The Heart of Leadership

A Seminar by Dr Lai Pak Wah on 13 Sept 2025

Rev Rita Wong

“With great power comes great responsibility” was a quote from Spiderman that Dr Lai Pak Wah used to begin his talk on the Heart of Leadership. This message from the movie world, coupled with management guru Peter Drucker’s “Only three things happen naturally in organisations: friction, confusion, underperformance. Everything else requires leadership” and Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s “I do not know of a man who became a leader as a result of having undergone a leadership course” speak clearly of the need for leadership. Dr Lai, Principal and Academic Dean of Biblical Graduate School of Theology, got attendees to reflect upon their experience of poor leadership, what they would do differently, and why poor leadership still persists.

The Speaker Dr Lai Pak Wah with the Interpreter Rev Ray Soh

Leadership

Why does poor leadership still persist? Three factors point to the answer – Talent, Personality types and experience, and Discipleship. Talent contributes 10% to 20% of leadership, and we know that personality types and experience do play an important role. The third factor of discipleship is the crucial element to the leadership role a person brings to a place or an organisation. Hence, discipleship is at the very heart of leadership.

Discipleship

What does discipleship constitute of? In essence, there are four levels, starting from the self, to the interpersonal, the team and finally the organisation. With that said, Dr Lai then went on to draw insights from the book of Ruth.

Elimelech, very likely not a pious Jew, brought his wife and two sons to Moab, an enemy territory. Eventually widowed and childless, Naomi proved herself faithful to God and her two daughters-in-law, in both good and bad times.

Likewise, God’s people are to love God and neighbour. Church ministries ought not to become ends in themselves. Team members are the neighbours that we are to love. 2 Cor 5: 14 &15 tells us this, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all die. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” Christ’s love compels us to serve and to persevere, to set aside personal interests and agenda.

If we are not compelled by a growing love of God or inspired by His love for us, we will stumble. Naomi’s love was reciprocated by her daughter-in-law Ruth.

Boaz, who eventually became the husband of Ruth, provided thought leadership. He lived out the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion through his compassion, his knowledge of his workers, and not having a sacred-secular divide.

 

The attentive audience

Following the talk, three foci discussion groups on growing in leadership, grooming and mentoring others, and supporting leaders in church and community brought forth ideas, personal testimonies and convictions. One attendee noted that volunteers ought to be mindful of boundaries when serving. The seminar concluded with Bishop Anthony Loh exhorting all to bring back to their respective congregations all the knowledge that was gained.

A discussion group in progress

This event was organized by the LCS Women’s Committee, chaired by Lanny Widjaja. Moving forward, this committee will become a sub-committee of LCS’ Education Committee, headed by Rev Terry Kee.