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“Wars maybe fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.”
George S. Patton[1]
Every great leader in our history can tell a story of how they achieved their goals. They suffered through the years of work and yielded sacrifices of sweat to obtain their intangible dreams. Such leaders labored to find their dreams to be lacking and incomplete. The dream that compelled Christ to his goal was eternal and yet obtainable. Yielding greater sacrifices to a goal, he knew filled every void. Christ is a living example of leadership that no one can match. Christ saw our need and with boldness, he led us home.
The principles of Jesus’ leadership style serve us as a reference that we can use to examine ourselves as leaders in his church. Can I apply his principles in my life? Can I recognize these principles as the method in which Christ now leads me? Examine these principles (according to THE LEADERSHIP STYLE OF JESUSby Michael Youssef) and my opinions on scriptures supporting these views.
Jesus received confirmation before he could lead. And so must we.
We ask many Christians of their personal testimony, something in which God called them into His service. Christ, who was the fullness of God, acted in like manner. The spirit descended like a dove and anointed Jesus as the only leader into eternity. In 1 Timothy 4:14, Timothy was confirmed into the ministry with the laying on of hands and with that they gave him spiritual gifts for an effective ministry. Jesus and Timothy understood the importance of the blessing of confirmation, that it passes down permission, power, and encouragement.
Leaders acknowledge the giants who preceded them.
Just as a plant returns nourishments to it’s roots, we cannot forget those who rooted our personal Christian tree. Those who were leaders before us and helped us climb to the pinnacle upon which we are viewed must be acknowledged. Acknowledge them first for the support they hold with other members and second for the wisdom they have that can be used for future reference. “For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.” Luke 7:28a
Good shepherds know their sheep; good leaders know their followers.
Knowledge is power and there is power in the name. Also, there is power in knowing the name. It stands proven that people will more often listen to you when you call them by name. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27.
In Christ’s service, I can have courage for every leadership battle.
Battles unfortunately happen within the church. The cold fact is that persecution hurts the persecuted but puffs up the persecutor. It is hard when deacons are pummeled by elders for their ideas or for voicing their opinions. I doubt that there is a clear answer for this disturbance but there is comfort from it. “And that most of the brethren, trusting in the lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.” Philippians 1:14
Only truly strong leaders can truly be gentle.
Negative leadership causes more pain than I care to remember. Without the quality of gentleness in a leader motivation is lost. Gentle correction encourages, but harshness brings depression. When are leaders going to see the value of what Jesus taught on gentleness and love. “But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Luke 7:47b.
True leadership places human needs before human customs.
What does the congregation need for a more effective worship? What are the opinions of each member in our service? Have I talked with each one individually? These are questions that every leader needs to keep in mind. Ask ourselves if we have answered these questions every week. Talk with those who follow us. Ask and they will tell you. Jesus did not hide himself from the people. He was open to everyone and said nothing in secret. He talked with people and that is why they followed him. He saw what they needed and provided them with the means to be closer to God. Just as we should be doing. “When Jesus saw him laying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, he said to him, “Do you wish to get well?” John 5:6. Jesus asked the right questions.
True leaders give generously.
What doesn’t a true leader give. If a leader holds anything of himself back than he is not a good leader. We should give our tithe as an example for others to do (I recognize the necessity for family security before church security). Leadership is your gift to the Lord. “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, `It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35.
Real leaders speak the truth in love.
Fear is that demon that holds us back from speaking the truth. When did our Lord ever say, “May be you shouldn’t know what’s happening in our group.” Fear that someone may be hurt by our words or what we might make them aware of is not a godly fear. We should fear the Lord for what we don’t say when we should. Truth it seems has little friends. Our Lord spoke only the truth: “As a result of this many of his disciples withdrew, and were not walking with him anymore.” John 6:66.
Leaders can forgive because they have been forgiven.
If I act as though I am forgiven I will not behave with harshness toward others. My forgiveness will be my magnetic personality that influences others to follow. “And she said `no one Lord.’ And Jesus said, `Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on sin no more.’” John 8:11
Like Jesus true leaders express anger in healthy ways.
At some point in truth, words will have no meaning. This is when actions are required. Jesus never condemns anger nor does he command us not to feel it, but he does command us to control it. Constructive anger will be another step on the ladder upwards.
One true leader with God’s help equals a strong majority.
A common leader feels like he is the only one that God is using in his congregation. At times this is true and at times it is only pride. I do see, however that God chooses a certain person for a certain plan and we should realize the danger of having more than one rooster in a hen house. I believe that God only selects one person for every
one plan so it does not breed conflict. We could learn from that.
Wise leaders keep petty problems from becoming major problems.
When a good leader effectively communicates with his followers, he will learn their opinions, understand their ideas, and have compassion on their problems. Followers have a nasty habit of sharing their problems instead of communicating them. An effective leader will look for problems. If he doesn’t find any, he is blind to his followers. People breed problems daily. Jesus was aware of people, their problems, and their potential. “An effective leader understands that people have problems often possess the greatest potential for Christian service.”3
These styles of leadership that the scriptures reflect of our Lord were used to gather followers that were seeking truth. Jesus came to us weak humans with a confirmation of his authority through the Holy Spirit. It is a greater confirmation to see that the Lord was a motivator through his gentleness and had the knowledge to solve conflict between people with love. With these great qualities that human leaders tend to be void of, it is no wonder that the scriptures described how the people were amazed by his teachings or of how people just congregated to him in swarms. Jesus gave out a loving truth generously and although he was killed for it he now lives forever. His truthful teachings have always been scorned by “wise” men and even shunned off as insanity by some. “Had there been a lunatic asylum in the suburbs of Jerusalem, Jesus Christ would infallibly have been shut up in it at the outset of his public career. That interview with Satan on a pinnacle of the temple would alone have damned him, and everything that happened after could but have confirmed the diagnosis.”4 Although Jesus received a tremendous amount of criticism from men in authority, the past 2000 years have been proof enough that he was more than an average leader. Because of his leadership men were made martyrs, convicted to his words even unto death. No army on earth can state that their followers would die for their leaders while singing praises. Yet Jesus did this. During World War I there were so many battles occurring that when they announced surrender, many soldiers did not know that the war was over. They continued to fight, waging a futile conflict that had no meaning. In Christendom the same is true. Satan and his followers do know that the war is over and they continue to fight. When Jesus rose from the dead that was like the A-bomb at Hiroshima.The war is over and Jesus has led us to forgiveness, which is the complete and obtainable dream that other leaders have strived for but could not grasp. This dreamed was such a reality for Jesus that his attitude was pure confidence. His confidence was evident in how he performed as a leader. He kept his word, he spoke nothing in secret, and he defied the untrue. These qualities gave Jesus competence in the eyes of his followers because he did what he said he would do. More so than any human leader could do even if those leaders were praised as gods for their leadership such as George Washington: “George Washington, Commander of the American Armies, who, like Joshua of old, commanded the sun and moon to stand still, and they obeyed him.”5
If we examine the basics of any leadership, Jesus or otherwise, we discover that the influence used are of two elements:
1. Positive Influence- this highlights the leader’s exceptional characteristics and stimulates the follower’s actions toward the dream.
2. Negative Influence- keeps a balance with the use of informative criticism. These point out problems with the plans of achieving the final goal. “If someone hadn’t told me I was a fool I would never have known it.”
His positive influence highlighted such characteristics as nobility, honor, motivation, faithfulness, and authority. His negative influence suggested his intolerance in a false faith or demonstrated his feeling about certain issues without needing words. With the combination of these two elements a person can just look at you and know were you stand. I believe Jesus was this type of leader and that made him superior.
Jesus leads us to a complete and eternal goal that now all can have hold of. The battle is over and only one leader can stand up in victory. This is how we know that Jesus, with his effective leadership, accomplished his dream of salvation for everyone and now leads us by example to the goal of an eternal home in glory.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Youssef, Michael. The Leadership Styles of Jesus Victor Books, 1986.
Eims, Leroy. Be a Motivational Leader Victor Books, 1981.
Goodwin, Bennie E. The Effective Leader: A Basic Guide To Christian Leadership, InterVarsity Press, 1981.
Lawson, Leroy. The Lord Of Parables, Standard Publishing, 1984.
The Concise Columbia Dictionary of Quotations, Columbia University Press. 1989.
Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, Little, and Brown Company, 1980.
[1] Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations 1993
3Bennie E. Goodwin II, A Basic Guide to Christian Leadership
4Havelock Ellis, British Psychologist
5Benjamin Franklin, The Concise Columbia Dictionary of Quotations
