SCRIPTURE: “And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. [14] Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.” (Genesis 33:13-14 KJV)
QUOTE: “Some animals would be offended if they were treated like some people.” – Mokokoma Mokhonoana
NOTE:
Every leader desire to meet targets and achieve milestones in record time. Of course results matter, but the slave driver achieves them at the expense of people, creating highly demotivated and undervalued workforce. Slave drivers are often workaholics. They know no limit to human effort and because they are lacking in work-life balance themselves, they assume those they lead have no need for it. It is worth noting that slave drivers more often look in the wrong direction. The perception that the last persons to leave their work desk are the most committed and effective is to swallow the lie. At best, it only feeds a culture of eye-service in a workplace.
Good leaders always wear a human face to duties and responsibilities. They also ensure that boundaries are well communicated and kept to maintain good work ethics and to check slave driving sub-leaders that may arise within the organisation.
ILLUSTRATION:
The scripture above showed how mindful Jacob was towards the vulnerable under his leadership. Slave drivers often achieve their set goals with promptness but cares less about the toll it took on the subjects who expended the energy required to accomplish the tasks.
REFLECTION:
- Do you overdrive your subordinates?
- How caring are you towards the vulnerable?
TWO YEAR BIBLE READING: Isaiah 21 – 23, Proverbs 10