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In the last three weeks, we had examined a few things on leadership and pattern. We began by examining Leadership According to Pattern, The Dangers of Adopting Wrong Leadership Patterns and The Weakness of Cosmetic Leadership Pattern on Organizational Effectiveness. In this piece, we will be looking at what has been titled: The Leadership Interface for Effective Organizational Growth and I want us to examine a story in the Bible to help us understand what we are about to share with ourselves. 1 Kings chapter 19, I am going to read a few verses to us beginning from verse 1-4. The Bible says:
Listen to Podcast: The Leadership Interface for Effective Organizational Growth
“And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”
Most times, the journey of leadership appears tedious and tiring if leaders would not learn the art of interfacing when it comes to effectiveness in growing the organization. The word ‘interface’ connotes a point where two systems, subjects or organizations meet and interact. To interface in leadership simply means to learn how to collaborate with one another in order to get the job done, either at the level of the organization or externally. Most successful leaders learnt this art at one point or the other in their leadership assignment and it culminated into tremendous result for them and the organization that they led. In the story we read above, Elijah felt overwhelmed with his leadership assignment to the point that he felt he should just die and leave the assignment behind. What led to this decision was simply that he felt overwhelmed and that he was the only one standing.
But God needed to step in and showed him how to interface in leadership. If you read from verses 15-18, you can read the entire chapter on your own when you are less busy, the Bible says:
“Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
Many of us as leaders today, the greatest hinderance preventing us from achieving our goals and the vision of the organization is rooted in our lack of interfacing. Hazael had been there all this while, Jehu had been there all this while, Elisha had been there all this while; as a matter of fact, there were even thousand somewhere in the same land that Elijah could collaborate with in order to move the work of God forward. But because Elijah could not interface, he was simply hoping that God could end his life so that he could be free from the burden of leadership. But sometimes, it not by wishing that one should die so that one could be free, it is sometimes by looking for collaborators who would step in to ease the leadership tension that may be weighing us down as leaders, this is what leadership interface simply teaches us.
Kinds of Leadership interface
#1. The Leadership-followership interface
The first kind of leadership interface every leader must learn is the one between the leader and the follower and this is called the leader-follower/team interface. It is that level of collaboration that exist between the leader of the organization and the team in order to move the organization to the enviable height that has been set for it. In this interface, the leader gets to share his ideas, his vision with the followers or the team and they both reason together on how to achieve those ideas and vision.
If this interface does not exist between the leaders and the followers/team, the organization may not grow as it ought to and this is not good for the leader and the organization. Jesus showed us an example of this interface in Mark 3:14. The Bible says: “And He ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach.” While they were with Him, I believe it was not for fun, but to chart the way forward concerning Jesus’ earthly assignment. But this interaction can’t happen if Jesus didn’t interface with them. So, this is very important for us as leaders to learn.
#2. The Leadership-External Organization Interface
The second kind of leadership interface every leader must learn is the one between the leader himself or herself and the leaders of other organizations external to the organization that we are leading. What happens in this interface is that inter-organization ideas are shared and thereby creating a pathway for sustainable growth of the organizations involved.
Now, this is what I have been trying to say in essence. Leadership becomes tedious and tiring when leaders don’t know how to interface in leadership. And so, it starts from internally collaborating with the people around the leader that are working towards achieving the same purpose and vision of the organization and second, it also involves other collaboration outside of the organization itself. All these factors work together towards ensuring that the organization grows and develops in the right direction.
Alright, this is where we are going to draw the curtains on today’s episode of Leaderview and I believe that you have learnt one or two things. Please don’t forget to share this podcast with folks within your social network and also drop your comments in the comment section so that you and I can get to interact. Till next time on Leaderview, I remain Abiola Obayomi. Bye for now.
[Centre for New Dimension Leadership]
