A stumbling block, or a stepping stone?

That was the key question in Dr. Bramwell Osula's address at the recent Men's Day leadership seminar hosted by the Midlands Heights Seventh-day Adventist church on Saturday, June 7.

An associate professor at the School of Global Leadership and Entrepreneurship at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Dr. Osula has long focused on the study of culture, development and leadership, and his research, teaching and consulting have taken him across the globe.

"I was invited because) the church) felt a need to, given my background, to give a new sense of purpose to the leadership," Dr. Osula shared.

"Leadership isn't a race to see who will get their first. It's really about understanding where the race is headed and seeking to guide others to get there. It is a call to service."

While there are certainly multiple styles of leadership, Dr. Osula believes it all boils down to two distinct types – being a stumbling block or a stepping stone.

"Are you encouraging or impeding progress?" he asked.

This thought stems from verses by the poem "A Bag of Tools" by R. L. Sharpe, which reads: "Each is given a bag of tools, A shapeless mass; A book of rules. And each must make – Ere life is flown – A stumbling block, Or a stepping stone."

This form of leadership, considered servant leadership, is a very Biblical one, with multiple examples throughout the scripture, particularly in the example set out by Christ in the Beatitudes of Matthew 5. Jesus Christ also practiced this example by being a servant to those he was leading, namely the disciples.

"Transformational leadership is about others, not about self. I need to learn how to invest in others first, and myself last."

"By bringing the team together, each achieves more. We need to value the roles that each in the team plays … It's like a jigsaw puzzle."

Everyone has the capacity for leadership within them, Dr. Osula believes. He points to the example of the shepherd boy, David, and his five small stones, that took down the giant, Goliath, and then to the comparison between the Titanic, which was built by professionals, and Noah's Ark, which was built by amateurs.

"It's about empowerment. It makes all the difference… If we involve all people in the mix, we have a greater capacity to move."

This passage of power cannot be trickledown or even transactional. It must be sacrificial, as US President John F. Kennedy once said: "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."

Sometimes, we do not even get to see the final outcome as leaders. Dr. Osula points to the example of John the Baptist, who, at one moment, we see baptizing Jesus Christ, and then the next, with his head on a platter.

"John the Baptist diligently did his 'thing.' It's not for us to see the end. We have a role to play and God will finish the work."

Pastor Damon Hendrickson, pastor of Midland Heights, shared on the success of the programme: "There is no doubt that what Dr. Osula presented here today warrants at least a second visit to Bermuda. We as men of this church and community, have truly been equipped to become better leaders."