8 Leadership Lessons From A Shepherd's Life hy a @ OF Os i, Responsibility When you work for someone, you are hired to do the job asked of you. In essence, the prophets (Anbiya) were hired by God. They had to report to God. So, a shepherd can't say ‘oh well, | lost the sheep, they were stupid, it's their fault’. No, it doesn't matter if the sheep wander, you, as the leader (Khalif) are responsible. From this we learn that each of us are held accountable for our ‘flock’. The key lesson is figuring out exactlywhere our flock is, who we are leading and then looking after them responsibly. 2. Patience B¢ Co) Being a shepherd teaches each prophet to be patient. The flock will fight and squabble, they will play and want to hang about. You can't say, ‘it's time to leave’ to a flock of sheep, you have wait for them to finish what they're doing. Two of the most patient prophets of Islam are Musa ‘alayhis-salam and Nuh alayhis-salam, both of whom learnt skills in communicating beautifully with people, and beingextraordinarily patient. So, wait. Wait for your flock until they're ready. Ae P ; 4 < wy oe abe Protection Muslims believe in the unseen; the invisible creations of angels, jinn and unpredictable events. There are unseen dangers which we can't see and there are obstacles which animals cannot see. Animals need protection from diseases, from attacks, from toxic food and dangers. Only an alert shepherd standing tall can be on top of it all. By their nature, the prophets are protective of their followers. Prophet Muhammad, Allah's peace andblessings be upon him, talked about every danger, even those in the future. He gave us more details than any other prophet. Being on Earth ina position of protection, it is our job to watch out for every form of corruption and prevent it.