Leadership Style!

Illustration: If you came to an intersection and saw three people holding an AK 47 with the road blocked with old tires, and a big spike belt across the road, how would you feel? This happened to Lynn and I our first day in Cote D’Ivoire West Africa. We pulled up to a place where the road was all blocked off with huge tires and logs, with a spike belt across the road, and a half dozen burly men holding ak47 and various machine guns. They stopped everything and only moved the spike belt to let through who they wanted. They severely hassled many people too and make them sit there for hours, sometimes even days. It’s frustrating to be held up like that too. Sitting there waiting and waiting doing nothing, accomplishing nothing. Getting no closer to our destination, going no further on the journey.

However, have you ever come to an intersection with a traffic Director? Does That intimidate you? Not really? They are good, they keep the traffic flowing very well. If there is a bottle neck they will temporarily stop one direction to ease the congestion in another, but they son have you going again because the traffic director get things going smoothly again. They don’t examine every car so we might think the director is not paying attention. However, if we try to do something that stops the flow – Up comes the finger pointed at you. They will soon let you know that this is not permitted wise, or acceptable action. But they keep the flow going.

Some leaders are like the soldiers with the AK47 and spike belt. They see their job as to stop everything and then, only after sever scrutiny they let through those who seem to be ok, but it seems grudgingly done. Many others are keep back and hassled, keeping them immobile for long periods of time. They are stalling, frustrating their journey, and no closer to their destination.

Others Leaders are like the traffic director. They allow things to move and redirect the flow so as to optimize movement of the traffic. They will give is direction, They will wave their hands in a circle swiftly to tell us speed up, speed up, Our a patting motion to advise slowing down and be more cautious. They may even give us that corrective pointy Index finger pointed just as us, but their God is to help us all keep moving.