How would you complete the sentence, “I think Donald Trump is or will….?”
Each of us would use different verbs, adjectives, and terminology I am sure. Some would be positive and hopeful, others more fatalistic, analytic, or fearful.
In a study of leadership values among 62 societies around the world, the four most desired traits for a leader are: Integrity, Inspirational, Visionary, and Performance-oriented.
Depending on your point of view, Trump either embodies or annuls those values.
Over the last three years, I have been researching leadership among young adult leaders emerging from an orphan context in Swaziland. I’ve learned a lot of things and we’re slowly incorporating changes into our Swaziland Leadership Academy (SLA).
This past week I received an annual report from Mr. Bheki Motsa, who heads up the SLA. I think as you read these outcomes you will agree we are raising up leaders who portray integrity, inspiration, vision, and performance orientation.
This leadership movement in Swaziland is changing lives.
SLA/Discipleship Numbers for 2016 are as follows:
1. SLA Movement Community Outreaches:
– SLA has had 6 “Work-duty Outreaches” where they were serving the less privileged in their different communities with spending time loving on family, doing chores for that day for family, sharing a meal with them, praying and leaving them with some groceries.
– SLA has also had 2 Outreaches which were aimed at reaching to the youth in collaboration with community Churches.
2. SLA Get-to-gather Celebrations:
– SLA/Shepherds had 20 ‘in-house’ family & team building get-to-gathers, and 2 outdoor celebrations with Graduate SLAs to strengthen relationships and encourage their ‘beyond-SLA Dreams’ pursuit.
3. SLA All Night Prayers:
– We hosted 2 all night prayers that had participation of some members of our different communities.
4. SLA Participants:
– There are a total of 54 Apprentices who have participated in SLA thus far – 32 have graduated by 2016 and 22 are still undergoing training.
5. SLA Dream Fund (post SLA scholarship):
– There are 7 SLA Participants who have successfully used their Dream Fund and 5 are currently being paid for using Dream Fund.
6. Discipleship Curriculum Lessons (SLA does the discipleship for the 7000 kids who attend the Care Points):
– This year, SLA spent about 104 hours writing 26 Discipleship lessons (raw content) of Sisekelo Setfu, excluding the hours spent on final editing and graphic designs. (Sisekelo Setfu is a contextualized curriculum for the care point children designed by the SLA and other Swazi leadership).
– SLA did 3 sets of sampled evaluations of the Discipleship Curriculum and about 2200 kids were evaluated in each sampled evaluation set.
5. Ngesikhatsi Presentations and Celebrations (Ngesikhatsi is a Grief Counseling curriculum again contextualized for use at our Swazi care points. SLA students lead younger children through the curriculum):
– A total number of about 500 kids have been trained and evaluated on the Ngesikhatsi Course in 2016.
– A total of 55 Ngesikhatsi Celebrations (graduations) have been hosted to date.
Leadership isn’t easy but it doesn’t have to be complicated. In my mind, these emerging leaders in Swaziland have some things we all (including Mr. Trump) need to learn about what it means to have integrity, inspiration, vision, and performance outcomes.
Many thanks to all who have contributed to make the SLA happen. Lives are being changed in Jesus’ name and a country will be changed as well in the years to come.
