Recently, i was in the office with my associates trying to sort out some ministry matters, one of them looked at me and asked, “Sir, how were you able to know what to do, almost immediately? How were you able to generate these thoughts and ideas?” I smiled and said, “that’s leadership!” I ended up teaching them what I’m about to discuss with you today; the thinking of a leader.
What separates leaders from followers is the way they think. Leaders think differently; they think fast, wide and qualitatively. What makes you a leader is not your title or position. It is not even your size. It is your thoughts (Psalms 92:5). You are what you think. What you think and how you think are very crucial to your productivity in life and destiny. Your life cannot be bigger than your thoughts; “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7a).
Your maturity is not determined by your ‘spirituality’ but by your thinking. Your are transformed as you renew your mind (Romans 12:2). By new creation reality, we have the mind of Christ; we have a sound mind. But until we ‘sound’ that mind through quality thinking, it may not be sound (1 Corinthians 2:16, 2 Timothy 1:7). Christianity is not against the use of the mind. The Holy Spirit has been given to us to help activate our mind. When you don’t engage your mind, you underutilize the power of the Holy Spirit in your life and you would end up grappling with unnecessary problems.
As a leader, you must think fast and deep because some life and leadership decisions are going to happen fast and may not afford you the luxury of time to act. You must learn to process stuff fast and come up with solutions. There is what I would like to call the Speed of Thoughts or Thinking. This must characterize every leader. Don’t forget that the Holy Spirit has been given to us to make us of quick understanding (Isaiah 11:3a). Like Christ, you must leverage the Holy Spirit to think solutions even before problems show up (John 6:6). This is how to show leadership.
There is something in the arsenal of leaders that predispose them to thinking fast and sharp, provided they live up to their calling and mission. Experience also helps leaders to generate on-the-spot ideas and solutions. They have been through stuff, they often know how things would play out. Learning and meditation also play a vital role. The mind of a leader is like a river of knowledge; stuff come in and go out on a daily basis. They are never idle.
As you go into this new week, release your mind to work! Don’t be in darkness over life and situations when you can simply turn on the light on your inside as you engage your mind via the help of the Holy Spirit. Don’t make it difficult for the Holy Spirit to reach or help you due to the state of your mind. Go for knowledge. Engage in quality thinking and meditation. Maximize your every day experiences to develop the leadership mind. Be a source of inspiration to people around you. As a father, don’t disappoint your family. As a pastor, inspire your congregation. As a team lead, play the lead. As a company head, give direction to your staff, and as an employee, be exceptional! Make use of your mind and watch your life soar unto greater heights. Amen!
© ‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria