In leadership, accountability is acknowledged responsibility for your actions, inactions, behaviors, motives, results, policies and everything within your domain. A great leader is one who is answerable for everything that goes on in his domain. In times when results are not forthcoming, that is when we mostly hear these two words “accountability” and “responsibility”. Leadership is an avenue to serve others, a place of influence where you help others discover their identities and inspire them to walk in purpose.The last post was focussed on the man Adam; the very first man God created. A Spirit filled man and leader who was able to give identities to all animals. He neither judged by strength nor speed; he was able to recognize God’s fingerprint in the nature and DNA of Lion. So, he crowned Lion the King of the jungle.
Your ability to function effectively as a leader lies in your ability to look pass challenges and enemies in order to see God’s handiwork in the lives of people. This is one of the things that separates a great leaders from good leaders.
This post will also focus on Adam, but from another perspective after the fall of mankind. Mankind often love to blame Adam and Eve for the predicament of the world, but the truth is, often than not we also find ourselves falling for what they fell for. The sin of Adam and Eve is “sin of independence”; man wanted freedom from God so he could make decisions through his intellects. Does that sound familiar? The prodigal son did not leave his father’s house empty, he took a huge portion of inheritance because all he wanted was to be independent from his father.Many people blame their backgrounds, cultures, nationalities and circumstances for their statuses in life but this is a lack of accountability. As a great leader, it does not matter if the previous administration left a huge mess in the system, you should be able to command results in the midst of chaos. Nehemiah was Babylonian King’s cupbearer, but when he heard about the state of Jerusalem, he wept, fasted and prayed. Although, he was living a comfortable life in another nation, however, these were his prayers in Nehemiah 1 6:7
let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
It would have been easy for Nehemiah to blame the residence of Israel and others for their predicaments, but he did not leave himself out in his prayer to God for forgiveness. He simply told God that “we all have failed you and fallen short of your glory”. God did not appoint him to be accountable for Israel, but while others were concerned with their lives and affairs, his heart broke for what broke God’s heart. How many leaders or people are willing to intercede on behalf of others or nations like Nehemiah? Some of the future posts will focus on ordinary men that were not born to be leaders in families talkless of society, but due to their braveries and accountability, they became great leaders.
An accountable leader will never blame others when things go topsy turvy in his domain.
If you recall, God created man on the 6th day and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. God knew that Adam was capable of managing the garden and would be held accountable because it was his domain. Be sure that God and people will always hold you accountable for everything within your domain. Your dominion is your place of influence, a place where you disperse darkness and introduce light, a place where you drive out the Kingdom of darkness and introduce the Kingdom of God. A platform to provide creative solutions to problems. The culture in your domain is a reflection of your nature as a leader.Adam did an excellent job until the fall; that was the moment man decided not to be accountable for the lives of others, and even blame failures on others instead of having a sense of ownership. Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the Serpent but the Serpent couldn’t blame the devil. At least someone owned their mistake.
Leaders do not emerge on rosy days, they arise on days of adversaries. Great leaders sow bountifully and make sacrifices so that others can reap bountiful harvests at the end. He is one who does not come to be served, but to rather serve others in an increasing capacity.
When situations become chaotic, people tend to flee from accountability, but that is the moment a true leader emerges. Fleeing from responsibilities might prevent you from pain, but it will rob you off the gain that lies in your struggles. Until you are able to reprogram your mind to look pass the current pain and suffering in order to see the result that lies ahead, you will never embrace your cross. By default, the mind is wired to run away from discomfort and pain but embrace anything that brings comfort.
These are the words of Jesus “While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled” [John 17:12]
A great leader is willing to be accountable before God and others for those He’s been called to serve. Your past mistakes do not matter as long as you own them, and move pass them. Adam shifted the blame to Eve, and Eve to the Serpent. Peradventure they owned their mistakes on that day, maybe the story might be different. So, what are your excuses?
If you do not own your mistakes in life, your mistakes will forever own you.
These are the words of Joshua “But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” [Joshua 24:15]Jesus was accountable for the lives of His disciples, likewise, Joshua was accountable for the lives of his family. Although, Judah was neither the first nor second son, he became accountable for the lives of everyone in his family. Leadership has nothing to do with your position in your family, community, or wherever you find yourself. There are many things that separates a leader from those he leads and one is accountability.
A great leader is one that can inspire a cat to be bold as a Lion without losing its identity.
The goal is not for you to become responsible for the lives of thousands of people or things. Accountable leaders are not afraid of responsibilities: they neither over commit nor under commit. Moses was a leader who overcommitted by not sharing responsibilities with others. But Jethro, his Father-in-law taught him the principles of division of labour. Moses thought that accountability and responsibility meant the same thing just like many of us.There are many visions that are too big for a single man to run with. God promised to make Abraham father of many nations but this could not have happened without a woman, Sarah. Abraham had to share the responsibilities of the promise with Sarah but only Abraham was accountable. Due to frustrations, Abraham later shared this responsibilities with Hagar who in turn produced good result. As revealed in Genesis, true evil is disguised as good, because the opposite of a God result is a good result.
When God gives you a vision, you can share the responsibilities with others but God will hold only you accountable. Be careful of those you share your visions with.
God gave Paul the template of his life and ministry through vision(s) and he ran with this vision till the end. In fact when he was brought before King Agrippa in Acts 26:19, these are Paul’s words “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision”. Perhaps, you might have forgotten that in Acts 21, a prophet named Agabus prophesied about the danger that lied ahead of Paul if he went to Jerusalem. This was a prophet who shared Paul’s burden and based on what the Holy Spirit revealed to him, he prophesied. Agabus was neither a false prophet nor enemy of the gospel, he was led by the Holy Spirit.But Paul stated that he was not only ready to be bound in Jerusalem, he was willing to die because of the vision God gave him. At times, certain prophesies are reminders of the dangers that lie ahead of you in life. Prophecy is one thing, accurate interpretation of a given prophecy from the receiver’s perspective is another.What vision has God given you as a leader? Paul was not an unreasonable, stubborn and carnal man that would do what he pleased; he was already aware of the dangers that awaited him in Jerusalem, yet he went ahead. This was a man that knew when he had completed his assignment on earth. He certainly knew that for him to cross the finishing line, he had to go through Jerusalem. He shared the responsibilities of his ministry with others, but when the time came to make a call that will determine his future and the future of the gospel, he knew that God would hold ONLY him accountable for every decision he made. If Paul disobeyed the heavenly vision, half of the new testaments would not have been written or God might have replaced him.
The day a man finds something or people he is willing to live and die for, is the very day he found purpose. Every decision you make as a leader has huge impact on the lives of many.
In your ministry or organization, you will need to share responsibilities with others because the burden will be too much for one to carry.But at the end, ONLY you will become accountable.