“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” — Philippians 2:3
As we prepare to celebrate Christmas this Sunday, it is only appropriate that we honor the leader of all leaders this week, Jesus.
In the world we live in today, our culture is very much a “me first” culture. Most people grow up thinking “you better take care of yourself because no one else will.” The business world is even more this way as people try to climb the organizational ladder and the motto is often “kill or be killed.”
I give all the glory on my journey as a leader, mentor, coach, husband, and a father to Jesus. Some of the greatest leadership examples are found right in the bible. Especially when it comes to serving others’ first. You do not have to even identify yourself as a christian to recognize that Jesus was the ultimate leader!
The ‘Lead Like Jesus’ approach is driven by four ‘standard’ beliefs
1. Leadership happens anytime we influence the thinking, behavior, or development of another person.
2. Jesus is the greatest leadership role model of all time.
3. Servant leadership is the only approach to leadership that Jesus validates for His followers.
4. Effective leadership begins on the inside, with our hearts.
Tell me how that is no different than our role today as leaders with our Team or those we influence? One of the most powerful components of Jesus’ ministry was his ability to be a simple, clear, and direct leader. This behavior was shown in His preaching and His teaching. His ability to tell the truth through a simple parable was the foundation of all he did. These parables had a purpose that was greater than the story itself.
When Jesus called the first four disciples, who were fishermen to follow him, he said, “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” When Jesus began the process of calling his disciples to follow him, he started with men who had something simple in common(sound familiar to your organization yet?).
In the Gospel, according to Matthew (chapter 4), the first two people that Jesus called were fishermen who also were brothers. Their names were Peter and Andrew. The next two recruits were friends of Peter and Andrew who were also fishermen. They were brothers whose names were James and John. Is this process of Jesus’ first recruits insignificant or is there a lesson to be learned here about building a solid core for your team?
The act of recruiting the first disciples is a lesson in how important it is for any leader to begin with people who share common traits and core values. These four men did not have to explain themselves to one another, neither did they have to learn each other’s backgrounds. Much like that of a well oiled, incredibly built culture Team today!
While I’m not at all asking you to compare yourself to Jesus, we can and should be using the same leadership traits to lead our people today as Jesus did with the disciples. Here are nine characteristics of leadership demonstrated by Jesus that we can absolutely implement in our own leadership model of teaching with our people.
1. Jesus was not self-promoting (He never wanted glory through any of the miraculous achievements)
2. Jesus was obedient to the Holy Spirit (He knew His mission and to follow through with it).
3. Jesus cast a vision, with clarity, simplicity, and directness (He knew not to overcomplicate things and keep it simple – It’s also always better to be real than to always have to be right about everything).
4. Jesus was a strategic team builder (He knew that to accomplish little, He’d go alone. But to build the ministry He wanted to, He needed a Team!).
5. Jesus was a relationship builder (He knew it would take time to accomplish His work on earth and it would take trust from people).
6. Jesus expressed control and authority as a leader when needed (Even though He never needed to explain Himself, He used a gentle approach in His leadership… Never just barking orders!).
7. Jesus engaged in a crisis head-on (In the times we are leading through today, we need more go-first leadership).
8. Jesus practiced daily prayer(He knew starting his day with direction and clarity from His father was the most important part of His day for personal growth to fill His cup so He could pour into others)
9. Jesus was all about empowering others(The greatest power we can utilize as leaders is empowering others).
As you are working to build your team, it is essential to have a core group of people who understand each other and are rooted in the same values. Not the values of today’s culture. This action enables the establishment of stability before diversity and conflict come along. You can be sure of one thing — Conflict will evolve in any effort of bringing people together. Before Jesus recruited all of His disciples, his first action was to create a stable core! (solid leaders!)
A question was put to Jesus, “If you are willing, will you heal me.” The response of Jesus was quick and to the point. “I am willing!” There can be no doubt that Jesus was all about releasing the best in all of us. These characteristics of Jesus were a definite sign of what He thought was important in leadership. These same points can enable any leader to achieve strong development in all around them. The example of Jesus’s leadership is a powerful lesson for anyone desiring to be a healthy leader today with solid values!
My unending goal as a leader that wants to continue to grow can be summarized in a very simple, but never-ending way… I want to be more like Jesus in everything I do!
Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Years!