Leaders must be smart — Dr Tetteh

By Edmund Smith-Asante

• Dr Ebenezer Tetteh, left, World Miracle Outreach, UK, addressing participants in the seminar. Picture by EDNA ADUSERWAA

A psychologist and evangelist, Dr Ebenezer Tetteh, has stated that it is required of a leader to be smart, which means he or she must be aware of changes in his or her environment.

“Most leaders have been overthrown because they have not been aware of their environment. Never underestimate people who will question your instructions or punch holes in anything you say in public,” Dr Tetteh, who is the younger brother of the renowned international evangelist, Dr Lawrence Tetteh, said.

Speaking on the topic, “David and the signs of war”, at a leadership seminar which formed part of a five-day Wesleyan Revival organised by the Accra Diocese of the Methodist Church of Ghana last Friday, Dr Tetteh said a leader who failed to notice a change in his environment also failed to notice the signs of war against him.

He said leaders must have a discerning spirit and not take anything for granted, adding that a leader also needed to be trained to be able to take advantage of opportunities that came his way.

Extraordinary leadership

The Bishop of the Word of Life Christian Ministry, Rev. Dr Isaac Quaye, who spoke on the qualities of extraordinary leadership, said although a leader’s gift was what shot him up, it was character that kept him in that position.

He, therefore, urged leaders to develop good character, stating, “Charisma without character is equal to failure. Your gift will always shoot you up but it is your character that will keep you there.”

Emphasising that a good leader needed a vision, a plan and a strategy, Rev. Quaye noted that the bane of most charismatics was their inability to plan but rather leave everything to the spirit of God.

What makes one a leader?

For his part, the Director General of the Ghana Maritime Academy, Rev. Dr Peter Azuma, who was the third speaker, enumerated the traits of a leader, some of which he said were the ability to mobilise people, review strategies constantly to improve on them, humility and being a chief servant of high integrity.

“If you carry on doing what you always do, you will continue getting what you always get,” he stated.

Preach peace and unity

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Dr Lawrence Tetteh called on the clergy and religious leaders to use platforms available to them to promote peace.

“We should remember that if we do it now we will be setting a better example for the politicians because every politician in Ghana is a Muslim, Christian or belongs to some society and they look up to us the leaders to be able to impact their lives positively. So we should not use the platforms to divide the nation,” he stressed.

Dr Tetteh also urged religious leaders to constantly pray for the peace of the country, especially during this election year.

Three Methodist ministers — the Bishop of the Accra Diocese, Rt Rev. Samuel Kofi Osabutey; the Very Rev. Ashford Nii Yartey Quarcoo and the Very Rev. Helena Opoku Sarkodie — were awarded honorary doctorate degrees (Dr of Ministries) by the Richard Roberts School of Miracles of the Oral Robers University, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, at the end of the seminar.

Writer’s email: edmund.asante@graphic.com.gh

This story was first published by the Daily Graphic on March 15, 2016