Christian Leaders Should Imitate Jesus as the Ultimate Leader
I was researching traits of good leaders and I kept coming back to the ultimate leader-Jesus. There are many traits from Jesus that are still applicable to our leadership walks today. Jesus led a team of disciples but also had many people that followed Him as well as enemies as many leaders today have.
Be Firm
A leader speaks with authority and makes decisions. There is nothing wrong with having open communication with your staff/team but when it is time for a decision to be made or issue to be addressed the leader needs to assert their authority and leave no question as to who is in charge. There were many people who challenged Jesus and the way He did things, but he was always firm with kindness.
Lead by Example
It goes without saying that Jesus was the ultimate example, but as a leader we should be a good example to our staff through various ways. If you are leading other Christians be an example of Christianity by the way you live your life- pray openly, speak with kindness, exhibit grace, be on time to meetings, do not speak over others, etc. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
That can also be said about the business deals you enter into- if there are conflicts, examine why you are considering them. Nothing will motivate your people greater than the knowledge that their leader is a man or woman of integrity, one who cannot and will not be bought, who will die before compromising his or her convictions (Zabloski, 2004).
Cast Vision
Jesus obviously had a vision of why He was on the path when He was on the Earth and he communicated that with his disciples and many others that He came in contact with. Having a clear vision can be a good motivator for your team as long as you can communicate it well. It also helps if you can break it down into bite-sized portions for your team to digest. Sometimes having a vision and trying to communicate all of it can overwhelm team members. Having a vision allows your staff to have a goal to look to and can inspire them about what the future can be.
Communicate and Listen
It is so important to be able to communicate clearly with your staff and many things go into this. As a leader, you need to be approachable and listening requires for you to not only listen but actively understand. When you as a leader, practice active listening, you're not only building trust, confidence and shared vision among your team members, you're also utilizing your most powerful means of acquiring all the needed information about the leadership context (Ingle, 2017).
By actively listening you will learn more about the other person and can build a deeper relationship. Jesus was a listener and was always actively listening to people and using ways, like parables, to get his message across.
What other traits from Jesus' leadership example do you believe you believe you could apply to your walk?
References:
- Ingle, K. (2017). Framework Leadership Position Yourself for Transformational Change. Springfield, MO: Salubris.
- Zabloski, J. (2004, June 1). The five leadership characteristics of Jesus. Retrieved September 06, 2017, from http://www.lifeway.com/Article/Leadership-The-five-leadership-characteristics-of-Jesus (Links to an external site.)
Originally posted Sept. 22 at Christian Leadership Alliance.
Heather McCulloch is the Director of Business Development and Marketing for Christian Leadership Alliance. After completing CLA's Credentialed Christian Nonprofit Leader (CCNL) program, she used the credit she earned to enroll in the Master of Arts Program for Organizational Leadership at York College. This post is from her current course work.
