'PSYCHO-PHILOSOPHICAL LEADERSHIP': DEVELOPING CRITICAL MINDSET FOR EFFECTIVE PASTORAL MINISTRY IN AFRICA

Many issues of concern have been raised by different scholars about leadership and human endeavours in Africa over ages; issues pertaining to relationship, communication, attitude, position, power, politics, policies, influence and the likes. The demand of leadership is so enormous, task-full and delicate. The various attempt of different scholars across the globe to determine what leadership should be or should look like had led to many propounded theories, styles, principles, and techniques of exhibiting leadership. Many scholars and a host of others had written and or researched on leadership in various aspects which could be regarded as areas involving pro-activeness of leaders; attitude; qualifications of leaders; qualities; problems of leadership; theories of leadership; styles of leadership; philosophy of leadership and contemporary issues in leadership. All of their positions cannot be undermined in leadership discuss, especially in Africa and beyond; although none of these aforementioned and other scholars had written directly on psycho-philosophical leadership. The researcher’s drive on embarking on this work rested on his observation of some problematic issues that devastate the Church in Africa as a result of inadequate or proper inquiry into the problem and a logical approach to resolving such issues. The desire to see pastors in Church in African become inquiry-based and problem-solving leaders is the motivation for the work. Hence, the thrust of this paper is to present psycho-philosophical approach to leadership; intimating pastors as leaders on the necessity of developing critical mindset without undermining the Spirit of God in handling critical issues that are devastating the Church in Africa so as to ascertain efficacy of pastoral ministry through inductive-thinking, critical and deep-thinking; as well as raising the consciousness of pastors as leaders to the fact that pastoral call is not a call to lazy or myopic exhibition but that which requires thorough inquiry and problem-solving approach. The real power of leadership lies in the ability of the leader to think deeply and productively