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By Barry Buzza
 In my travels across the nation, I get to see many homes, churches and businesses in action. Some emit vibrations of peace, discipline and happiness; while just being around others for moments makes me feel uneasy and exhausted. There is an atmosphere in every place which ranges from order to chaos. Have you experienced the difference?
The reason for each condition doesn't seem to relate to the number of people, their economic standing, education or ethnicity. Confusion can be found in houses of worship, while order reigns in some secular businesses. Certain homes are havens and others are circuses. Some classroom can be as peaceful as doves while others are like living in a monkey cage.
Why is the peace and order to confusion and chaos range so wide?
I believe that leadership holds the key-but there are many types of leadership. The leadership we are looking at in this series of articles has been described in the Book of Wisdom, the Proverbs of Solomon.
What is leadership? There are several good definitions of leadership-your probably have your own. Here's a few well knows ones:
"Leadership is...
doing the right things." Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus
"Leadership is when persons with certain motives and purposes mobilize, in competition or conflict with others, institutional, political, psychological and other resources so as to arouse, engage and satisfy the motives of followers." James McGregor Burns
"Leadership is getting others to want to do something that you are convinced should be done." Vance Packard
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"Leadership is mastering paradoxes and what they stand for." Tom Peters
"Leadership is influence." J. Oswald Sanders
The one I like best is: "Leadership is inspiring and stimulating others toward a worthy goal shared by both leader and follower."
Each of the definitions above adds a different shade of colour to the rainbow of leadership, but the one I use has six key elements.
• A leader is one who inspires. He lights the flame of passion in those who follow
• A leader also stimulates. The word really means to poke, like someone pressing a pin into your bottom that says, "Get up and get moving!"
• A good leader's focus is people, not just a project, making profit or a whim of the one out front.
• Leadership is goal driven. She is taking the parade to a specific, worthwhile destination. It's not just about the journey-she's going somewhere.
• The orientation of a leader shares the values and beliefs of his followers. It's not just about me-it's about us.
• And finally a good leader has followers. I've seen many a businessman or pastor who thinks of himself as a good, strong leader, but when I look at who is behind him, there is only a scattering of reluctant followers.
Over the next couple of weeks I'll continue to define what leadership is and identify some things it is not. Then we'll look at some secrets from Solomon that will help us become better leaders.
Barry Buzza, a veteran pastor, is also the president of the The Foursquare Gospel Church of Canada. www.foursquare.ca
November 8/2007
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