Who is the skipper on your boat? That’s not a difficult
question to answer if you are single-handed, but if there’s a full crew the
answer could be terribly important. If the wrong bloke is in charge the
consequences could be disastrous.
Who wears the pants in your house? I’m not entirely sure. Well,
this could lead to problems. Who is boss at your work? I know who is meant to
be the boss, but he’s wishy-washy, feeble and lacks authority. People do as
they please, and the place is falling apart. There’s no unity, no sense of
purpose, no real mission, no direction. Oh, please find someone who can lead
us!
Who is in charge of our country? Who runs the European
Economic Union? Who is top dog in NATO and who leads the United Nations?
What are the characteristics of a good skipper? One who is
competent, one who can be trusted – he knows his job inside out - one who can
manage his crew with authority. The key characteristic is ‘authority’. How does
he acquire authority? His crew respect his position when they see that he is
capable; that he has the credentials for doing a good job. First and foremost
his key task is for the safety and wellbeing of his crew for whom he is
responsible. He is there to serve them. He is not there to lord it over them, or
to be the Bligh of fiction.
Authority can not satisfactorily be conferred unless those
subject to it go along with or support that authority. Force can be applied, but the
subjects are not willing participants. They will not heartily enter into a
spirit of cooperation with a leader they do not respect. Police Crime Commissioners
have recently taken office, but with only a tiny minority of citizens voting. Commissioners
have a dilemma, because they have no real authority conferred by the people. They
are not respected by the people who would not vote, either out of ignorance
through lack of information or because they had no enthusiasm for the concept.
Their task is an uphill one, because they have to earn the respect of people
and police and they have to prove they have real authority to bring about
constructive and effective change for the future.
A good skipper is one who has authority.
Matthew 20:25, 26 ‘But
Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the
Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over
them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great
among you, let him be your servant.”’
Links
United Nations
NATO
European Union
Police Crime Commissioners
William Bligh
‘Speedwell’
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