Principles Of Leadership

by Dag Heward-Mills

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Copyright 2008 Dag Heward-Mills

Published by Dag Heward-Mills on Smashwords.

E mail Dag Heward-Mills

info@daghewardmillsbooks.org

evangelist@daghewardmills.org

Find out more about Dag Heward-Mills at:

http://www.daghewardmills.org

http://www.daghewardmills.org/healingjesuscrusade/

http://www.daghewardmills.org/lci/

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Contents

Chapter 1 - Be Decisive! It Is the Greatest Attribute of a Leader

Chapter 2 - Know about the Power of Habits and Develop Good Habits

Chapter 3 - Know Where You Are! Know Where You Are Not! And You Will Know Where to Go!

Chapter 4 - Become Self- Motivated. Do Not Expect Direction or Encouragement from Outside

Chapter 5 - Be Flexible, Rigidity Is Costly

Chapter 6 - Command Your Troops!

Chapter 7 - Balance Your Priorities

Chapter 8 - Live by the Logical Laws of Teamwork

Chapter 9 - Get Angry Sometimes

Chapter 10 - Control the People You Lead by the Power of Teaching

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Chapter 1

Be Decisive! It Is the Greatest Attribute of a Leader

Decisiveness is truly the greatest attribute of a leader. Many people cannot take decisions. Only real leaders face up to realities and take important decisions. The failure to take a decision is the failure to lead.

Well-run businesses often take hard decisions to lay off employees when they realize that they have to. This type of decision is not easy and has far-reaching consequences. Failure to take a decision can lead to the destruction of all that you are building.

Four Reasons Why You Must Be Decisive

1. God is a decisive God.

We are supposed to be imitators of God, who is known for His ability to take far-reaching decisions.

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

Ephesians 5:1

2. All great leaders are decisive.

We are to follow the example of people who through faith and patience have accomplished great things.

That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Hebrews 6:12

3. A failure to decide is a failure to lead.

Leadership is eighty per cent decision making and twenty per cent implementation. That is why the failure to decide is a failure to lead.

4. Failure to decide is the same as a decision to do nothing.

How can you follow someone who has decided to do nothing? You might as well follow a little child around the playground. That is the same as doing nothing.

Ten Decisions of Jehovah

1. When the earth was without form, void and covered with darkness, God took a decision to create Heaven and earth.

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:2

2. When God realized that man was lonely, He took a decision to create a woman.

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Genesis 2:18

3. When the earth was full of wickedness, God took a decision to kill all the human beings and leave only Noah and his family alive.

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

Genesis 6:5-7

4. When God saw Noah’s sacrifice, He took a decision not to destroy all living things anymore.

And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

Genesis 8:21

5. When God saw the homosexuality in

Sodom and Gommorah, He took a decision to eliminate that city forever.

And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

Genesis 18:20,21

6. When God saw that the Israelites were suffering so much in Egypt, He took a decision to rescue them from the hand of

Pharaoh.

And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

Exodus 2:23-25

7. When God was taking the children of Israel out of Egypt into Canaan and they began to complain, God immediately took a decision to keep them in the wilderness for forty more years.

When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.

Hebrews 3:9-11

8. When God saw that Lucifer was rebellious, He took a decision to cast him out of Heaven.

Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness:

I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

Ezekiel 28:17,18

9. When God realized that the Israelites did not want to be ruled by a prophet, He took a decision to change the style of leadership from judges to kings.

And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

1 Samuel 8:7

10. When God saw that all of His creation was going to be lost through sin, He took a decision to send His Son to win them back.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 3:16,17

Many pastors fail to get rid of disloyal elements within their ranks. When you fail to take the hard decision to remove traitors, you will be destroyed. Are you a leader? Are you aspiring to be a leader? If so, then welcome to the world of taking difficult decisions.

Six Keys for Decision-Taking

1. Be Brave.

You need courage to take good decisions. King David instructed Solomon to be strong. He knew that Solomon would need strength to be decisive. David knew that decisiveness was the greatest attribute Solomon would need.

I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;

1 Kings 2:2

Because I am a leader, I understand the importance of this instruction. Without strength, you cannot be decisive.

A church needs a strong leader to move it forward. Democracy and committees are not helpful; what you need is strong leadership.

Solomon went ahead and eliminated his brother Adonijah, who had earlier tried to take the throne from him. The first act of strength that Solomon performed was to eliminate all possible traitors and wicked elements in his kingdom.

Some of you are too weak to get rid of that bad man in your life. That is why you will never be a successful leader.

Decisiveness is the greatest attribute of a leader. You need strength to obey the voice of the Lord.

When God told me to be a pastor, it took a lot of strength to forge ahead into God’s will. No one supported or helped me.

When I started out in ministry, I found myself surrounded by people who didn’t believe in me. I had to get rid of the scoffers in my life and I did just that!

I remember telling one gentleman, “From today, you are no longer part of this church.” I continued, “Do not come to the church anymore. Your services are not needed!” This brother was taken aback but it was a very necessary step for my own survival. No one can prosper if disloyal scorners surround him. You need an environment of encouragement and peace.

2. See ahead.

Know that the decision you are taking now will turn out for good. Solomon knew that eliminating his brother Adonijah would turn out for the good of the whole nation. If Solomon had not seen ahead he would not have taken that decision.

A bad manager cannot see that if he does not take the hard decision of cutting the workforce, for instance, the whole company will close down.

3. Consider the consequences of failing to take a decision.

Abraham was very close to his nephew Lot. One day, he had to face the painful reality that his nephew’s presence in his life was causing more harm than good. Being a good leader, he took the decision and separated from his nephew. The consequence of failing to take this decision would have been strife. And it was not worth it.

And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

Genesis 13:8,9

Notice that it was after this decision that God gave him specifications of the lands and blessings that were his.

And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him…

Genesis 13:14

4. Move quickly when all the relevant information has come in.

Do not take decisions based on part of the available information. You will make disastrous mistakes when you do that.

Solomon was advised by his father to get rid of Joab. The only information that Solomon needed was his father’s instruction. Joab was someone who had disobeyed David on several occasions. David asked Solomon to eliminate Joab.

…let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.

1 Kings 2:6

When the opportunity presented itself, Solomon executed Joab. When the information came in, Solomon took the decision to immediately execute Joab. David also asked Solomon to deal with Shimei. Shimei was someone who cursed King David when he was running away from Absalom.

…thou hast with thee Shimei…hold him not guiltless…

1 Kings 2:8,9

You will notice that after Solomon fulfilled his father’s instructions, the kingdom of Israel became established under his rule. The decisiveness of Solomon at the beginning of his reign took him very far.

…And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

1 Kings 2:46

Because Solomon was decisive his kingdom was established. Once the information came in, he took the decision and implemented it.

5. Implement decisions that have been taken.

Solomon asked Shimei not to cross the brook Kidron. He told Shimei that if he crossed the brook, that would be his last day on earth. When the information came that Shimei had crossed the boundary, Solomon implemented the hard decision that he had already taken. The decisiveness of Solomon was at work.

6. Surround yourself with godly people who give good advice.

Don’t make the mistake of Rehoboam.

And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)

That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?

And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:

And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?

And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.

And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.

And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him;

And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

1 Kings 12:1-16

Two Common Mistakes of Leaders

1. Failure to take an obvious decision.

2. Failure to implement a decision that has been taken.

Chapter 2

Know about the Power of Habits and Develop Good Habits

A habit is something that you do without thinking about it or intending to do it. Every good leader has many good habits. These good habits are what has made him what he is.

Two Habits of Jesus

1. Going to church regularly

Did you know that Jesus had good habits? The Bible teaches us that He had a habit of going to church on the Sabbath day.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

Luke 4:16

2. Going on prayer retreats

Jesus also had a habit of going to a particular garden for retreats. It was a place that he went often. Everyone knew about His habit of praying in the garden.

When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.

And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.

John 18:1-2

Daniel’s Habit

Daniel prayed at specific times of the day. It was something he was used to. It was one of the greatest secrets of his life.

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Daniel 6:10

Ten Things Every Leader Should Know about the Power of Habits

1. A habit is an act that is repeated easily without thinking about it or planning to do it.

2. A habit is an act that becomes your custom whether you are conscious of it or not.

3. A habit is often an insignificant act that seems to have no power to affect the future.

This is why many people do not recognize the concept of having good habits as a powerful tool for future accomplishments.

4. A habit can either be good or bad, natural or spiritual.

Spiritual habits are things like morning prayer and having a daily quiet time. Natural habits are things like brushing your teeth and having your daily bath.

5. Good habits are repeated as easily as bad habits.

6. Bad habits lead to consistent failure and defeat without the person realizing what is happening.

7. Good habits lead to consistent success and victory without the person even realizing what he is doing.

8. Bad habits are easy to form but difficult to live with. Good habits are difficult to form but easy to live with.

9. Every successful leader has a number of good habits that have brought him success.

Many years ago, a friend of mine taught me how to have a quiet time with God every morning. I developed that as a personal habit and it has been my greatest secret as a Christian and later as a minister. Almost all the things I preach about come as a result of this good habit.

10. Habits are a safety procedure for leaders.

This is because even when a leader is under pressure, he will do certain good things habitually, naturally and easily.

When under pressure, the leader may not have time to think of what to do or how to act. It is a good habit of prayer or quiet time that may lead him out of difficulty.

Just like Jesus, I also have a place I often go to pray. I also often go with my pastors. This habit helps keep me spiritually protected even when I am not aware of danger.

Twenty Good Habits Every Leader Should Develop

1. Read your Bible everyday of your life.

In the day of crisis it is that Bible reading that may save you.

2. Have a personal quiet time with God everyday.

Let NBNB (No Bible, No Breakfast) be a principle that you adopt.

3. Pray for a minimum of one hour everyday of your life.

Develop the habit of praying before you eat.

4. Fast at least once a week.

For example, you could choose Fridays as a day of fasting.

5. Constantly listen to preaching tapes in your car or your home.

6. Constantly have a book that you are reading.

As soon as you finish one book, immediately begin reading another. This is a very good habit that will unconsciously increase your knowledge and learning.

7. Play only Christian music in your house or car.

Never allow worldly music to be played in your presence, even if it is coming from the radio.

This habit will make you create a Holy Spirit friendly environment around you all the time. The Holy Spirit will come to you because God inhabits praise and worship.

You will also unconsciously drive away evil spirits without intending to do so. “And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him” (1 Samuel 16:23).

8. Do a lengthy fast at the beginning of the year to commit the rest of the year into God’s hands.

9. Have at least one long prayer time at least once a week.

10. Let your closest friends be members of the same sex.

11. Chat with your wife everyday.

I have discovered that a woman’s greatest need is to be talked to, even if it is about “nothing.” Women are born with a gift of talking. One of their gifts is chatting. Fifteen minutes of chatting would do every woman a world of good.

12. Play and talk with your children.

If you spend half as much money on your children and twice as much time with them they will turn out better.

13. Have sex regularly with your spouse.

You can do this at least every other day or as your strength permits.

14. Rest once a week.

I rest on Mondays. I have learned that it is an important day for me. I have discovered that the work never ends.

15. Witness to every unbeliever you meet.

Do this whether you have prayed or not. Do not let an unbeliever get away from your presence without hearing the Gospel. This habit will lead to many people being saved without you ever planning a salvation crusade.

16. Do not borrow money.

Some people have the habit of borrowing money every time they are in need. You must develop the habit of not borrowing money.

17. Set aside some time to specially wait on God every few months.

Whenever I do this, I go away for a few days and spend time with the Lord. This is one of the great secrets of my life.

18. Develop the habit of saving money.

Save a little money every month.

19. Develop the habit of not watching much television.

Television takes up the time that would have been used reading, praying, having a quiet time, talking with God, chatting with your wife or children.

Television is also a bad influence. People get ideas of divorce and other evils from watching television.

20. Pay your tithes every month.

Let the first ten per cent of your income be assigned to God.

Do you consider yourself to be a leader? What good habits do you have? Develop a life filled with many good habits. Don’t forget that every successful leader has some secret good habits that make him lead successfully.

Chapter 3

Know Where You Are! Know Where You Are Not! And You Will Know Where to Go!

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:32

The truth will tell you where you are and where you are not! The truth will also tell you where to go. Many pastors need to start telling the truth about the size of their congregations. It is time to stop making wild guesses about the number of people in our churches. When you know the actual number of souls you are ministering to, you will be motivated to work harder.

One day, I asked my data officer to tell me how many people were in church. When he gave me the figure, I was depressed for one week. I realized that our church was very small. I had a long way to go! If you cannot tell yourself the truth, you cannot be a good leader. Many businesses do not make any profit at all! When you add up the real costs of their operations, you discover that they are actually making losses.

If managers were honest, they would take the necessary hard decisions. That is what leadership does.

Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved?…

Luke 13:23

Jesus answered and told him that there is a narrow gate and few people are entering through that gate. This was the truth.

Leaders need to deal with reality. Without real figures, a Chief Executive cannot take sound financial decisions. Every leader must ensure that he has the real picture.

Chapter 4

Become Self- Motivated. Do Not Expect Direction or Encouragement from Outside

…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

1 Samuel 30:6

Everyone looks up to the leader for encouragement, but who encourages the leader? A true leader is someone who knows how to encourage himself whenever it is necessary. I do not look outside for motivation.

I have learnt that I have to motivate myself. I cannot depend on external factors to encourage me.

There are many times I have been absolutely discouraged and dejected in ministry. There are times I have problems that I have no one to talk to about them. Like David, I have had to learn to encourage myself in the Lord.

You cannot encourage your followers until you have learnt to encourage yourself. David experienced a crisis and he had no one to talk to. He had no choice but to encourage himself.

And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

1 Samuel 30:5,6

Seven Steps to Encouraging Yourself

1. Develop a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Hear him speaking to you personally. You will do this by faith. You must be able to say that God has spoken to you.

When you are all alone and there is no one to speak to, the Holy Spirit will be the guide that you need. That is what He is there for! Be constantly aware of the Greater One in you. You have overcome because He is in you.

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

1 John 4:4

In my darkest moments, I have found the Holy Spirit to be someone who speaks to me personally. Jesus described the Holy Spirit as another Comforter.

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14:16

Jesus was the first comforter. He was available to speak to. He was there to answer questions. He was there to give guidance. Today, the Holy Spirit does this job. Leaders are often lonely people. I pity any leader who does not have the Holy Spirit as a personal friend to talk to.

2. Receive living messages from God by the simple reading of Scriptures.

When the Bible becomes a living message from God to you, you will always have a source of direction and encouragement.

When I’m in need of encouragement or direction, I believe that whichever part of the Scriptures I read at that time will be God’s message to me.

This makes the Bible my greatest tool of self- encouragement and motivation.

3. Remember other problems that God has delivered you from.

When you remember what the Lord has done in the past you will be encouraged. Jesus expects us to remember the things He has done for us in the past to encourage ourselves.

Notice how He was angry with the disciples for not remembering the past miracles.

Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.

And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.

And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

Mark 8:18-21

4. Make positive confessions.

Your faith must speak when you need encouragement. Faith is the opposite of depression.

Faith is a shield. Your faith is a God-given weapon meant to stop attacks. That is why the Bible calls faith a shield that quenches the fiery darts.

In my book, Name it! Claim it! Take it! I have written a whole lot of positive confessions that will help every leader.

5. Learn to listen to appropriate tapes and get fired up again.

6. Play the right music at the right time.

7. Avoid depressive and discouraging personalities who only draw you back into the darkest gloom.

Remember that joy cometh in the morning.

Chapter 5

Be Flexible, Rigidity Is Costly!

To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

1 Corinthians 9:22

A true leader exhibits flexibility. Being flexible does not mean that you compromise on things you believe in. A leader must not be rigid. An old rigid tree will be broken, but a young supple tree can be bent over.

Paul said that he became all things to all men so that he might save them all. Are you prepared to do anything to achieve good results?

There are times that you may have to vary your dressing to flow with the people around. You are not always right, you know!

In certain cultures, people are not punctual. When you say the programme starts at six o’clock, they will leave their homes at six and be there at seven. If you are very rigid with your timing, you may end up preaching to empty chairs and closing your service as the majority of people walk in.

A pastor must be flexible with ignorant baby sheep. Sometimes, sheep will ask you to counsel them about things you have just preached about. The message is very clear but they still want you to talk to them. There are times you have to be flexible and accommodate these sheep.

Without being flexible you will not be able to flow in a miracle service where the Holy Spirit has the liberty. If you really want to keep your service to two hours, you may miss certain moves of the Spirit.

A leader tries new things. Try new ways of evangelism. Be open to methods that you did not invent. Listen to young people who have fresh ideas. Do not rigidly think that God only speaks through a grey-haired sixty-year-old prophet. Flexibility will allow you to receive from a twenty-year-old anointed youth.

Are you a leader? Then you must be flexible and open to new ideas.

Chapter 6

Command Your Troops!

For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

1 Corinthians 14:8

There are times that making suggestions and giving advice will not work. You must give a clear command to the troops.

The Centurion said to Jesus, “I say to one ‘go’, and he goeth. I say to another ‘come’, and he cometh.” He was just showing Jesus that he was a leader. A leader is often a commander. If you are too weak to give a command, you cannot be a leader. Leaders must give advice and make suggestions.

But a leader must also give commands. There are times that you have to say, “Go!”

I Gave a Command

One night, the Lord revealed that a certain pastor in my outfit was disloyal to me. He said to me, “Give a clear command.”

I will never forget that night, as the Spirit of God ministered very clearly to me. I could not sleep because the Spirit of God was talking to me. I was wide awake in the middle of the night. All that the Lord told me was to give a clear command. He told me that after I give the command, the disloyal element would be made manifest.

The next day I called two pastors to my office. I told them, “I have given you suggestions and advice before. But now I am explicitly instructing you to move out of this city into the following towns.” I continued, “In other words I am transferring you.”

You see, I had taken my place as a strong leader of my church. I said to them, “I am transferring you out of this city.”

One of the pastors agreed to go after clarifying a few points. The other pastor smiled and said, “Well, I have been to that town before and I have even worked there. I would be happy to go there, but I think that this is a good opportunity to inform you of my decision to resign.” When I heard that, I said to myself, “The cat is out of the bag.”

This young man had been hatching a plan for some time. He had not had the courage to disclose it. I had known that his heart was not with me. Giving the strong command had brought out what was in him.

Be strong and of good courage…

Joshua 1:6

Pray for strength and courage to be a good leader. Giving advice is very different from giving commands. Giving suggestions is very different from giving commands. There is a time to advise and a time to command. Giving commands will establish your position as a leader and will expose disloyal elements within your ranks.

Develop the art of commanding. Of course, you must not go about commanding everyone. You can only command your own troops.

Chapter 7

Balance Your Priorities

A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight.

Proverbs 11:1

Leadership is the ability to know what comes first and what comes second. Every leader has a home, a family, a church, a business, a school and the list goes on.

What comes first? A leader knows that God always comes first.

Almost every seasoned leader will tell you that the family is of utmost importance.

Some people place so much emphasis on the family that they neglect God. Others neglect their families in the name of serving God. Both are wrong. The leader is the one who rises up and creates the perfect balance.

Maintain the right balance between all the priorities that God has given you. Nobody wants to get to Heaven only to hear that they neglected a whole area of ministry.

Do you consider yourself a leader? Then maintain the right balance between all the priorities that God has given to you. We will be glad to follow your example.

Nobody wants to get to Heaven only to be told that they neglected a whole area of ministry. Even within the offices of ministry, it is important to balance your different callings. Perhaps you are an evangelist and a pastor; you must balance the two and ensure you fulfil each one to its utmost.

I believe God has put me in the office of a teacher. That is my first priority! I love evangelising and I love pastoring. But God has directed me to put the first things first!

Chapter 8

Live by the Logical Laws of Teamwork

Fourteen Laws of Teamwork

1. Everybody in the ministry team should know what you are trying to do.

When people understand what you are trying to do, it helps them to flow in the vision.

2. Everyone in the ministry team must know what he is expected to do.

This allows you to know who to blame when things go wrong and who to praise when things work out.

3. Everyone in the ministry team must know what every other member of the ministry team is supposed to be doing.

That is why you must have meetings with individuals and then meet them in a group so that others would know what is going on.

4. Everyone must have a complete section in which he has full control.

Delegate people to do things. Give them control over the section you have delegated to them.

5. Give a lot of praise and recognition to your ministry team members in public.

If you want somebody to repeat something good, praise him for that thing.

6. Give criticism and rebuke to your people in private.

If you want to correct somebody, do not do so in front of their subordinates. It will weaken their position of authority in the sight of their subordinates.

7. As a ministry team member, my criticism must be constructive.

8. As a ministry team leader, accept responsibility for everything and anything that goes wrong.

Take the blame and share the glory.

9. Do not complain about or condemn your team members.

10. Decide always to give advice on how to do things better.

11. Treat everybody as very important.

When you see someone who doesn’t look important, be nice to them. They may not look important but treat them as important.

12. Re-position and relocate people until they are in the place they function best.

13. Give people jobs according to their personalities.

Some people are light-hearted and merry, others are moody and strict. There is a job that suits everyone.

14. Forgive and overlook the mistakes of team members.

Chapter 9

Get Angry Sometimes

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Matthew 21:12,13

If you are a leader, you will become happy with the things that make God happy. You will also become angry with the things that make God angry.

You see, Jesus got angry when He saw the evil that was being perpetrated by backslidden worshippers. They had converted the church into a business centre.

Most people are only capable of natural fleshly anger. But the Bible speaks of anger that is different. That is what I call holy anger.

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Ephesians 4:26

In this Scripture, Christians are actually instructed to get angry sometimes. The important thing is not to sin whilst you are angry. Holy anger is the anger that rises within you against the devil, sin and wickedness in the world. Holy anger is the anger that rises against injustice and oppression.

When holy anger comes upon you, you are expected to take certain decisions. Just as Jesus threw out the moneychangers from the temple, there is a time to throw certain people out of your organizations. Many businesses and companies fail because they fail to act appropriately in righteous anger. Leaders must know how to operate in righteous biblical anger.

Chapter 10

Control the People You Lead by the Power of Teaching

Do you consider yourself to be a leader? I advise you to study the art of communicating, teaching and preaching.

Even a businessman needs to make his subordinates understand what he is trying to achieve. You see, people relate with you on the basis of your words.

Solomon was a king but he taught the people. He knew that his control of the people would be through his teaching.

And moreover, because the preacher [King Solomon] was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

Ecclesiastes 12:9

Teaching is the art of shaping people into what you want. People are not easy to lead. Everyone comes around with his own opinion and his own set of ideas. Teaching moulds the people into what you want. Through the power of teaching you can get people to do almost anything. Without the power of teaching, you would hardly be able to lead anyone anywhere.

A bishop then must be…apt to teach;

1 Timothy 3:2

The authority to lead people is found in your ability to teach them. A leader must be able to impart information in a simple and easy-to- understand style. Even if your office is not that of a teacher, you must learn how to teach.

How I Led My People into the Miracle Ministry

When I began operating in the miracle ministry, I realized that many of the pastors were not flowing with me. It was something new.

Without even knowing what I was doing, I launched into a series of teachings on the power of the Holy Spirit. I taught about the anointing! I taught about healing! I taught about why miracles were necessary! These teachings helped tremendously. Today, the whole church is ever ready for a miracle session.

If you want to lead people along a certain road, you often have to teach them first. King Solomon was wise; that is why he taught his people knowledge. Are you a wise leader? Then teach your people knowledge!

Chapter 11

Be a Great Leader, Go the Extra Mile

And whosever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

Matthew 5:41

Every true leader goes the extra mile for his followers. This may mean a little more sacrifice and a little more time. One extra mile for somebody you love is never too much.

It is not uncommon to find the leader of a company in the office well after his closing hours. He is going the extra mile.

When I became a pastor, I often went the extra mile without being asked to.

The extra mile is the mile you are not supposed to go. The extra mile is the mile you are not really required to do. That is why it is called the extra mile!

My car was used as the church bus. My stereo sound system was used as the church equipment. My private room was used as the church office. These were not things that I was required to do, but I did them gladly because that is what a natural leader does. Without even being asked to do so, you will do extra things.

For your church or business to work, somebody has to put in the extra effort. Do you consider yourself a leader? Are you going the same number of miles that everybody else does? Remember that a true leader is often doing extra miles.

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Other Best-Selling Books by Dag Heward-Mills:

Loyalty and Disloyalty

Leaders and Loyalty

Transform Your Pastoral Ministry

The Art of Leadership

Model Marriage

Church Planting

The Mega Church

Lay People and the Ministry

These titles are also available in Spanish and/or French. Information about other foreign translations of some of the titles above may be obtained by writing to our email address.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Be Decisive! It Is the Greatest Attribute of a Leader

Chapter 2

Know about the Power of Habits and Develop Good Habits

Chapter 3

Know Where You Are! Know Where You Are Not! And You Will Know Where to Go!

Chapter 4

Become Self- Motivated. Do Not Expect Direction or Encouragement from Outside

Chapter 5

Be Flexible, Rigidity Is Costly!

Chapter 6

Command Your Troops!

Chapter 7

Balance Your Priorities

Chapter 8

Live by the Logical Laws of Teamwork

Chapter 9

Get Angry Sometimes

Chapter 10

Control the People You Lead by the Power of Teaching

Chapter 11

Be a Great Leader, Go the Extra Mile