, a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, as the Lord had spoken [through Elisha]. 17 The king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate, and the [starving] people trampled him in the gate [as they struggled to get through for food], and he died, as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to him. 18 When the man of God had told the king, two measures of barley shall sell for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria, 19 The captain had told the man of God, If the Lord should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be? And he said, you shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it. 20 And so it was fulfilled to him, for the people trampled on him in the gate, and he died.”
Now, let us bring this home to leadership. Many leaders today are the reason why their organizations aren’t progressing the way it should progress simply because of how narrow and shallow they are in their thinking. Rather than stretch their minds and see the way out of the difficult times their organization is currently going through, they simply express pessimism at every slightest opportunity that they have, as we saw in the case of the captain that we read about in the story above. You see, when leaders are narrow-minded, they simply bring their organization into a halt, a state where it can neither move forward or go backward; and this is the first IMPLICATION OF NARROW-MINDED LEADERSHIP. Organizations don’t make progress with narrow-minded leaders, and you would agree with me that this is the reality with many African leaders as well. Many African nations are not making progress simply because their leaders are narrow-minded.
The second implication of narrow-minded leadership is that it causes more damage than good to the organization. In order for this not to be the case, the leader must know what must be done per time. In John 6:4-6, the Bible says: “Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” Jesus knew what He would do because He is broad in His thinking and imagination. Leaders who aren’t narrow-minded are broad in their imaginations, and they can bring their organization out of any unpalatable situation any time it occurs.
So, in conclusion, it is not good for leaders to be narrow-minded. Leaders are people who are opened to new ideas, who think wide and who would do everything possible within their power and means to get their organizations into that enviable height that it is meant to be. I believe you have learnt something.
Thank you for the gift your time. Please don’t forget to share this podcast with your friends and loved ones so that they can also get to benefit from this leadership insight that we have shared with ourselves today. Till next on Leaderview, I remain Abiola Obayomi. Thank you!
[Centre for New Dimension Leadership]
