We just finished up a 2 part series at TGP about leadership. There are hundreds of books on leadership on the market. There are even more way than that where people are modeling leadership. Some are good. Some are decidedly harmful. However, Biblical leadership tends to be at odds with the world’s view of leadership, as well as many churches’ view of leadership. Below, I’d like to discuss some principles/elements of leadership that I believe mirror the Biblical ideal of leadership. We’ll be looking at four major things for Biblical leadership. Those are: Leaders are Outward Focused, The Origins of a Leader’s Authority, Qualifications of a Leader, and A Leader’s Purpose.
Outward Focus
Introspection is a dangerous path toward Neurosis. It is also a dangerous path for an organization, be it a business or a church. When we are (individually and corporately) exclusively inner focused, we are putting ourselves on a path of diminishing returns.
Leaders who are outward focused create an atmosphere of personal and communal growth for everyone around them. In order to achieve great things (either in personal development, organizational, or even societal), a person must have a purpose beyond their own self-interest. Those who impact the world are not the ones who know what the problems are (everyone knows that). They are the ones who do something about it.
A good leader can cast a vision that people can rally around. It forces them to challenge themselves to grow in skills and abilities. There is an end goal that they find worth investing their time, abilities, and money into. A good leader embodies the lifestyle of a greater pursuit. They also inspire others to that pursuit as well. That is because they have developed a way of thinking that is outward focused. They are improving their lives and skill to get there and are inspiring others to do the same.
A Leader’s Authority Comes From Influence, Not From Power
I’ve both seen and heard of many churches who willingly defer all real authority to a handful of people: Pastors, Elders, Bishops, etc. In the Old Testament, the Israelites demanded of the prophet Samuel a king to rule over them like the other nations. Despite the warning that a king would burden them with taxes, force them into servitude and more, they still wanted a king.
What was wrong with the Israelites? My thought is, in one way or another, they didn’t want to be responsible for their own observation of the law or the burden of self-government. They wanted someone to tell them what to do. It is easier to have someone make us do something than to build up the inner drive to do it ourselves. I believe Israel was no different.
Something I learned from a pastor in my youth was that things haven’t changed much. Back then Israel wanted a king and called for it. Today, the church is clamoring for the same thing. Only, they don’t call them kings, they call them pastors. This is structurally opposed to the way the New Covenant.
Over millennia through every form of society, one thing is made obvious in the words of the late Lord Acton, “Power Corrupts. Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.” Any time one or a handful of people have absolute power, it will lead to corruption. Think about it. Does anyone really have a positive view of politicians?
Most the leaders of the world resort to controlling everyone under them. They aren’t truly leaders, but merely dictators in one sense or another. Sadly, with the melding of Christianity and governmental rule from the fourth century on, we have created a pseudo-Christian culture that believes we “need” a top leader. That mentality is still around, save a few groups like the brethren & congregationalists.
But when we look at the biblical view of leadership, we see neither a monarchical nor an oligarchical organization, where one or few people with exceptional qualifications become the leaders. In the Bible, we see Paul’s authority is seated in his ability to influence his churches by carrying out the work of God with the Power of the Holy Spirit. Paul influenced those around him. His authority was built upon goodwill, trust, and love, not on a position of power.
Leaders Are Qualified By Character, Not Abilities
Take a talented phenomenal musician. They can perform musical feats that many of us would deem impossible. However, a great musician does not a businessman make. Just because someone is good at something, like music, doesn’t mean they have the ability to capitalize on their abilities. Usually, producers make money by investing in the musical abilities. They know how to make money and do it well.
If you do a Google search on famous musicians and where they are now, you’d find many of them aren’t as well-off as we would expect. Many squander their money till there is nothing left. They lacked the character and foresight to plan ahead. They were celebrated in the moment and only lived for the moment.
What sets a person with character apart from a person with abilities is simple. The person with character has the internal drive to put their hands to things and excel. They also have the ability to do things with integrity. They are not lured away by fame, fortune, and accolades. They may enjoy it when it comes. However, they are also not devastated when it doesn’t.
The kind of leaders prescribed in the Bible are those who have an internal fortitude of character. They have the foresight to live with eternal consequences in mind. They see the benefits of holy living and holy relationship. The are qualified to lead (influence) the church because their character is solid. They are not qualified to lead because they have natural born abilities to organize and a personality that attracts many people. Abilities without character can crush a person. Character without abilities will propel a person into developing great abilities. There is a huge difference between the two.
Good Leaders Empower Others
If you watch the political process in America through objective lenses (watch C-Span), you can see there is an outright war between the political parties, their adherents, and their media affiliates. It is a war for power. Everyone in politics right now is out for a power grab. We have lost good national leaders. Why is that? Because a good leader (a biblical leader) is devoted to empowering others. The leaders we see represented today in TV, politics, and even churches are not devoted to empowering others. They are more focused on consolidating their own power, building up their own empire of rule.
The Biblical model comes from Jesus himself. He took twelve men and trained them day in and day out. After his resurrection, he spent another 40 days instructing them. Then He ascended. But He did not leave them as orphans. Rather, He empowered them to fulfill the mission. They were given the power of the Holy Spirit, which involves supernatural power and the grace to develop impeccable character through sanctification. Every disciple that became an Apostle was empowered to change the course of history. In the early church, every believer was a saint. There were no gradations of holiness. There were no obediences to canon laws.
In fact, because of this, there were only two real needs for elders. One was to guide the community in holy living. The other was to lead by example. Their holy lives were to serve as a model and inspiration for the rest of the community. This included holy instruction and living, grace and love, and no condemnation. The job of the elders was to love people so completely that they would make every effort to restore believers who were going astray. Exclusion from the community was only to be done in the instance that it was poisoning the community.
The authority of New Covenant leaders is based on their character development and willingness to model to others a lifestyle they can also empower them to live out. Leadership empowers others to become their best selves in God. Leaders are never called to consolidate power to themselves. That is why selfish ambition and contention are not allowed in the qualification for elders. The lists in Timothy and Titus describe solid character, both internally and relationally. Leaders spur others on in like manner.
Was this post on leadership encouaraging? Did it give you a new way at looking at leadership? Let me know in the comments.