By Virginia Mburu
A person in control of a group… Don’t we all
love to be that person? However, an effective leader is so much more as they
help the group and the institutions it represents to grow and prosper.
And the growth can only be achieved when certain
targets are achieved. Which means you- the Leader must hold several keys as we
will deduce from our case study in Genesis 34: 1-15;
Key 1…..Keep your ears on the ground for
target ideas
Listen to what is happening in your business, or
the market place. What is changing? Is it the customer needs and preferences,
buying habits, buying power, stiffer competition?
Or could it be that you the entrepreneur wants
to expand your market coverage, product line etc? Or you could even have
received a message from a trusted higher authority like Jacob in Genesis 35:1
“Then God said to Jacob……”
Key 2…..Have a crystal clear target and
results
Irrespective of your target idea source, you
need to have a clearly defined target and results. What exactly is the target,
why, what is going to happen once you hit it? Should you want to expand your
product line to make more sales, to defend your major brands etc.? Will
the result be 20% more sales, or 10% more market share etc.
Jacob was moving to a new residence as deduced
from Genesis 35:1“…..Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an
altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother
Esau.” This was a place of blessing where he had previously met
God (Genesis 28: 10-22) and appropriately named that place- Bethel (House of
God).
Key 3…..Plan the journey
Genesis 35:2 “ So Jacob
said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign
gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.”
Action 1…Determine what / who you will
need to get to your target.
What do you need when developing a new product,
new market, new business etc. - what skills, equipment, technology, finances
etc.? Jacob was to take his household and all who were with him.
They were required to purify themselves.
Action 2…Determine what changes need to
be effected
What change of clothes do you need during your
target journey? Could it changes in policies procedures, work instructions
systems etc.?
Action 3…Determine what you need to get
rid of
What baggage do you have in your business that
you need to shed off? Is it limiting mindsets, culture/attitudes, redundant
technology/equipment/staff etc.? Which foreign gods are you hosting and what
impurities do you need to clean out? Jacob had to get rid of foreign Gods
and uncleanliness
Action 4… Form your team, sell and
clearly communicate your target to all who will take the journey with you
Verse:3-“Then come, let us go up to Bethel,
where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress
and who has been with me wherever I have gone.”
Invite (…then come) all those taking
the journey with you and sell the target. What is it, why, how it benefit them
and while at it, provide some proof. What previous victories have you had
so far? The people who were with Jacob had witnessed how God had blessed Jacob
in the past and now as they set to go to Bethel they could expect similar
blessings.
Action 5…Ensure that all baggage is done
away with
Verse4- “ So they gave
Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob
buried them under the oak at Shechem.
Once you have sold your target to your team,
they will now be willing to release the baggage. You can now preside over the
business sweeping process and ensure that the baggage is buried. You will
note that Jacob personally collected all the foreign gods and buried ( not
hide) them.
Key 4…..Time for action, action and more
action
Genesis 35:5 Then they set out, and
the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued
them.
With a crystal clear target, a winning
mindset and thorough plans, you will blaze through even the toughest terrains.
Is it any wonder that a “purified Team Jacob” passed through all towns and they
were not attacked?
Yet, Jacob’s sons had killed the men of Shechem
because one of them had raped their sister. As chapter 34 closes, we see Jacob
lamenting about it- (Gen.34:30) “You have [made] me a stench to the
people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces
against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed”.
Key 5…..Mark the milestones
Verse 6-7 “Jacob and all the people with him
came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. There he
built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel because it was there that God
revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.”
When you get to your target, mark the milestone
and make it BIG actually BRAND IT. Take an example from Jacob. He build
an altar and renamed the place—El Bethel (God of Bethel).
Key 6…Expect some setbacks and bury them
Verse 8 “Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died
and was buried under the oak outside Bethel. So it was named Allon Bakuth”
Setbacks, frustrations, disappointments … We do
not like them, actually we abhor them though they are growth catalysts. They
could present as accidents, strikes, environmental changes etc.
Mind you, they come just about when we are about
to reap the fruits of his journey. The lesson is to quickly bury them as Jacob
did when Deborah- Rebekah’s (his mother) nurse died. You will note that that
the baggage, failures, setbacks etc. are buried not glossed over or swept under
the carpet.
Learn the lesson and give it a name so that it
is not to be repeated. Jacob called the burial place Allon Bacuth (Oak of
weeping).
Key 7…..Enjoy the fruits
Verse 9-13 “After Jacob returned from
Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 God
said to him, “Your name is Jacob but you will no longer be called Jacob;
your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel. And God said
to him, “I am God Almighty]; be fruitful and increase in number. A
nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among
your descendants. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I
also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after
you.” Then God went up from him at the place where he had
talked with him.”
Now that you have overcome all odds and hit the
target, it’s time to get your results- the customers, the revenue etc. You even
get a new name (say Entrepreneur of the year 2015) in line with your new
achievements. Moreover through this experience, you have set your foundation
for more growth and nurtured other leaders within your team who can carry the
business to the next level of expansion!
Key 8..…Celebrate with gratitude and
erect a stone pillar
Verse 14-15- “Jacob set up a stone
pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink
offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15 Jacob called
the place where God had talked with him Bethel”
Jacob celebrated by setting up a stone pillar
pouring out a drink offering and oil on it. How do you celebrate? Get the drums
rolling…….. and name the place you are at just as Jacob called the place
where God talked to him Bethel (house of God).
While at it be gracious to give thanks to those
who contributed to your success- God, employees, society etc. What is
your memorial stone pillar that can easily be recognized for years to come
which reminds you and others of the successes? Mmmmmm….. that reminds me of the
“Wings to Fly” program……
Over to you Passionate Entrepreneur;
What
strategies have you put I place to ensure that targets are achieved?
In which
areas do you need assistance?
Share your experiences, suggestions or questions
in the comments section below. Who knows- you could be the beneficiary of the
memorial stone we erect once we achieve our targets!
Whatever you do, make sure it results in
less work, more money and positive impact.
Update
Virginia Mburu
Passionate Entrepreneurs Coach
Virginia empowers and motivates Passionate
Entrepreneurs to realize their purpose and pursue it. She then assists the
entrepreneurs to clarify, prioritise and focus on management and marketing
strategies and action plans that will get them to work less, make more money
and positively impact within one year. Download some of her gifts- absolutely free lessons on
www.biasharacoach.blogspot.co.ke
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