Effective Leadership Strategy in Islamic Organizations

1. Effective Leadership Strategy in Islamic Organizations Presented by: AbdulwahabSikirullah Organised By: Independent Muslim United Of Nigeria- IMUN

2. Preamble • Planning without implementation is useless. In some Islamic organisations, there is no defined concept of long-term planning. • Only few Islamic organisations are implementing their strategy effectively. In this presentation, we highlight the generally accepted principles that are necessary for effective leadership strategy implementation in the context of Islamic organisations

3. What is Leadership • Leadership is "organizing a group of people to achieve a common goal". The leader may or may not have any formal authority. • Leadership can be defined as “a dynamic relationship based on mutual influence and common purpose between leaders and collaborators in which both are moved to higher levels of motivation and moral development as they affect real, intended change.” (Rost, 1991). • Burns [1978] defines leadership as “leaders inducing followers to act for certain goals that represent the values and the motivations — the wants and needs, the aspirations and expectations — of both leaders and followers.”

4. A great leader inspires people to go places, doing things they would have thought of on their own. A leader brings out the best in his followers which normally result to a major growth and success. Note:- A leader is not great because of his/her power, but because he/she is able to empower others and “success without a successor is failure. Power is given to the leader to evaluate, correct, and train subordinates when productivity is not up to the desired level, and reward effectiveness when expected outcome is reached.

5. The 2 dimension of Leadership • Transactional leaders approach followers with an eye to exchanging one thing for another (e.g., jobs for votes, board positions for donations) • The transformationaldimension of leadership - the leader, and followers enrich each other. • transformational leaders recognize the needs of potential followers and seek to fulfil their higher-order needs. • They strive to engage the follower’s full person in order to engender mutual inspiration and elevation.

6. The transformational dimension is very much a part of the Islamic paradigm of leadership, which stresses the reciprocal enrichment of the leaders and the followers. In fact, Islam demands that you, as a leader, pay attention to your followers’ needs. In a hadith (no. 2942) reported in Sunan Abu Dawud by Abu Maryam al-Azdi, the Prophet (s) said: If Allah puts anyone in the position of authority over the Muslims’ affairs and he secludes himself (from them), not fulfilling their needs, wants, and poverty, Allah will keep Himself away from him, not fulfilling his need, want, and poverty. In fact, your followers are responsible for following your directives as long as you behave Islamically, and for disobeying you when you do not. The Prophet (s) said: “Obedience (to somebody) is required when he enjoins what is good.” Narrated by Ali (r).

7. Level 5 Leaders- Collins (2003) • Level 5 leaders are a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will (e.g., Umar (r) and the personal humility he displayed while travelling to Jerusalem to receive its keys). • One of the best integrative models of effective leadership is inextricably connected with transformational leadership, level 5 leadership, and innovation.

8. Four Factors of leadership • Leader You must have an honest understanding of who you are, what you know, and what you can do. Also, note that it is the followers, not the leader or someone else who determines if the leader is successful. If they do not trust or lack confidence in their leader, then they will be uninspired. To be successful you have to convince your followers, not yourself or your superiors, that you are worthy of being followed. • Followers Different people require different styles of leadership. For example, a new hire requires more supervision than an experienced employee. A person who lacks motivation requires a different approach than one with a high degree of motivation. You must know your people! The fundamental starting point is having a good understanding of human nature, such as needs, emotions, and motivation. You must come to know your employees' be, know, and do attributes. • Communication You lead through two-way communication. Much of it is nonverbal. For instance, when you “set the example,” that communicates to your people that you would not ask them to perform anything that you would not be willing to do. What and how you communicate either builds or harms the relationship between you and your employees. • Situation All situations are different. What you do in one situation will not always work in another. You must use your judgment to decide the best course of action and the leadership style needed for each situation. For example, you may need to confront an employee for inappropriate behavior, but if the confrontation is too late or too early, too harsh or too weak, then the results may prove ineffective.

9. PRE- RE QUISITES FOR BECOMING A LEADER • Self – Confidence • Attitude • Initiatives • Responsibility • Energy & Industrious • Fearlessness & Boldness • Perseverance • Decisiveness • Feed back Systed

10. Leadership strategy ImplementationIslamic Approach

11. Challenging the Process: • Successful Muslim leaders seek Allah’s help and challenge the status quo, while ineffectual leaders sit around and react to events. • In challenging the process, you have to be innovative & dynamic. • While challenging the status quo, you, as a leader will often encounter many challenges. • He who mixes with people and endures the harm they do is better than he who does not mix with them or endure the harm they do. Al-Tirmidhi (hadith no. 5087) and lbnMajah) narrated by Abdullah ibnUmar

12. Inspiring a Shared Vision • This vision is the source of your organisation’s mission statement and long-term strategy. • Involve followers and increase their commitment to the vision. • Engaging in shura • You can also pray salat al-istikhara to ask Allah to validate the content and direction of the orgahisation’s future direction.

13. Delegate: Enabling Others To Act • Followers do not succeed (or fail) by themselves. They need servant-leaders, -leaders who are not so preoccupied with their self-serving ambitions that they cannot place other people’s interests above their own. • If a person is using an Islamic organisation for self-promotion rather than to enable others to lead, he/she can cause serious damage. • Prophet Muhammad (s) said: “Two hungry wolves let loose among sheep are not more destructive to them than a man’s greed for property and self-aggrandizement are to his faith.” reported in Al-Tirmidhi (hadith no. 1345)

14. Critical Point: ******** As a Muslim leader, you need to have the right intention (niyyah). Are you truly leading this organization, or just holding on desperately to a leadership position because you are the founder? If you are the former, focus on helping those around you succeed without being concerned about your own personal gain or prestige. If you are the latter, step down; there are so many other opportunities to do good work for the cause of Allah. You will learn how good your followers are only when you give them the freedom to succeed and become a servant-leader.

15. Modelling the Way Your task is not done after developing a shared vision and empowering others, for now you must lead by modelling the way. First, be clear about your beliefs. By practicing what you preach, clarify to your followers what core values and behaviour should be emulated. Allah describes our beloved Prophet as a timeless, virtuous model for all: And you stand an exalted standard of character. (Qur’an, 68:4)

16. Encouraging the Heart Succeeding in Allah’s Path is difficult, and Muslims will be continuously tested. Sometimes, brothers and sisters may become discouraged because a strategic plan may look too hard or is taking too long to implement. The following admonition from Prophet Ya’qub (a) illustrates this aspect of Islamic leadership: O my sons! Go and inquire about Joseph and his brother, and never give up hope of Allah’s Soothing Mercy. Truly, no one despairs of Allah’s Soothing Mercy except those who have no faith. [Qur’an, 12:87] So lose not heart or fall into despair, for you must gain mastery if you are true in faith. [Qur’an, 3:139] In the “law of effect”: Behaviour that is rewarded will be repeated; behaviour that is not rewarded will not be.

17. Leadership Lessons From The Qur’an: The Story of Dhul-Qarnayn • The Prophet says: “Kullukumra’in was kullura’inmas’ool an rai’yatay-hi…” meaning that “Everyone of you is a caretaker, and every caretaker is responsible for what he is caretaker of.” • Leadership is about delegating authority, and a central principle of delegation is that authority must be delegated with appropriate resources, i.e. the means to accomplish the task one has been delegated with. • In Surah al Baqarah: “Laayokallifall-lahunafsanillawus-aa-ha • Leadership is constantly tested • Leadership is not exploitative • Leadership is about teamwork • Effective leaders are servant-leaders • Good leaders are humble and realize that success only comes from Allah.

18. The Leadership Process of Prophet Muhammad (s) General Leadership Principle:- Do not be in a leaderless group; appoint a leader! When three men travel together, they should make one of them their leader. -Abu Dawud, on the Authority of Abu Sa’id ‘Al-Khudri

19. Develop competency in the area in which you are leading others. (Whoever delegates a position to someone whereas he sees someone else as more competent (for the position), verily he has cheated Allah and His Apostle and all the Muslims.- Ibn Taymiyya) • Stress virtue and behave with integrity. • (Virtue is noble behaviour, and sin is that which creates doubt and you do not like people to know about it.- Sahih Muslim) • Greed and faith can never co-exist in the human heart. (An-Nasa’i, on the Authority of Abu Hurayrah) • Maintain balance and self-control. • (Three things are part of the good morals of a believer. When he is overcome by anger, his anger should not drive him to falsehood. When he is happy, his happiness should not take him beyond the bounds of what is right. When he has power, he should not stake a claim to something which is not his.Tirmidhi, on the Authority of Anas Ibn Malik)

20. Be proactive and action-oriented especially when confronting evil. • (Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart, for that is the minimum that is desirable from a believer. • An-Nasa’i, on the Authority of Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri.) • Be modest and self-effacing - (Level 5 Leadership) • Modesty is a part of Iman and Iman shall be rewarded with Paradise. Foul talk is a part of neglect [towards God] and neglect [towards God] shall be rewarded with Hellfire.- Ibn Maajah, no. 4174. • The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “The dearest and nearest among you to me on the Day of Resurrection will be one who is the best of you in manners; and the most abhorrent among you to me and the farthest of you from me will be the pompous, the garrulous, and Al-Mutafaihiqun.” The Companions asked him: “O Messenger of Allah! We know about the pompous and the garrulous, but we do not know who Al-Mutafaihiqun are.” He replied: “The arrogant people.”

21. Keep your word. • Three are the signs of a hypocrite: When he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is trusted, he betrays his trust.- Abu Hurairah, in Bukhari and Muslim. • Maintain a positive and cheerful attitude. • Do not belittle any good deed, even meeting your brother (Muslim) with a cheerful face.- Abu Dhar in Sahih Muslim. • Do not meddle in what does not concern you. • Part of the excellence of one’s Islam is his giving up of that which does not concern him.- Abu Hurayra, At-Tirmidhi.

22. Leader-follower interaction • Take responsibility for your followers: Each one of your is shepherd. And each one of you will be asked about y our flock......... (Bukhari and Muslim, on the Authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar) • Do not NOT betray the trust of your followers. (When a man tells you something in confidence, you must not betray his trust.: Abu Dawud, on the Authority of Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah.) • Do not abuse or hurt other Muslims. (Abusing a Muslim is Fusuq (an evil doing) and killing him is Kufr (disbelief).- Bukhari) • Do not harbor suspicion towards others. • (Beware of suspicion, for it is the worst of false tales and don’t look for the other’s faults and don’t spy and don’t hate each other, and don’t desert (cut your relations with) one another. O Allah’s slaves, be brothers! : Bukhari, Vol. 8: No. 717.

23. Follower – Leader interaction: • A follower does not support a tyrannical leader (One who walks with a tyrant, in the full knowledge that he is a tyrant, in order to strengthen him, is such as has already left the fold of Islam.- Al-Bayhaqi, on the Authority of Aus Bin Shurahabil) • Do not condone or engage in bigotry. • He who preaches bigotry is not one of us. And not being one of us, he may go ahead and fight in the cause of bigotry. He who dies for such a cause is not one of us either. • Source: Abu Dawud, on the Authority of Jubayr Ibn Mut’im Note: Miserliness, cowardice and greed deprive man of his trust in God. The worst of counselors is he who has served as a counsellor to unjust rulers and shared their crimes.

24. Team Work • There must be an awareness of unity on the part of all its members. • There must be interpersonal relationship. Members must have a chance to contribute, and learn from and work with others. • The members must have the ability to act together toward a common goal.

25. Traits of well-functioning teams • Purpose: Members proudly share a sense of why the team exists and are invested in accomplishing its mission and goals. • Priorities: Members know what needs to be done next, by whom, and by when to achieve team goals. • Roles: Members know their roles in getting tasks done and when to allow a more skillful member to do a certain task. • Decisions: Authority and decision-making lines are clearly understood. • Conflict: Conflict is dealt with openly and is considered important to decision-making and personal growth. • Personal traits: members feel their unique personalities are appreciated and well utilized. • Norms: Group norms for working together are set and seen as standards for every one in the groups. • Effectiveness: Members find team meetings efficient and productive and look forward to this time together. • Success: Members know clearly when the team has met with success and share in this equally and proudly. • Training: Opportunities for feedback and updating skills are provided and taken advantage of by team members.

26. Who is the leader? & Who is the follower?

28. Who is the leader? & Who is the follower?

30. Inspirational words • The biggest mistake of all is to avoid situations in which you might make a mistake. • The different between a successful person & others is not a lack of knowledge…..but rather lack of will. • The man with confidence in himself gains the confidence of others. • Attitude, not aptitude determine your altitude. • Great minds have purpose…..others have wishes. • Those who succeed are those who think they can. “Yes we can!” • The positive thinkers sees the invisible, feels the intangible & achieve the impossible. • Lesson of a crawl & Small rabbit (to be sitting & doing nothing…..u must be sitting very, very, high up) • No man fails…….if he does is best.