A discussion on the meaning and Elements of Effective Leadership with Examples from the life and ministry of Apostle Dr EH Guti

Amfcc

Laws of Leadership

Compiled by Sarah Nungirayi

Lecturer Dr Mafuriranwa

Definition of Leadership

A leader is a person who guides the activities of others and at the same time he is involved in doing those activities too (Guti 1991)

‘A leader is a person who has the ability to get others to do what they do not want to do and like it.’(President Harry Truman)

To be an effective leader one must lead others from their daily activities not what they don't do(Apostle Guti, Ezekiel TV)

Elements of effective Leadership

Persistence

A good leader continues to seek for answers; this led Dr Guti to call out to the 'Creator, if you are there save my soul’.

A good leader is persistent as young Ezekiel he continued to seek answers until one afternoon in 1938 he heard a message ‘Fear not, Sin not’ p 17 Guti 2014)He has continued to fear the Lord up to date.

Ezekiel searched until he found a preacher who explained to him about Jesus. Good leaders search for the truth. He obeyed and got baptized just as the bible commands

Obedience

Elements of effective Leadership

As a young boy Ezekiel sat and listened to his mom as she narrated what message she had heard regarding punishment of sinners(Guti, p 16.2014)‘The man of God obeyed the call to go to Bindura....’ A good leader will do the right thing even though he may not personally like it.During the earlyu stages of his ministry he was faced with a challenge where he chose to rely on God to supply his financial needs rather than work under a wealthy man to get funding for his ministry. Dr Guti had to pray first after which the Lord instructed him that he was going to be his money(Guti,1947, p46)

Elements of Effective Leadership VisionEzekiel Guti is a man able to lead himself as he went to look

for Jesus himself.He had a vision and still continues with the vision of bringing

many to Christ. He is very strategic and able to implement his vision into action.

In his book Vision that gives direction Dr Guti encourages his followers to learn from Jesus like he does to have success.

Dr Guti is able to plan like the rules and polies in place which assist and define the church and shows where it is going.

HumilityDr Guti as a leader has strong Christian

Values.Dr Guti’s goal in life is to win others to

Christ. He does this through preaching and also through his way of living.

An example is given in Samasuo, 2011 page 24, where at an earlier age Dr Guti was very humble even offering to pick a baby from nursery after observing the mom was tired.

Elements of Effective Leadership

Elements of Effective Leadership Discipline

Dr Guti has shown great discipline an example when he resisted women who wanted to get him to bed for 15years that he lived without a wife.

Even in the book Guidance and Rules that Dr Guti wrote there is local church disciplinary rules that must followed so that the followers are kept guided by the word of God( Guti, 2014)

Dr Guti is disciplined as testified by Apostle Eunor ; she gave an example where she had burnt his favourite suit and Dr Guti just said Choose to forgive you. He doesn't not give in to human feelings even when he is hurt but does the right things and goes on to teach his followers to do the same

Elements of Effective Leadership

A good leader supports his followers

•Dr Guti has supported his followers by praying for them

•Dr Guti lives out his ‘christianity...affecting lives of people physically, socially economically and mentally(Samasuwo,2001 p35)

Dr Guti has established many :

Dressmaking schoolsPreschoolsHospitals(Mbuya Dorcas)University(ZEGU)Bible school AMFCC Planted churches in more than 128 nationsAll the above contributions have been established by Dr Guti and have made a huge impact over the lives of many people, raising their standard of living.

Dr Guti leads by example by being a role model, inspiring, enabling and encouraging others.

CreativeSome of the tittles by Dr

Guti One of the elements of being an

effective leader which Dr Guti uses is that of being creative.

He has written more than 70 Christian books with many testimonies of his life.

Many teachings and explanations on the word of God empowering FIF ministries at large. The books are a wealth of knowledge helping many lives to be transformed as we read them.

He has spoken at various platforms preaching the gospel spreading the good news.

Elements of Effective Leadership

Effective leader is able to lead others.

Dr Ezekiel Guti is a man who was able to lead himself as he went to look for Jesus himself. He prayed and fasted by himself (Guti, 2005,p17). A good leader must be able to lead himself. That way he can be sure to lead others too.

He has great initiation skills as he did not wait for someone to push him but went ahead to seek God ‘s face in prayer.

After he was born again he began to lead others to Christ through the ministry of forward in faith established in May 1960. From gumtree beginnings the ministry of ZAOGA FIF has grown and spread to many nations.

Dr Guti says that true leadership must benefit the followers and he encourages others, not make them feel like they are nothing .

Effective leaders imitate ChristDr Guti emphasises that his followers must

imitate Christ not him as he will not always be there but Christ is( Ezekiel TV)

In his books like New African Apostle he acknowledges The Lord Jesus who inspires him and gives him glory ( ackowledgements, New African Apostle).

He has followed the rule ‘Fear not, Sin not ’. He did get rid of anger through praying and fasting and obeying the word of God, resisting temptation( lust and love of money) and pride

Continuous professional development

An effective leader needs to be educated.According to Minister Samasuo Dr Guti is an ‘avid

reader.'Samaso, 2011) After receiving instruction from God to read the bible verse by verse which he did in 1956 then again in 1963 he had to read it again in English. An effective leader must read and so continue to feed on the word of God daily like Dr Guti does in addition to memorizing verse as this makes leaders strong and healthy .A good leader must read widely so that they gain understanding as the Apostle does read many books; thereby empowered to provide daily bread to the church just like Daniel who understood by the books(Daniel 9:2)

Dr Guti has become a very educated and successful Christian leader and leads by example.

Dr Guti has endured hardshipAfter the failed marriage to his first wife ;Dr Guti

stayed 15years without a wife. God allowed him to marry again as he had obeyed .A good element of a leader is to never commit adultery .

Trials and suffering create great leaders as we can see Dr Guti went through various hardships especially during the early stages of FIF Zaoga: At one point Dr Guti ‘wanted to die ’ due to pressure but now thanks God as the pressure made him change for the better.(Guti, 2006 p.26)

At one time he lost all his possessions and then was almost arrested for preaching the gospel.(Guti, 2014 p26)

Dr Guti continues to inspire his followers like Apostle Eunor who now holds a PhD after writing the book Wise Women.

Many other pastors are now writers after Dr Guti has taught and encouraged them.

A good leader teaches others what he knows. Each year the man of God Apostle Ezekiel Guti holds leadership conferences called deeper life where he teaches, encourages and support this followers (believers, leaders ,elders and pastors).

This way the followers continue to be educated in the ministry as he passes on the information and messages that he hears from God.

Great Leaders need the element of courage

Dr Guti is very courageous and bold making very important decisions and going ahead with them like starting churches in foreign countries with no single contact there just believing on God.

Great communication skills and team building capabilitiesDr Guti has been able to

build up a team of leaders who help him run the institute of FIF ZAOGA.

He therefore values input of other individuals who make the running's of the organization smooth.

ReferencesGuti EH (n.d.) What every good leader should know: Harare: EGEA Publications.

Samasuo M (2011). Lessons from the Life and Ministry of Apostle EH Guti Harare: EGEA

Publications.

Guti EH (1991) Laws and Responsibilities of a leader. Harare: EGEA Publications.

Guti EH (2013) What makes the church to grow (Relay of three leaders, Wisdom & Where is

Heaven). Harare: EGEA Publications.

Guti EH (n.d.) What People Expect When They Come to Church. Harare: EGEA Publications.

Guti EH(2007)Vision that gives direction and produces faith Harare EGEA Publications

Guti EH (2014)New African Apostle with the History of the Church

Guti EH(2014) Forward in Faith Rules and Policy

Ezekiel TV

Guti EH(2006)Human Beings cannot change without Pressure. The Secret of Greatness