Leadership is service to humanity, not status – Rev. Prof. Asante

The former Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel K. Asante, has emphasised that leadership is not about holding office but about serving humanity.

"Bear in mind that the leadership style that Jesus exhibited demonstrated hard work among people, not as lords or masters, but as servants," he stated.

Speaking at the 16th Congregation of the Ghana Baptist University College (GBUC) in Kumasi, Most Rev. Prof. Asante, who is also a former Chairman of the National Peace Council, noted that leadership from a Christian perspective is less about positions and status and more about service.

The ceremony, held at the Grace Baptist Church, Amakom, Kumasi, was themed “Integrity and Ethical Leadership: The Role of Graduates in Changing Today’s Society.”

Rev. Prof. Asante stressed that leadership should not be defined in terms of "promotion or demotion, position or status, inferiority or superiority." He explained that office-holding is a structural or constitutional concept, which, while necessary and important, is not automatically synonymous with leadership.

Highlighting the importance of attitude in leadership, Rev. Prof. Asante challenged the graduates to rethink their motivations for pursuing higher education.

"If you have only come here for a degree, you have failed. If it is just a degree, you have failed," he cautioned, stressing that true leadership is rooted in a sense of mission and vision that fosters a strong relationship between leaders and their communities.

According to him, “Leadership is an authority in office—a channel for the realisation of divine norms in social relationships.” Speaking from a Christian perspective, he maintained that leadership should serve as a divine channel for promoting ethical standards in society.

Quoting Christian statesman John Haggai, Rev. Prof. Asante explained that leadership is “the discipline of deliberately exerting special influence within a group to move it towards goals or beneficial permanence that fulfil the group’s real needs.”

Addressing the graduating class, Rev. Prof. Asante urged them to uphold integrity as they step into the job market and society at large.

"Be true ambassadors of Christian leadership—leaders with integrity—as you enter the society and the job market as graduates from a Christian university," he advised.

In a separate interview, the Acting President of GBUC, Mr. Wiafe Nti Akenten, highlighted some of the challenges facing the university, with inadequate resources being a major concern.

Mr. Akenten appealed to the government for support, stressing that GBUC plays a crucial role in providing quality education for the nation. He also called for private universities to be included in the President’s Scholarship Scheme to enhance access to higher education.