The Leader's Voice

John 10:14-16,26-27   14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--  15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-- and I lay down my life for the sheep.  16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

This thought has been bugging in my mind. It keeps bugging in me perhaps because of the reality that we are in today.

The leader's voice is very important in any organization, nation and church. Miscommunication happens because the voice are not clearly heard or the voice of the leader is misrepresented. The voice of the leader carries the words of the leader, the instruction of the leader. The words of the leader create picture, emotion and also vision from the leader.

Miscommunication happens not only because the voice of the leader is not clearly heard or misrepresented, but it happens also because there are too many voices on top of the leader's voice or instruction. How does this happen? One of the thing that I have encountered was that personal opinion has been put on to of the leader's voice. We think another type of voice or "repackaging" of the leader's instruction is better than the original instruction from the leader. Second thing that I have encountered was that leader doesn't know how his/her voice has been carried out. This has been the frustrations of the leader and the follower. The leader got frustrated because his/her instruction is not carried according to his intention. The leader's voice creates an apple, but it was delivered as orange to his hearers. The followers got frustrated to because they got the correction and rebukes from the leader himself. And mostly, the voice has been miscommunicated and misrepresented by the communicator whom the leader entrusted. This is also how the "messenger" or the entrusted communicator communicates the voice from the leader. The messenger certainly could not convey the voice as if he/she was in the position of authority! This would create more resistance from the hearers. "Who are you to say this?" "Are you the boss?!" The messenger should always position him/herself as a messenger of the voice. Look at the prophets in the bible. Why they begin the with "Thus says the Lord"? It is to tell the people that he is bring the voice he heard from God to the people.

The voice of the leader is so important because it will set the sentiments of the team. The passage quoted above says, "there shall be one flock and one shepherd (verse 16)." One flock (one team), and one shepherd (one leader) which means there must be only one single voice in a team to lead us to the vision that God has given to the team! Read carefully on verse 27, "My sheep listen to my voice (singular one voice!). When you have a clear one voice, the leader will know his people and they will follow the leader. Why no people follow you? Perhaps it is because your voice is not heard or it has been miscommunicated and misrepresented by your messenger!

What happened if there are more than one voice in a team? I could not excuse my mind from thinking what happened in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve listened to the second voice, the voice of the serpent instead the voice of God. The whole team will fall!

Next, I will post (hopefully no procrastination) on "How can we ensure our voice being heard correctly"

Isaac