On Bended Knee
To be a Great Leader
All great men and great leaders adopt a sense of humility like our Creator. But it is not just humility that someone in my position must adopt. But, a sense of pride in their own people, and the acceptance of the duty of care that comes with this position. I know that all of you are quite capable of taking care of yourselves, but nonetheless, a great leader like a great father or a great shepherd accepts the responsibility to care for their flock. The trick is understanding that even though I have a duty of care, I also have a responsibility to allow my people to grow on their own.
Great leaders guide their people, tyrants subjugate them. Throughout history there have been very few great leaders, but countless tyrants. Many of these tyrants begin with good intentions, but the corruption that can come from attaining power can also corrupt the good intentioned leader, transforming them into something demonic.
To be a great leader one must accept that power can corrupt oneself beyond recognition. When a great leader accepts that, he is ready to also accept the responsibilities that come with power. If a leader refuses to accept that possibility, than they are not fit to rule, nor are they fit to assume responsibility on behalf of their people.
A great leader must also possess humility and accept that they may never have all the answers, for there are so many questions under the heavens that may not be answered by man. When a leader accepts that his wisdom and knowledge has limitations, only then can he call himself a great leader.
Knowing everything under the heavens is not attainable, but accepting that there are others who will know more than you is what makes a leader great. Possessing the curiosity of a child and surrounding yourself with far greater minds than your own, makes for a more complete leader. Because, it is not the possession of having knowledge to answer a question, but the ability to find those that can, and to find those that can better inform oneself.
A great leader must also love his people, faults and all. To lead a people you hate is cruel. To lead a people that you hate is also of foolishness, and can never be in the benefit of the people that one would rule over. No, to lead a people you must love them and cherish them as God does. Agape is not just the covenant love of God for mankind, but it is also mankind's love for their Creator, which by extension is the love of one's people, His creation. Without that recognition a leader can never be great.
A great leader must also earn, not just command, the respect of his people. A leader that wishes for subjects is a leader of ill intent. A leader that wishes for his people to understand his convictions and duty, while simultaneously doing everything in his power to provide for them, and guide his people, is a great leader.
Becoming a Great Leader
So often is it believed that great leaders are born and not formed from learning, from experiencing, suffering tragedy and having faith in the divine. This is a misconception, for great leaders are both born and formed in the image of God. And it is only through God that we may become great by His grace.
There are very few example of natural born leaders, and I must admit that I was never myself one of them. Nonetheless, here I find myself at the highest position of power that I never would have imagined myself to be in. In the past few weeks I have found myself reflecting on my life's circumstances and the challenges I had to overcome to be here today.
I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, nor was I born into nobility. I was born into a middle class family that had fallen apart by the time I was 10 years old. I was born with Autism, which made my childhood a lonely one. My disorder coupled with the fact that my family moved constantly in my youth, made it hard for me to connect with people or form close relationships. I found it hard to understand those around me, and in turn it made it hard for those around to understand me.
I was born at the end of supposed era of prosperity in America. In my youth I did not understand that this prosperity was just a thin veil of wool pulled over our people's eyes. By the time I realized I was well into my teens. I began questioning everything around me and lashed out at a world that was corrupt and untrue.
I was homeless as a young man, abandoned by my own mother who loved a Jew. I was forced to endure the hardships of the cruel winter in a rundown vehicle. There was one night that I almost didn't wake up from my slumber. All I remember from that time was a sudden rush of air filling my lungs and the intense shivering that convulses the body to wake up. It felt as if someone breathed warmth and life into my frozen body. I like to think that this is where my journey to find God began.
If it wasn't for the kindness of a friend's family that took me in during that brutal winter, I don't know if I would be here today. I'd like to think I would at the very least be watching you all from heaven.
The truth is I was not born to lead, my life experiences and my continuous endeavor to understand the reality around me led me to sculpting myself into who I am today. And who I am today is far better a man than I once was.
In my youth, I acted like a worthless bastard. I was cruel to those who did not deserve my ire. I was angry and quick to lash out at those that questioned me. I treated women with contempt and used them for my own gratification, neglecting the love that they placed in my hands. Heartlessly I broke their hearts and made them feel like they were as worthless as I saw myself.
I was not born a natural leader, nor was I deserving of any praise. The love that God showed me throughout all of my sins, made me realize that to truly be a good man and to live a prosperous life, I had to change. And I had to reciprocate that love; agape.
For 13 years I had seen so many so called "leaders" come and go. With each one I showed respect until they proved unworthy of it. And all of them were unworthy in the end. For more than a decade I waited for someone worthy of not just my respect, but my unwavering loyalty. As time went on, I grew despondent and my heart sank with each passing year. I asked myself, would ever there be someone worthy?
Then something stirred in my bosom, an intense and burning sensation. This feeling didn't harm me, though it consumed me. And this feeling was the realization that my life, which was seemingly purposeless for so many years, had a great purpose that I could never have imagined. This purpose was to save my people, where all others before me had failed. It was in that consuming fire of passion and duty that I realized, if not me than whom?
I realized that if no one was worthy of leading our race, than I would step up to the responsibility and burdensome undertaking of trying to be what my people needed. I accepted that I may fail in this endeavor, though with that realization I adopted a sense of humility.
And though I may fail, I would never fail in a way that would betray your respect or loyalty. If I were to fail, my hope is that you would all understand that I did everything human possible to save our people from oppression and enslavement. If I were to fail, at least my people could say with utter confidence that I did not fail in vain. If I were to fail, hopefully my people would be inspired to pick up my Christenrad and carry it with perseverance and reverence.
Someone that wishes for you to bend the knee out of respect for the work I have done and will do. But also someone that understands that a great leader mustn't demand respect, but earn it. And in turn, a great leader must bend the knee to the Lord. For those that never bend the knee for their Creator, will only create chaos. And this is what makes a great leader.
Nice!
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What is YOUR vision?