Shalom and a blessed new year to everyone. Welcome to 2019’s installation of the Transformation Leadership Series. We ended the year discussing the subject of ‘Leadership and Vision’. Let us do a little recap and continue from where we left off.
ROOT
We discussed the root of vision by looking at the etymology of the word. We found that the root or foundation of the word vision is the spiritual dimension hence the definition of vision being sight that is supernatural or beyond the natural.
FORMULATION
We looked at how critical the formulation and implementation of a vision is for organizations, families and nations. Visions are formulated by leaders. Leadership and vision are inextricable in terms of relationship. Without a vision, people stagnate or even perish. Those who will make it in this new year are those with a vision on how to navigate the year, make themselves better and get the most out of the resources available to them—the most important being their own person (first human resource) and then secondly those they lead (other human resources within the sphere of leadership of the leader).
CHARACTERISTICS
We also looked at characteristics of vision from Habakkuk 2:2 which reads as follows in The Message translation of the bible, “And then God answered: "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run.”. What we see spiritually is vision. A characteristic of vision is because its source is not physical, when its caught, it must be nailed down or fastened on earth by writing it down but it must be done in such a way as not to confuse followers but rather enable and inspire them.
CONNECTION TO SOURCE
Fishes were sourced from water so they cannot live outside water—their source material. Man cannot live in water. He must live on land because humans or humus men were taken from humus soil/land. Man thrives when living on land—their source material. In like manner. dreams and visions are not of physical origin and cannot be sustained or fulfilled merely by physical means. The one who got the vision must keep the vision nourished by the source material by being connected to the spiritual dimension. This is why many CEOs are part of spiritual groups e.g. the founder of Apple and his attachment to Hinduism.
INSPIRATION
How do visions come? The answer is by inspiration. Leaders receive visions by inspiration and Leaders inspire followers with their visions. They impart that vision and spirit to them. Today we will talk about Inspiration. The following is a definition from the official 1928 Webster’s Dictionary:
INSPIRA'TION, n. [L. inspiro.]
1. The act of drawing air into the lungs; the inhaling of air; a branch of respiration, and opposed to expiration.
2. The act of breathing into any thing.
3. The infusion of ideas into the mind by the Holy Spirit; the conveying into the minds of men, ideas, notices or monitions by extraordinary or supernatural influence; or the communication of the divine will to the understanding by suggestions or impressions on the mind, which leave no room to doubt the reality of their supernatural origin.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. 2 Tim 3.
4. The infusion of ideas or directions by the supposed deities of pagans.
5. The infusion or communication of ideas or poetic spirit, by a superior being or supposed presiding power; as the inspiration of Homer or other poet.
Notice that the first definition (1) says inspiration has to do with drawing AIR IN. Second definition (2) says it also involves releasing BREATH INTO anything. Definition number (3) connects inspiration with ‘Spirit’ INFUSION. (4) says inspiration is connected to infusion of ideas or directions by the supposed deities of pagans. (5) connects inspiration to infusion or communication of poetic spirit. In summary inspiration has to do with spirit, breadth, air etc.
How about the etymology of inspiration? What is it?
inspiration (n.)
c. 1300, "immediate influence of God or a god," especially that under which the holy books were written, from Old French inspiracion "inhaling, breathing in; inspiration" (13c.), from Late Latin inspirationem (nominative inspiratio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin inspirare "blow into, breathe upon," figuratively "inspire, excite, inflame," from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit (n.)). ,
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. [Genesis ii.7]
The sense evolution seems to be from "breathe into" to "infuse animation or influence," thus "affect, rouse, guide or control," especially by divine influence. Inspire (v.) in Middle English also was used to mean "breath or put life or spirit into the human body; impart reason to a human soul." Literal sense "act of inhaling" attested in English from 1560s. Meaning "one who inspires others" is attested by 1867.
The etymology of inspire is:
inspire (v.)
mid-14c., enspiren, "to fill (the mind, heart, etc., with grace, etc.);" also "to prompt or induce (someone to do something)," from Old French enspirer (13c.), from Latin inspirare "blow into, breathe upon," figuratively "inspire, excite, inflame," from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit (n.)).
The Latin word was used as a loan-translation of Greek pnein in the Bible. General sense of "influence or animate with an idea or purpose" is from late 14c. Also, sometimes used in literal sense in Middle English. Related: Inspires; inspiring.
Simply put, inspire comes from the fusing of two words together:
"in" (from PIE root *en "in") + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit (n.)).
Inspiration can actually be written out as in-spirit-ation.
When spirit enters IN a person or thing, we say they are in-spired.
When spirit leaves a thing e.g. food or human body, we say it has ex-pired. EX means out and IN means in. Leaders are inspired people who in turn inspire others.
LEADERSHIP AND INSPIRATION
A leader who is not inspired cannot inspire others. An inspired leader can inspire others. Inspiration can come from positive or negative spirits. Transformational leadership is one that is inspired by the Holy Spirit because its fruit is that it transforms the led or society for good. Adam was able to name all the animals and take care of a garden he did not plant because he was inspired. God had breathed into the earthen sculpture his breath of life. The reason why God’s word can make alive is it is inspired. The holy scriptures which has changed our world was given by inspiration.
In an organizational setting, inspiration is necessary because organizations rise and fall based on ideas. Inspiration as Noah Webster points out above has to do with the “infusion of ideas into the mind by the Holy Spirit; the conveying into the minds of men, ideas, notices or monitions by extraordinary or supernatural influence; or the communication of the divine will to the understanding by suggestions or impressions on the mind, which leave no room to doubt the reality of their supernatural origin”. All it takes is the proper implementation of one idea from God to lift an organization into prominence.
CONCLUSION
What is the summary of all the above? Transformational leadership requires inspiration from the metaphysical or supernatural realm. The deep state, freemasons and other groups which provide leadership for societies know this and hence their dominance in many aspects of society. They lead by inspiration and impartation. Those who call themselves believers in Christ must now begin to lead—not primarily by what they have learned from ivy league institutions of this world—but rather by what the spirit of God inspires. “Secular” education is good and has its pros. But that alone cannot produce a great leader. All leadership has one source and that is the Leader of all leaders, King of all kings and Lord of all lords. The closer people are to this Leader of all leaders, the easier and more productive their leadership will be because the greater and sharper the level of inspiration, direction and guidance.
