The Emergent Leader

I am attempting write a book called the Emergent Leader. I will be writing it via my blog for you all to have. Some of these posts may not make sense, they may not be in order, and I may ramble on. Its a first for me, so please bear with me. I would like to get your feedback in the comments on what I could do better to make this book touch and change someone’s life.

If you are a friend of mine on Facebook  you may have seen me post a quote on my wall about Leadership. If not keep reading and the quote will be the next thing that you see. When I was growing up back in the Bahamas nobody really taught me about Leadership or what it was or is. I grew up emulating sports stars, and Olympic athletes or someone who I should not have been following.. Let me tell you my story about Emergent Leadership.

A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.

I was more fortunate that most people who I grew up with back in the Bahamas because I had both my parents in the home, my siblings and I all attended private Christian schools. My father owned and Operated his own Insurance agency and a Construction company,  and my mom was a high school science teacher quickly rising the ranks to be Principle one day. I grew up with one older brother and one younger brother and a younger sister. We didn’t quite know what we were in for the next few years of our life, and how this would adversely affect the course of all our lives.

My mother was a devout Christian and she loved the Lord dearly and from what I could remember she was teaching us how to love the Lord also. I remember on most days my younger brother and I would be playing basketball in our room with the nerf basketball set that was mounted over our bedroom door with the suction cups it came with. We would throw alley-hoops, we would dunk, jump, run and make noise all afternoon long after school. Then we would hear the call from mom, “Lincoln, you and your brothers come down, bring your bibles so that we can pray“, my mom cried out. At the time, I was the rebellious one and really didn’t like to listen to authority and sometimes I paid for it severely. However this time I listened, not because I wanted to but because she said so.

My mom would sit us all down, (My dad was travelling all the time, so it was like she was a single mom at times from what I can remember) and she would have each of us reach part of the scripture that she had picked out. Then she would drop to her knees, pull us all in tight and pray for us and with us. Sometimes she would be crying, and most times we really didn’t know why. Truly in my mind at the time, I really just wanted to go back and finish playing basketball either inside our room or outside, it was the only thing I could think about at the age of 10.

After prayer things would be back to normal again, all the weird crying and praying was over and now I was able to get back to what I wanted to do which was play, play and play some more. I don’t know what God was thinking of me back then but I knew he must have been looking down on me and seeing how my entire life would play out from life to death and see the timeline of my life and brothers and sister’s life. Did he say All of you children will become Emergent Leaders? Did he know that I would continue to have a rebellious spirit towards authority and that I would run into trouble in my teen and early adult years? What was he preparing me/us for? What did my mom thing about me?

The reason I am asking these questions and cannot get an answer from my mom is because 5 years later she would pass away from Cancer. At 15 years old I remember heading to Jackson Memorial hospital in Florida to see her after she was diagnosed with Cancer of the stomach just 6 months prior. I really didn’t like this time in our lives because I could not even look at my mom, All her hair had fallen out.. I could not look at her the way I used to, I kept asking myself the question, What’s wrong with you, why can’t you look at her? I remember laying down one day and hearing her cry out to God, asking Why Lord, why? I crept to the door and peaked in and saw her on her hands and knees leaning over the bed crying and sobbing. I went in and put knelt down beside her and put my arms around her, she pulled me in so tight and close, some of her tears fell on my hands and my face, I began to cry also.

Back in the hospital in Florida I remember my mom laying down with tubes running from her nose, IV’s in her arms and us all gathered around her. My oldest brother was 18, I was 15, my younger brother was 10, and my sister was 3. Mom mentioned that she was really cold and asked me to throw a blanket over her feet.

I did..

She then asked me to pull out the Bible and read the 23rd Psalm, it was her favorite scripture.. Why me I asked myself, why does she want me to read it? I did however..

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green [1] pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest [2] my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. [3]

As I read she asked me to rub her feet because they were cold…And I did.. Then we prayed. All I could remember at that point was I was tired and wanted to go back to the hotel to rest. We were at the hospital all day.. So we left..

It would be the last time I saw my mom Alive..

Question: What even in your life has led you to the place that you are now?