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This student has recently assumed a new position as Regional Minister for the
Great Lakes Association of the North American Baptist Conference. There are 28
churches in the region which recently started a leadership development movement called
Leading Edge. Leaders are nurtured over a three year period in three phases known as
Emerging (year one), Equipping (year two) and Enriching (year three). The emerging
phase focuses on character and spiritual formation of the inner person. The equipping
phase deals with development of important leader skill sets and technical competencies
with hands-on experience. The enriching phase is devoted to mentoring and investing
The regional leadership team has asked me to lead a retreat in September of 2007
for sixty persons (or so) who are enrolled in the emerging phase. This paper will therefore
reflect on the theological foundations of leadership with special attention to preparing the
soil of the leader’s inner life – the identity, values, integrity, moral choices, priorities,
along with an awareness of testing points and understanding God’s workings in the
formation, of a leader. The “how-to’s” and operational aspects of leadership are beyond
leadership,” more likely than not, those listening nod in ready agreement. The unspoken
assumption is that we all know what leadership is and how it can solve our problems. But
what is leadership really? And is it the answer we think it is to the challenges we face?
There seems to be an insatiable appetite to learn more about this fascinating subject (we
have leadership seminars, conferences, books, tapes, and coaches) and a naïve belief that
the latest theory is going to lead to breakthrough solutions for leaders and organizations.
This writer is convinced that leadership is an important part of God’s design for humanity
but it must be properly understood against the backdrop of His being, the story of His
Clearly there are many ways to define or describe leadership and the act of leading.
Notice some similarities as well as the different nuances in this sampling of definitions:
“The leader is one who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leader
and
followers.” – Gary Wills
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“Leadership is authentic self-expression that gives value.”
– Kevin Cashman
Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, was once asked if the great
leaders of history shared any common characteristics. After five minutes of thought, Dr.
Drucker responded that there was only one shared commonality in the lives of all great
leaders… they had followers. Hesitant to question the master himself, we must still ask, “Is
there such thing as a leaderless group?” There have been orchestra ensemble groups that
function very well without a leader and produce beautiful music. I just read about an
investment firm that operates and makes decisions without any person or persons being
designated the leaders. Drucker’s statement does raise the issue of followership and what
role followers might have in leadership. Are followers necessary? If so, what role do they
play? How should followers be viewed by, and what kind of relationship should they have
Wilfred Drath in his book, The Deep Blue Sea: Rethinking the Source of Leadership
steers away from a cookie cutter definition of leadership stating that it really depends on
the stated or (perhaps more often) unstated agreement of all those involved as to what
Drath gives us much to ponder especially as he illustrates this statement with the three
still we look for handles on leadership that can be transferred from one situation to another,
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some constants if you will. In this paper, we try to lay out some biblical guideposts for
leadership. This writer has a bias that we (in Christian organizations) can learn much about
leadership from organizational and business studies, psychology and sociology, etc. but we
must test everything against the grid of Scripture (i.e., what is revealed to us in it about the
character, ways, and will of God). As far as leaders/ leadership providing all we need – the
illusive pathway to prosperity and blessing for the church (or any organization) – we would
There are many people today who look to leadership as a panacea for all the ills of
organizations and society. Even after the rise and fall of Kennedy’s “Camelot” decades
ago, this is perhaps more true than ever. When those kinds of expectations are placed
upon leaders and leadership, it is a guaranteed setup for disappointment. But there is a
kind of servant leadership modeled by Jesus Christ done in community that without a lot
of hype and fanfare produces fruit both now and for eternity to the glory of God.
the Trinity and Creation need to be thoroughly reflected upon, because they shed
incredible light on God’s design and model for leadership in His world. Therefore, in
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this paper laying out a biblical foundation for leadership, we will attempt to carefully
This writer has never been so aware of the depth and breadth of the subject of
leadership. We all must choose a starting point and it is good to be aware of one’s
assumptions and presuppositions, to name and embrace them. This paper takes God and
His revelation (recorded in Scripture) of how things came into being as the starting point.
Richard Swinburne, a philosopher in the 20th century, has stated that a great question
every worldview must answer is, “Why does something exist rather than nothing?”
Those who ascribe to Naturalism as their belief system do not allow for an
explanation of “the beginning” of the world as we know it apart from what can be seen or
examined empirically. This philosophy, and its derivative streams of thought, is based on
the worldview that all happenings within the natural world should only be explained by
what can be observed in the natural order of things, that is, without any reference to
“The activities of the Creator God are not taken into account,
neither are His explanations of how His world functions nor His
warnings about what can go wrong when human beings do not
respect His principles.” (Buckets, Blind Men and Tigers, p. 8)
The writer of Hebrews states it this way, “By faith we understand that the
universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what
was visible” (Heb. 11:3). So, while Saffold sees that good insights can arise from
interpretation of data and research done using the methods prescribed by Naturalism, he
warns against the dire consequences of being blind to its tenets and philosophical
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information with larger implications than the fact that the entire natural world was
created by God. Failing to take this fully into account has profound consequences” (Ibid).
Chuck Colson spells out what is at stake in the worldview one chooses to embrace:
Well, the opening chapter(s) of the Bible – the book of Genesis – gives the basis
for the Judeo-Christian worldview and, for our purposes specifically, a Christian view of
leadership. In fact, seven words in the very first verse are staggering in proportion and
implication, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” It is perhaps the
single most controversial and important statement ever recorded – written against the
backdrop of the Ancient Near East, where a number of myths about how creation took
Most of these myths shared a belief that the universe was filled with many gods
and all these gods were limited in power and morally quite fallible – very petty and
jealous with each other. The result was that people lived in fear and superstition. They
worshiped objects like the sun, moon, and stars believing these heavenly bodies actually
had influence over the affairs of human beings. Some went as far as engaging in the
practice of human sacrifice to try to appease the gods and manipulate their behavior.
Needless to say, there was a low view of human beings inherent in these beliefs and
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practices. In fact, human beings were called “lackeys of the gods” that did the work the
gods did not want to do. Not surprisingly, human beings struggled against each other just
like their gods did. They were a reflection of their gods and life was not about a fight for
dominance – violence and elimination of the “weak” (e.g., infanticide) were common
Life was seen as an endless cycle in the philosophy and religion of the ancient
world with no sense of ultimate destiny that history was moving toward. In addition,
there was no ultimate authority at work in life. Life was short, cheap, brutal, and without
grounds for meaning or hope. And into this horribly destructive belief system, against
this world view, the writer of Genesis sits before a blank scroll, and he writes in a single
sentence: "In the beginning God" – a transcendent, all-powerful, eternal, personal being –
"created the heavens and the earth." This is a revolutionary statement and gives us
direction to our search for meaning in how we got here in the first place and why we find
Before probing deeper into the creation of the world and human beings in the
image of God (imageo dei) and the implications of that for leadership, I want to back up
and consider the nature of this God who created it all. The text expands this way:
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now
the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface
of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." (Gen. 1: 1-3)
Some scholars find in these verses a hint of the doctrine of the Trinity – the
Triune God. In verse one, there is the work of the Father in creation, the first person of
the Trinity, who created all things. He is called in James 1: 17, "the Father of every
good and perfect gift," the Creator/Originator. In verse two, it is the Spirit of God
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hovering over the waters. Rabbis have noted this same language is used in Genesis
pertaining to birds and their flight. The same imagery is used in the New Testament to
describe the Spirit of God who descends as a dove and hovers over Jesus at the time of
his baptism (Matt. 3:16). Could Genesis 1:2 be a reference to the Holy Spirit, the
second member of the Trinity? Verse three shows God creating by speaking, by his
word. The opening words of the Gospel of John concerning Jesus may be intentionally
framed to echo Genesis 1:3: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God in the beginning." And "The Word became flesh and dwelt
among us (John 1:14)." Who was the Word? That's Jesus, God the Son, the third
So, in the very first three verses of the Old Testament, we have what might be a
first indicator of the existence of the Trinity – God, the Father, God the Spirit, and God
the Son (the Word). Of course, by the time Scripture is finished it becomes real clear
that there is an eternal God who existed in eternity before time as we know it began.
The teaching of the Bible is that God exists before time, in the Trinity, in an unceasing
state of love and joy and delight. Unlike the stories of pagan myths in that day, the God
of the Bible does not create because he is lonely or bored or needs help getting his work
done. Between the three persons of the Trinity there is beautiful community – authentic
love, tremendous passion and pure goodness beyond compare. There is trust and perfect
Discussion Exercise: Through Scripture and what it reveals to us about the Trinity, how
would you describe the relationships between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, especially as
it pertains to leadership in the godhead? Record everything that comes to mind as you
think about the implications of this doctrine.
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neediness, God created man and woman. Ortberg captures this beautifully, “Out of the
richness of his magnificent being, out of the fullness of the community of Trinity, God
says, ‘This idea of community, this joy of fellowship is so surely good, let's broaden the
circle. Let's create human beings not as God, but in our own image and let's invite
community that he wants to expand it a billion times over. Dallas Willard eloquently
captures the sacredness of relationships: “God's aim in human history is the creation
So God creates this wonderful place of beauty, wonder and grandeur for
human beings, His community, to inhabit. But, it’s important to note here that there is
an infinite difference – an infinite gap – between God, the Creator, and the creation.
When this distinction escapes us, and when leaders fail to acknowledge the proper
order of things, trouble ensues. Human beings have stumbled at this point since
ancient times. The Apostle Paul comes to the heart of the problem that arises, “Men
worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator” (Rom. 1:25). The sun
and moon were worshiped as deities – and people would even pray and offer
sacrifices to them. Genesis (chap. 1) makes it clear that they were created by God.
Their functions are assigned to them by an all-powerful God who is fully capable of
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generating light without any help from them at all. The message of Genesis, so
obvious we can so easily look right past it, is: “Don’t worship the created stuff rather
than the Creator.” The Hebrew people never used the word "nature." They only used
the word "creation." They didn't have a word for "nature," because they understood the
world does not exist on its own "naturally." In the 21st century, we can scoff at the
primitive pagan practices of worshiping nature and then turn around and fall into the
same traps in different forms. Today, the temptation is to give our allegiance,
for a leader is to get caught up in the trappings of success (where more is never
enough) and misguided ambition (we’ll take this up later) – and for created things to
become the dominating, controlling force in his or her life. The message here needs
to be real clear: “Don’t worship creation. Don’t give your life to stuff.” The purpose
of creation is to help us see how good and beautiful God is and to be a reflection of
His character and His ways to us. Why does the awe-inspiring glory of creation move
us so deeply? It’s because God’s creation reflects His nature and character to us.
There are phrases repeated over and over again in the first chapter of Genesis:
“And God said, ‘Let there be …’ and it was so.” The rhythm of the language used
conveys God’s power. Theologians point out that God created from nothing (Latin,
ex nihilo). He simply spoke and the worlds came into being by the sheer power of His
Word. That sets Him apart. The ability of human beings to create is limited to what
already exists. Do human beings have that ability to just say, “Let there be…” and
make it happen? In our bodies, we have just a shadow of that kind of power. We can
say to our hand, “Lift up” and the hand lifts up. God has given us a tiny bit of the
kind of power he possesses. But, He has that power over the entire universe.
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Sometimes leaders get a taste of power and get addicted to a thirst for it. We use the
term “power hungry” to describe them. Again, this hunger can easily derail a leader
when he or she focuses on the power itself rather than staying in humble, dependent
relationship with, and upon, the Power-giver. Ironically, leaders who become
obsessed with power, eventually find themselves detached from the true power
source and devoid of dynamic energy and strength. For every gift of God in creation,
there is the potential to distort it and to use it in the wrong way for evil purposes.
God’s power is always used for good purposes. The other phrase that keeps
recurring is “And God saw that it was good” and “very good.” The goodness of the
creation is a reminder of the goodness of the Creator. Over and over again, He says,
“It’s good, it’s good, it’s good.” God’s power can never be separated from a moral
ethical being. Dr. Stephen Graves elucidates this great foundational truth in this
extended statement:
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He is the template by which the rest of the cosmos was cut. God’s
excellence is woven into the fabric of the world around us…
A couple more aspects of human beings emerge from the Creation account
very humble, finite, limited, fragile creatures. We are not gods. The creation of
human beings stands out from the rest of creation where God simply spoke “and it
was so.” In Genesis 2:7 it says that God reaches down and forms man out of the dust.
Committal words spoken at a cemetery often include the phrase, “Ashes to ashes,
dust to dust.” Erma Bombeck said she wanted her tombstone to read, "Big deal, I'm
used to dust." But, for a leader, this is a great place to drive down a theological stake,
“God fashioned me/us from dust. That’s where I come from. Humble beginnings to
say the least.” And yet (and here’s the second great truth), we are the climax of
creation because it says in Genesis 1:27 that, “we are made in the image of God.” The
writer of Genesis does not spell out precisely what it is that defines the image of God.
Certainly it involves the fact that we are moral agents who can think and choose –
that we have the freedom and capacity to effect the future through our choices. We
have the freedom to choose – to help or hurt, build up or tear down, wound or heal.
It’s a terrifying privilege and a huge responsibility. In class, Dr. Saffold mentioned
three qualities of the image of God: knowledge – knowing God through relationship
with Him (Col. 3:9-10), holiness – having character like His (Eph. 4:22-24), and
righteousness – doing things the way He does them. In his article, The King’s Last
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Words, he elaborates on this final attribute:
In Genesis 1:27, we find the reality of community (which we saw in the doctrine
of God Himself – existing between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) clearly imbedded
in essence of the imageo dei, “In the image of God he created them; male and female he
created them.” Male and female – human beings have the capacity for community like
unto God Himself. We are co-bearers of the divine image (more on this to come).
And then God does another wonderful thing: He gives people work to do, "The
Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it
(Gen. 2:15)." Why didn't God make the garden self-weeding? He could have done that.
Essentially, God left creation with work still to be done – unfinished business as it were.
Why does he do that? Because he made human beings with this need to contribute, to
add value to this earth, to make a difference, to work. So, He invites us to partner with
him, to be co-regents with him, "Rule, have dominion or subdue” (Gen. 1:28f.) meaning
not “dominate” but cause it to “fulfill its creative potential.” He gives amazing dignity
to these creatures made from the dust. God Himself is extending an invitation, "I want
you to co-rule the earth (to be rule-sharers, Kingdom-sharers) with me.” This is one
reason that if leadership is perverted, it's so destructive – because every human being
was made to be a co-regent with God – to rule together with God. But God didn't just
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make us to work. Look at Genesis 2:18 for a moment. All along this refrain has kept
repeating: "And God saw that it was good." But now in 2:18, God says, "It is not good."
What's not good? "It is not good for the man to be alone." Adam needs a companion, a
When she is called helper, it does not mean that she’s like his go-fer or junior
assistant. The word "helper" in the Old Testament most often is used to refer to God. The
idea behind her being Adam's helper is that his fundamental task is the creation of
community, and he couldn't do this on his own, so he's given a woman. “And the two
shall become one." This is the major theme as you go through the Bible; the community –
living, serving, leading as one to bring about God’s purposes in harmony and beauty.
God exists as Trinity--one plus one plus one, but that equals one. And then he creates
human beings in his image—male and female—one plus one and they become one. God's
math is really easy. The answer is always one. God created people--l2 tribes--but they're
to be one (John Ortberg, God’s Greatest Dream). "How good and pleasant it is when
brothers and sisters dwell together in unity (Psalm 133:1)." The task is committed to the
man and woman together and can only be carried out together. Saffold notes that from the
doctrine of creation we receive the principle that everyone is called to practice leadership
Of course, Genesis 3 record the account of the Fall – human beings using their
freedom to choose to willfully defy God and rebel out of a desire to become like (little)
gods. The action is motivated out of pride and mistrusting God and His word – and the
result is a break in, and with, community for the very first time. Adam and Eve hide from
God and the unabashed intimacy with Him has been breached and flows freely no longer.
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It has been replaced by fear and insecurity which spin off compensating behaviors to
protect ourselves such as posturing, power plays, and “protecting our own turf. Good
things happen for leaders who honestly face their fears and become transparent in
revealing them. Dan Allender states this counterintuitive truth: “What happens when we
begin to name our cowardice and admit our inclination to hide? Paradoxically, when we
muster the courage to name our fears, we gain greater confidence [within ourselves] and
far greater trust from others (Leading with a Limp, p. 5).” But, ever since sin entered the
picture, there has been a struggle to live in community with God and one another. And, if
leadership is only done through the web of loving relationships, this presents a profound
dilemma and challenge to any community … to any who desire to lead according to
God’s design and purposes. Saffold states it strongly, “Apart from the web of loving
relationships, there is no community worthy of God’s name. Apart from this web, there is
no possibility of bringing glory to God (The Godly Leadership Community, p. 7).” Enter
into the story, Jesus Christ, who came not only to model what it is to live in unbroken
fellowship with God, but died to forgive sin and grant the possibility of, along with the
power to achieve, restored relationships – new community with Him and one another.
Saffold again observes, “In going to the cross…it was not (Jesus) purpose to redeem a
bonded to him and linked to one another. Jesus died to create a community, and this
community was not an extra, added element in His plan but the very essence of it (Ibid, p.
1).” Christ restores not only broken relationships with God but the possibility of “doing”
Discussion Exercise: Now that we’ve looked at God’s design from the beginning, let’s
revisit the task of defining leadership. Critique this definition from Dr. Guy Saffold,
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“Leadership is taking the initiative to know God, to reflect His holy character, and
through loving relationships to draw others together to pursue His righteous purposes.”
(The Godly Leadership Community, p. 7)
As we move into the specifics of the theology of Christian leadership, the starting
questions are, “What constitutes a ‘a call’ to lead?” and “How can a person discern
whether he or she has been ‘called’ to leadership?” These questions are particularly
pertinent to emerging leaders who wonder, “Is this really for me? Am I cut out for this?”
To cloud the issue, discerning one’s call is more of an art than a science. As you look at
men and women in the Bible who were leaders, their “call” became clear to them in a
variety of ways.
theology between two main types of calling — a primary calling to salvation, and
secondary callings to specific roles and tasks within the kingdom of God. The primary
calling is the same for all Christians: God calls them out of the darkness of a sin-
dominated life into the light of a Christ-dominated life. But they also have multiple
involvement or leadership) that are unique to the individual and grow out of that larger
primary calling. These secondary callings grow out of a desire to be a part of what God’s
doing in the world – to respond to His invitation to work on His agenda, using the talents
Steven Graves notes three different factors to consider in one’s call: 1) unique
talents and skills (if you can hit a 97-mile-per-hour fastball, you may have a clue to your
calling), 2) those called by a path (Prince Charles has a pretty good idea of where his path
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is taking him), and 3) listening to inner desires (Life@Work (vol. 2), p. 83). Christians
are often suspicious of this third dimension: DESIRE. While it’s true that misguided
desires lead us down a wrong path, it’s equally true that right desires are signposts to the
right path. “Delight yourself also in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your
heart” (Psalm 37:4, NKJV). Saint Augustine said the same thing in a different way,
“Love God, and do as you please.” If your desires are in harmony with God’s desires for
you, why wouldn’t you trust your desires and follow them? One thing we can say for
sure: There is a discernment process that can be complicated but is very important and
cannot be avoided.
Sometimes the call is manifested in an inner sense of holy discontent with the
status quo and God stirs within a person to do something about it. Nehemiah is a good
example of a man who found himself in a very comfortable position but God brought
information to him that troubled his spirit concerning the state of ruin in Jerusalem. From
that moment on, there was a deep call within him – first to prayer, and then to action.
God got his attention by troubling his inner waters and he could not shake the sense of
calling upon his life to lead the Israelites in the rebuilding project of huge proportions.
Tim Elmore lists four different biblical types of “call to leadership” in the book
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situations and took steps of opportunity along the way. Elmore writes,
“They didn’t seem big at the time … and her call didn’t make sense until
it all came together in the end.”
3. Call from birth: Those who know their calling ever since they can
remember. They might not even have responded to the call, but they know
they have been called. When Jeremiah was only a young man, God called
and informed him that he was going to tear down nations and set up other
nations. Jeremiah told God that he was too young for the work. Yet God
reassured, “Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my
spokesman to the world (Jeremiah 1:5, NLT).” (John the Baptist could
also be considered an example here).
4. Growing Awareness: Elmore says that this call comes early but only in a
very general way. Those who have a growing awareness of their calling
begin to understand that something is happening and start sifting through
it very early on in life. Even though they know “something’s there,” they
don’t fully comprehend what God is doing until they are mature. Unlike
walking through open doors, when his call came, Joseph understood the
“big picture” up front, as a teenager (his life began with a leadership
dream and early sense of call), what he didn’t understand (and what had to
be filled in) were the details.
Graves lays out a few guideposts as one considers the role of desire in the call
process:
God calling reluctant leaders. It was refreshing to have someone trace and develop this
major theological strand throughout Scripture. Allender states, “God seems to choose
leaders who don’t want to serve, and when they do follow God’s call, they often do so in
a way that creates new chaos [just consider the three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob] (Leading with a Limp, p. 15).” He illustrates through the lives of Moses, Jeremiah,
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and the classic reluctant prophet, Jonah. His premise runs as follows:
Henry Blackaby alludes to God’s uncanny knack for pursuing unlikely or disinclined
candidates for leadership, “Spiritual leadership…is not a role for which one applies.
has chosen ordinary people, most of whom were not looking for a divine assignment…
While there is nothing wrong with wanting to experience God’s powerful working in
one’s life, those wishing for God to use them mightily should not pursue leadership
positions in God’s kingdom (Spiritual Leadership, p. 46).” We’ll come back to that
a profound way, a person’s life and leadership is forged and guided by that sense of
calling. Gordon MacDonald carefully delineates between persons that operate out of an
inner sense of call and those that are driven out of an external performance-based
mentality. He uses two biblical figures to illustrate these characteristics of being called
• understand stewardship
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Driven Person
understanding who God is – and who you are in relationship to Him (i.e., His power,
majesty, moral character, and purity). Isaiah sees the vision of God high and lifted up in
all of His holiness and is undone in His presence, “’Woe is me! For I am a man of
unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King,
the Lord Almighty (6:5).” God dramatically proceeds to remove Isaiah’s guilt (with the
live coal touching his mouth/lips) and prepare him for the mission He has store for the
prophet. Then he poses the penetrating question, “Whom shall I send? And who will go
for us (6:8)?” Of course, God never asks questions to get the answer. He didn’t ask Adam
and Eve, “Where are you?” because he had lost track of the little rascals. He asks the
questions for our own reflection and benefit. He gives Isaiah the opportunity to step up
and volunteer. Isaiah’s answer to God’s call, “Here am I. Send me!” is a voluntary
response to His goodness, love, and grace – no matter how difficult the task might be
(and His assignment was horrendous) or how long it might take to complete. In fact, it is
a life-calling with no term limits but a whole, complete, total commitment of one’s life.
The driven, “try harder” approach to ministry (serving God) doesn’t work. Those who
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operate from a driven mentality eventually discover that all the joy gets sucked out of
their service.
Discussion Exercise: What has been your own experience of “call” from God? In this
sense, which biblical leader do you most identify with? Do you recognize more
characteristics of a “called” or “driven” leader in your life?
an artist. He received this insight into leadership during a discussion with an artist friend.
After attending a retrospective of a painter together, his artist friend made the following
observation:
Kouzes further comment that he recognized this art lesson was applicable to the art of
leadership as well:
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the words aren’t our’s, that the technique is out of a text, not straight
from our heart.
This is a truly terrifying moment. We’ve invested so much
time and energy in learning to do all the right things, and we
suddenly see that they are no longer serving us well. They seem
hallow. We stare into the darkness of our inner territory, and we
begin to wonder what lies inside.
For aspiring leaders, this awakening initiates a period of
intense exploration. It is a period of going beyond technique, be-
yond training, beyond copying what the masters do, beyond taking
the advice of others. And if you surrender to it, after exhausting
experimentation and often painful suffering, there emerges from all
those abstract strokes on the canvass, an expression of self that is
truly our own.” (Insights on Leadership, chap. 28)
Optional Discussion Exercise: This story or metaphor brings to mind a statement made
by Henri Nouwen that I recorded in my journal: “A real leader doesn’t just blaze the
trail into the future, he or she courageously blazes the trail into his or her own heart.”
John Maxwell comments, “Change always starts on the inside … Don’t worry about
where you’re going until you know who you are. Settle the inside issues first. When
they’re in order, you can start to work on the outside (Christian Reflections on the
Leadership Challenge, p. 43).” Do the three stages of finding your leadership voice (or
parts of it) ring true with you? Where are you at in the process?
All emerging leaders need to know that there will be tests or crises along the way
that will challenge them to the core and ultimately determine the leader they will become.
Patrick Lencioni asks the question, “If you were searching for leaders to change the
world for the better what qualities would you look for?” He answers his own question:
“…I have found many courageous, intelligent, charismatic, and creative people. But few
of them possessed the two qualities (I rank higher than all the others): humility and pain
Lencioni underscores that the pain comes not just from enemies but (more hurtfully) at
the hands of the people you are trying to serve (Christian Reflections…p. 71f). Every
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human being – leader and non-leader alike – encounters disappointments, trouble,
tragedies, setbacks, and failures. What sets leaders apart is how they respond and weave
(interpret) these experiences and events into the fabric of their life story. Saffold “They
see the past and present from a different perspective and that enables them to look ahead
to the future with a more positive attitude, greater confidence and far greater optimism
(The Godly Leader’s Identity, p. 2).” For the leader, her identity (who she was, who she is
now, and who she is becoming) is found in Christ Jesus (see attachment from Freedom in
Christ Ministries). The depth of what it means to be in Christ, to find one’s identity (past,
present, and future) in Him, is forged through what Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas
call crucible experiences. They found that every leader they studied, young or old had “at
the very heart of becoming a leader. The descriptive term we found ourselves using is
crucible (quoted in The Godly Leader’s Identity, p. 7).” Saffold takes the concept of the
He goes on, “Some people are devastated by their experience in the crucible and emerge
overwhelmed, crippled diminished.” And then, he quotes Bennis and Thomas again:
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by experience, leaders do not see themselves as helpless or
find themselves paralyzed. They look at the same events that
unstring those less capable and fortunate and see something
useful, and often a plan of action as well (Ibid, p.8).”
Saffold identifies four examples of crucible experiences (while allowing for many other
1. a vision of the glory of God (Isaiah/ Isa. 6:1-4) – a leader emerges with transitory
and eternal values clarified … with a passionate desire to serve no matter what the
cost and to be faithful to the very end.
2. trauma and tragedy (Joseph/ Genesis 37) – the leader finds meaning in adversity
and learns to face rather than avoid tough realities.
3. the refining fire (David/ 2 Samuel 11-12) – the leader emerges with a deeper
recognition of sin, a more humble attitude toward himself, and a passionate joy in
the Lord’s forgiveness that motivates him toward obedience.
4. facing an overwhelming challenge with faith (Abraham/ Genesis 12 & 15) – the
servant leader learns both trust and obedience in a context where they must turn
away from our human craving for evidence and assurance.
(The Godly Leader’s Identity, pp. 9-18)
These crucible experiences allow our stories to connect with God’s story. In the
how God’s story and our story connect, and then how our story connects with, and brings
meaning to others, who are on the journey – as we move toward the same eternal goals in
community. God is continually bringing new meaning and insight and, in a sense
recreating our story, and making it brand new; impregnating it again with meaning for the
present and hope for the future. As the Christian leader comes through the crucibles he or
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Robert Quinn writes about this deep change (another phrase for transformation) that
needs to take place in leaders and organizations. The alternative is slow death. He writes,
Heifetz and Linsky call for leaders to accept responsibility for their piece of the mess.
They write, “In short you need to identify and accept responsibility for your contributions
to the current situation, even as you try to move your people to a different, better place
(Leadership on the Line, p. 90).” Denial and blame shifting are symptomatic behaviors of
leaders who have not gone through, or been transformed by, the crucibles.
The Bible offers this simple paradox about life: If you try to keep your life, you
are fated to lose it. If you give up your life, you will find it (Mark 8:35). Dan Allender
suggests that the leader take a different path than is typically outlined in leadership
programs. He writes, “As an act of leadership, consider the risk of giving up your life
through facing, naming, and bearing your weaknesses, and imagine the paradoxical yet
promised benefits (Leading with a Limp, p. 7-8).” Below is a chart devised by Allender
(along with an explanation) that will help a leader measure in a practical way how he is
doing in some of the crucible type challenges and experiences of life (Ibid, p.9).
Five universal challenges that every leader faces are listed on the vertical axis.
Just as it is essential to recognize these challenges, it is also imperative that you identify
your default response to each. The most common ineffective responses are listed on the
horizontal axis.
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Typically, when facing the problem of complexity, a leader will default to rigidity.
By doing so, he narrows the available options in an attempt to bring order and sanity to
the complexity he faces. But such a response cuts the leader off from the wide range of
options that he needs in order to effectively address the problem of complexity.
While rigidity tends to be a leader’s typical response to complexity, it’s also true
that many leaders respond by hiding or with some combination of the ineffective
responses listed. As you think about each one, assess and note how you automatically
respond to it.
Again, the challenges that every leader faces are listed on the vertical axis. Now
as you think about each challenge, look at the effective responses (on the horizontal axis)
that are needed.
Typically, when faced with complexity, a leader needs to avoid rigidity (see the
previous chart) and instead draw on depth. At the same time, other effective responses
might also be needed. For instance, to effectively address complexity, a leader might
draw on courage or hope paired with depth.
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Optional Exercise: Create a life map (participants will have some background on what a
Life Map is – and be prepared to share your story with your small group.
As we come near the end of this paper and try to connect some dots, Henri
Nouwen comes right to the heart of what’s important for the Christian leader. In his
excellent book on dealing with temptations that Jesus faced in the desert … that all
Earlier in his book, Nouwen framed the ultimate leadership question this way, he writes,
“The question is not: How many people take you seriously? How much are you going to
accomplish? Can you show some results? But: Are you in love with Jesus? (p. 37).”
Jesus told Peter, “If you love me, feed my sheep.” Clearly, service flows out of – is the
“The last shall be first and the first shall be last” and “the least will be the greatest.” “The
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Son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for
many (Mark 10:45).” Jesus teaching in Mark 9 confused the disciples but, more than that,
it scared them. They did not even want to ask what He meant because it might derail their
own agenda and quest for power, greatness, and godlike status. The disciples constantly
bickered over who would have the best position and the spot of choice in the Kingdom of
God. They were constantly jockeying for advantage and status with Christ. He really set
them up for an incredible dressing down of their misguided thinking about “who’s who”
when he took off his garments, put on the towel of the low down slave and washed their
feet. The basin and towel have become the (sometimes forgotten) symbols of leadership
in the community of Christian faith. Above that, we have the Cross standing as THE
symbol of sacrificial servanthood providing both life and inspiration to the followers of
the greatest leader this world has even known. The apostle Paul tells us that we are to
adopt the same servant mindset as Christ Jesus – who was obedient even to the point of
death … therefore he was highly exalted and given a name that is above every name
(Phil. 2).” Our part is to humble ourselves and let God do the exalting (1 Peter 5:7).
Jesus was very carefully calibrating the depth and scope of leadership: SERVE
OTHERS (see John 13; Luke 22:14f)! There are only two ways to lead: by lording it over
or serving – the world’s way or His way – only two choices. Allender graphically
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Nowhere are those words more true or the implications more far-reaching than with this
choice to lead by dying to oneself. Rejecting servant leadership is to brashly imply, “I’m
better than Jesus. He had to serve but I can rule with sheer power and control.” Those
who choose to be servant leaders after the pattern of Christ operate out of the Agape
Principle, that is, to seek the will of God and the welfare of others (as defined in God’s
terms). But, who will look out for my interests? Randy Alcorn offers some help with this
question:
Three questions will assist us in filtering decisions through the lens of servant leadership
taught and modeled by Jesus: 1) Am I obeying God? (what is right), 2) Am I doing good
for others? (highest and best for others), and 3) Am I being selfish? (examination of
Alexander Pope is known for the statement, “The same ambition has the ability to save or
destroy.” Colson says his own decision to follow Christ didn’t make him soft. In fact, he
says, much like the Apostle Paul (who was a high charging Type-A personality before
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and after his Damascus Road experience), “I still have that same drive, that insatiable
urge to accomplish things, to make things happen.” But he says his drive “has been
redirected” to serve God and others. Or more precisely, it “is being redirected anew each
day” to serve God and others. (He’s) quick to acknowledge that each of us must “die
daily” to selfish ambition if we hope to keep our pride in check. And he says that each of
must seek to avoid self-deception about our true motives for wanting to accomplish
things (Ibid).
Dr. John Piper was speaking at a Moody Conference this student attended and
recounted how he wanted to title one of his books, “Stop Serving God!” But the publisher
would not go for it because that title might be hard to market to a Christian audience. He
went on to explain his premise: God does not want us to serve Him. He wants us to stay
in a humble dependent position and allow Him to serve us. When we try to serve God, we
easily move into a performance mentality (become driven rather than called) and get
hung up on, “How am I doing?” The focus is on us. However, when we live with a
realization of how frail and weak we are and how great God is … that we can do nothing
apart from Him … and humbly abide in Him (John 15), God has the opportunity to serve
us and manifest His power through us, THEN, He gets the honor and glory and credit that
is due Him AND we minister out of a sense of gratitude and awe of Him, not from a
place of duty and frustration, or pride and arrogance. Some have made a similar
performance and, again, the question of “How am I doing?” And the answer to every
problem becomes, “If I was just more committed, I could do it. If I could just muster
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more commitment.” The end result is usually frustration, guilt, comparison, or misplaced
pride (“at least I’m more committed than so and so”). Surrender is placing my life into
God’s hands realizing that He is the source and fountain of strength, wisdom, courage,
and fortitude. When the leader lives in this surrendered way, she keeps things in their
proper perspective – God gets the glory and ultimately people are better served. The
Service and servant leadership brings us back to the picture we started with, of
life that is “done” in community. Jesus died to make this new community possible. He
modeled it through His own connection to the Father and the Spirit during His earthly
ministry – and His connection with those He came to save and lead through serving them.
Heifetz gives and example of this type of identification from the business world.
The CEO of a highly successful chemical factory in Israel did everything he could to
assure workers that the line was safe after an explosion tragically killed two employees.
Still the workers were leery, their trauma was palpable, and productivity declined. The
CEO (Avram) came to a decision to resign his position as CEO and take a job on the line,
right at the spot where the explosion had taken place. His action turned the company
around and made it even more profitable than before (Leadership on the Line, p. 95). He
put himself on the line, humbled himself, and totally identified with the employees. As a
result the community came together again and was restored. “Lording it over” fractures
and disrupts community, serving one another brings everyone together. When we serve
one another in this way, treat one another with dignity and respect, and honor the gifts
and contributions of each one, oftentimes answers come from the bottom-up rather than
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from the top-down. And isn’t that the way it is in the paradoxical kingdom of heaven?
The question always in front of the Christian leader, is, “Who’s kingdom am I trying to
build?” (By the way, a good parable of this is found in a book by Dr. Seuss, Yertle the
Turtle).
Servant leadership does not mean being weak or caving in to the demands of the
most vocal person or group or doing whatever someone wants you to do. I wrote down in
my class notes this statement, “Sometimes a leader has to be very coercive, forceful, and
even disruptive. That is not incompatible with being a servant.” Leaders who are working
toward adaptive, transformational, deep change will encounter strong opposition at times:
Lencioni points out that finding Christian leaders willing to work in this kind of
“Finding leaders who can challenge the process and change the world
for the better is not easy. The truth is, it is rare to find a human being
who can accept the requirements of true Christian leadership, setting
aside ego and fear of suffering, failure, and rejection, which isn’t such
a surprise when one considers the nature of our humanity and our
inclination toward sin and self-preservation. As it turns out, the world
is not as difficult to change as its leaders are.”
(Christian Reflections, p. 81)
Servant leadership leads to wounding. Make no mistake, the leader must endure his or her
share of hardship as a good soldier. It is inevitable that the leaders will be hurt. They
must pray for the grace to accept the wounds of Christ in their leadership.
In this final paragraph, there are a couple statements from class that linger with
this student. One was actually a model for decision making known as the “good for each
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and good for all” approach. The group together lays out the criteria for making a decision
and then operates under the basis of, “If we don’t meet the criteria, we don’t make the
decision” and “We have to find a way to make it happen!” While it sounds idealistic, it
resonates as a way of really leading in community. The implementation looks like this:
“We will be together and we will pray together until we find a way forward.”
Dr. Saffold addressed the power struggle that often goes on between church board
and the ministry staff or administration and faculty. He threw out this challenge and it is
a good note to close on, “Tell the Board they’re in charge and in a year from now we’ll
know that they led if the staff says, ’We’ve been served well.’ Tell the staff they are in
charge and in a year from now we’ll know if they led well if the Board/church says,
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