TLS5: Leadership and Expenditure

Welcome to another week of the Transformational Leadership Series. Today we will talk about Leadership and Expenditure. When should a transformational leader in the religious, government of business sector spend and for what purpose should they spend? In the scripture below, it goes without saying that the word ‘king’ represents a leader or leadership.

Ecclesiastes 10:16-17 (KJV)

16  Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

17  Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

Leadership is about knowing the right times and seasons and what  to do during those times and seasons. With respect to expenditure (represented by feasting/eating in scripture above), leadership must know WHEN to feast / spend (expenditure related consumption) and WHY they should feast. The scripture above shows that knowing WHEN to feast (timing) and the purpose i.e. WHY determines if followers under a leader will prosper or meet ruin.

There is a proper time or due time to spend (feast / eat) and an improper time to do so. There is also a proper reason or purpose for spending and improper purpose. Purpose is influenced by the mindset of a leader. Mindset informs purpose and purpose informs action including spending.

Let us practicalize this issue by looking at a quasi-case study. In Africa and other parts of the globe, leaders in the political sphere feast in the morning. They start spending on themselves and family and friends using state funds soon as they take office.  The winner-takes-all syndrome of political science kicks in and government leaders procure bigger residences and fancier more expensive cars. Woe to any people whose leaders have such a mindset and feast at the beginning of their term of leadership.

Where does this mindset come from? Verse 16 shows that leaders who feast in the morning have a childish or slavish mindset. They are children at heart, not mature and responsible.

LEADERSHIP MINDSET

Good leadership feasts at the proper time. What is the proper time? What is the purpose for which transformational leaders feast? Using the former example, the purpose of feasting/expenditure should simply be for strength and not for drunkenness. In other words, leadership should not be a means to enrich oneself or for self-aggrandization. It is rather a platform to serve  and improve the welfare and the development of followers (workers, citizens, congregants etc.).

In some government ministries in the developing world and some developed economies, if the leader (minster of state) does not get a kickback of 10 percent, a tender may not be awarded to an applicant. This is one of the banes of the military industrial complex in the USA. This is also what causes regulatory capture. Regulatory capture is the process by which regulatory agencies eventually come to be dominated by the very industries they were charged with regulating. The industries capture the regulatory agencies by paying bribes etc. In summary, if leaders in these regulatory agencies do not feast in the morning, it would not be easy for them or their agencies to be captured by industries or lobbies that assist such industries.

The bottom line is mindset.

Transformational leadership mindset is selfless but God and people centered. Leadership has the led as the focus. For some leaders, they, their offices and positions are their focus (self-absorbed). These are the leaders spoken of in verse 16.

Let’s all aim for v17. True leaders are those in v17. If consumption should be done, it should be done to give necessary strength to perform duties and tasks of leadership. When the people  who follow prosper, they will be our crowns and God will reward our selfless leadership.

1 Thessalonians 2:19 (KJV)  For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

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