Spirit of Leadership

THE LOSS OF THE LEADERSHIP SPIRIT Calling something a name other than one that connects it to its source doesn’t negate what it intrinsically is—but it may limit its potential and usefulness in some way. That’s why labeling people can be such a harmful thing. Our label ing dictates and controls our attitudes toward and our treat ment of others. What is even more potentially damaging is that the people to whom we speak may internalize our labels, and this will limit their belief in their intrinsic poten tial and value. In the case of the table, its identity comes from its source, the tree. No matter what you say about it, its essential nature is derived from where it came from, not what you call it. The same is true for human beings. No matter what we might say is the nature of humanity, its true nature is derived from the Creator. The only way for a person to know his true nature, then, is to go back and reconnect to his Source and see what he is made of. The essence of a human being is the spirit, not the body, so he has to go back to the Spirit out of whom he was drawn. Returning to the table illustration, there is much that we don’t know about the table if we don’t know the particular tree that it came from, the age of the tree, or what forest it grew in. We can sit at it, but we can’t really tell its strength or durability because it has been cut off from its source. It’s only as strong as the original tree. The same principle applies to humanity. The human spirit can never know its leadership nature—its purpose, ability, potential, power, or anything else—without knowing its true origin and maintaining a connection with its Source. According to the principle of source and resource, knowing God isn’t an option. We need to know him for our mainte nance and survival. Again, any time you detach something

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