Some Lessons On Leadership

"Who Told You?"

The two oldest questions ever asked, are:
"Where are you?"
And,
"Who told you?"


These are the two questions, that God asked Adam. Now, since I am talking to the "senior class", you no doubt, appreciate that God already knew, where Adam was, in terms of his physical location; so the first question, had to do with his spiritual location... But we will leave that for another day.
"Who told you?", but God already knew who Adam, had been speaking to, so there is something else that He wants us to learn.
The chief Tentmaker said:
"the things that were written afore time, were written for our learning".
In other words, these things are there, for you and I to extract life principles. So here is a principle, which I personally have learnt, as I have meditated deeply, on the question:
"Who told you?"

Being a leader is not confined to the President of a country. You are a leader once you are in charge of other people. You are a leader of your family; you are a leader even if you are supervising one person at work. I am therefore talking to leaders.

This question, is as important today, as when God, first asked it of Adam:
"Who told you?"
-It matters who you are listening to, on any issue;
-It matters where you got the information from.
If someone comes, and tells you, about something or someone. How you deal with that question:
"Who told you?"
Is a big, big part of leadership.
The Internet, is a wonderful source of information, but having read something on the Internet does not mean it is true. Newspapers are a great source of information, but that does not mean everything they say is true. The same can be said of television, or radio.

The Chief Tentmaker said, "take heed unto your doctrine"; which means, "be careful what you believe". Do not be "tossed about, by every whim of doctrine". As a leader you can destroy yourself, and others, if every time, you read, or hear something, you rush off, believing it, without stopping to ask:
"Who told you?"

Luke, writing of the people of Berea, a small Greek town, called them "noble", because:

"These were more noble ..... they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."

If you read or hear something, that you think is very important, "search out" the matter carefully. Check your sources carefully; check out the facts carefully, and methodically. If it concerns someone you know ask them directly, before making up your mind. This is good, and "noble".

Some of you will recall my interview with CNN a few years ago, when I was asked for an example of practical lessons, on leadership, I got from the bible.

This is one of my favourite topics!


I gave the example of Moses, from a section of the bible, in the book of Exodus. I was amazed by the number of people who referred to it, including even government, and business leaders, from around the world.

The advice given to Moses by his father-in-Law (Jethro) is one of the greatest discussions on leadership ever penned. The irony, is whenever you read books of great leadership, you will find these principles repeated again and again.

As an interactive exercise this week, I would like you to list seven principles and qualities of leadership, that you observe from Exodus chapter 18. Please, please keep it short (if you want me to read it); just one line for each example.

I have some prizes, for the best answers that I get.

I suggest that you study the whole chapter, first, using your favourite translation. You can also try looking at it, using several translations.

I lead an organisation with operations, investments, and offices in more than 15 countries, across Africa, in Europe, the United States, Latin America, and New Zealand. These businesses employ thousands of people, and they are continually expanding. Many people have often asked me, how I am able to manage all these businesses, and at the same time, do all the philanthropic activities, that I am involved with:
If you study carefully, and put into practice, lessons such as those which are contained in Exodus chapter 18, you will capture some of the most enduring leadership principles, and qualities, that would enable you to run any organisation, no matter its size or complexity!