Anitha told me that we were about to meet her headmaster, a man who introduced her to Christ and forever changed her life. She went on to tell me about what a great leader he is, how he is like a father to his students, and how excited she is that I would get to meet him. And so we walk in to the room, and I greet those who were there.
Sam, Philip, Johnson, Nathan. All of them looked to be in their twenties. And then a much older man with a long beard hobbles in and takes a seat, and I’m introduced to Muzei. It was great honor to meet this man, I spend quite a lot of time talking to him, as do the other graduates of Cornerstone. Afterwards, we hop in the car and drive to Kigali Institute of Science and Technology where the headmaster is going to speak on leadership to a student organization. I am confused, because the old man is not in the car. I now realize that I have don’t actually know who the headmaster is…
When the host of the event calls up the headmaster, Johnson stood up and took the microphone. He looked to be my age, although he is 34. With a compassionate smile, he begins talking.
“Leaders do not need to make sure people know they’re leaders. They just lead. They just serve.”
I had no idea the man in the corner of the living room at dinner was the headmaster. I had no idea that he had changed the lives of everyone there. I had no idea that he started one of the most successful Christian boarding schools in East Africa by the age of 27. It is no wonder that he is a father figure to his students… He does not lord his authority over them. He walks alongside them, serves them, leads them, but does not try to control them.
No matter what our profession may be, we can take a lesson from this man. Instead of trying to “be a leader,” just lead. Just serve.
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Johnson is a true leader in every sense if the word!