Leader must invest in himself

Every leader who invests in himself will ensure that he remains the leader. Many things are prone to deterioration, corruption and decline.

A leader must know that the world is moving forward with several changes all the time. The leader who recognises this, pays heed to himself and takes decisive steps to consciously improve on himself.

A leader is, therefore, conscious of his role and what is expected of him. A leader who wants to continue to be relevant will continually invest in himself.

Reasons why every leader must invest in himself

*A leader must invest in himself because of the law of deterioration.

This law says that everything is decaying naturally. Knowledge today gets improved with new discoveries tomorrow.

Nothing on earth stays in a healthy original condition for long. So much changes with each day! This is why the Bible warns that the crown (your leadership position) is not guaranteed forever.

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? (Proverbs 27:23,24).

*A leader must invest in himself because of the law of staying one step ahead.

There is no leadership unless you are a step ahead.

Remember that being ahead is what makes you a leader! I am constantly investing in myself in order to stay at least one step ahead of my followers.

Without doing this, I will actually fall out of my position.

* A leader must invest in himself because of the law of taking care of yourself before you can take care of someone else.

Whenever there is any problem on a plane, adults are instructed to take care of themselves before taking care of their children. Paul said the same thing. There is no way you can save others unless you save yourself. A doctor cannot attend to others if he is sick. The blind cannot lead the blind.

Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. (1 Timothy 4:16).

7 Ways every leader can invest in himself

* Invest in yourself by reading the Bible every day: In 1986, I travelled to London as a student. I bought one thing for myself – a special reference Bible.

I used up all my meagre student’s allowance to invest in myself. I have never regretted that investment.

…but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap… (Galatians 6:8)

* Invest in yourself by reading books every day: There are so many things you will not know unless you make a special effort to acquire that knowledge.

Remember that a book is a patient teacher! Remember also that those who do not read cannot lead!

Read books about things you do not know and you will be amazed at the knowledge you can gain.

* Invest in yourself by listening to audio messages: We are blessed in these days to have the benefit of technology so that we can benefit from podcasts and audio books. When added up, the hours spent listening to tapes are equivalent to several semesters of lectures at the university. Take advantage of these amazing resources!

*Invest in yourself by watching videos of anointed men of God teaching wisdom: Many times, “seeing” empowers you to do.

Because you see it, you believe it is possible. A video makes you a can-do man. Do not only use the audio dimension.

Add the video dimension and broaden your scope!

*Invest in yourself by attending seminars, conferences and church services: These will make you a better person.

There are times that you need a good forum to ask questions and be certain of some pockets of knowledge.

Seminars and conferences help gain knowledge from experts.

* Invest in yourself by building up a personal library of books and the like: You will build for yourself a good resource library. A good library provides you with a reference whenever you have questions. Today, there is so much knowledge on the internet.

* Invest in yourself by spending more money on your books than you do on your clothes and your hair.

Books are likely to make you improve yourself more. Books are patient teachers which can teach and equip you for many great things.

A leader who invests in himself makes himself useful for a long time. Do not allow yourself to deteriorate and become irrelevant.

Remember to: Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. (1 Timothy 4:16).

Culled from “The Art of Leadership”
www.daghewardmillsbooks.org

The writer is the Founder of the Lighthouse Group of Churches
E-mail: theaol@ymail.com