FOLLOW THE LEADERthat may be different things to different people! But however they may
define order, effective leaders must have it before they can be creative
and “get the job done.” They tend to believe in the maxim: “A place for
everything, and everything in its place.” That means:
A writer must know where his resources are.
A builder must know where his materials are.
A mechanic must know where his tools are.
A chemist must know where his chemicals are.
A doctor must know where his instruments are.
An inventor must know where his raw materials are.
A cook must know where his ingredients are.
A musician must know where his instruments are.
A leader must know where his people are.
A shepherd must know where his sheep are.
A Bible teacher must know where his notes are.
A pastor must know where his parishioners are.If you can’t find what you need to do your work, you will waste a lot
of time, energy and effort looking for things. That is time that could be
more profitably spent on creativity rather than on searching for misplaced
resources.
Our external environment is a projection of our internal environment. A
person tends to project upon their external environment the condition
of their internal environment. If they feel sloppy, untidy, disorganized,
confused on the inside – they will project that on the outside. Teenagers
and adolescents who are struggling with who they are often produce a
very sloppy living environment. Their personal identity crisis is also
often reflected in their dress – which usually reveals a confusion of who
they are individually, sexually, and vocationally.
Leaders have solved the identity crisis of adolescence. They know in
their inner being that God created them to lead and influence others. It is
that conviction that has increasingly brought order and orderliness to their
lives. Their external work environment reflects the order of someone
who knows who he is, and where he is going in life. I believe it is a true
leadership principle that purpose produces a desire for perfection.