Christian Leadership in Contrast By: feridoon mokhof [CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP IN CONTRAST-FERIDOON MOKHOF]
Christian Leadership In Contrast by: feridoon mokhof What is leadership and who is a true leader? The answer to this question has been shaped itself in different definitions and forms during human history. Leadership is a kind of gift that demonstrates itself in every corner of our lives, when a task must be carried out. If you want to do a task that needs more than one person, the gift of leadership starts to demonstrate itself when some one from the group takes the lead. It happens spontaneous and natural. By looking at the leaders today it is obvious that there are two types of leaders; the ones who are natural leaders and the ones who learn to lead. For some people leadership is a reciprocal relationship between those who choose to lead and those who decide to follow. For some others leadership is the process of persuasion or example by which an individual (or leadership team) induces a group to pursue objectives held by the leader or shared by the leader and his or her followers. Some hold this position on leadership saying that it is a serving relationship that has the effect of facilitating development. In the recent years there has been much emphasize on the influence part of leadership and much efforts have been put to define the success of leadership by the amount of influence it has on the people. (Mel Lowrenz). And on this line of thought how meaningful will be what Tom Landry asserts: "Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how human you react. If you're in control, they're in control." The most interesting definition I have heard about leadership is the way Max De Pree puts. According to him we have much to learn from jazz-band readers, for jazz, like leadership, combines the unpredictability of the future with the gifts of individuals. But without any doubt, Servant-hood leadership was the most revolutionary model introduced by Robert Greenleaf to secular corporations in 198?. Greenleaf says: "the great leader is seen as servant first, and that simple fact is the key to his greatness. People will feel to respond only to individuals who are chosen as leaders because they are proven and trusted servants." And this is not a new model. It has been there for ages in the ways God had prepared His leaders through the centuries in general, and in how Jesus Christ defined and modelled it in training of the Twelve" in particular. Only it took more that 18 centuries for man to get the grasp of it! The bitter truth that stands before the political and economical world to day is the failure of their different models in leadership and the very truth forces them to look at it from the standpoint of the Bible. What is it that makes Christian leadership so unique? 2
1. Christian leadership and its character requirements When we look at the list Paul writes to Timothy and Titus about the leaders in the church, we see more than twenty characteristics that nineteen of them is based on character than gift. Only one of deals with the gift the leader needs for the office. Biblical leaders, therefore, are people of character. That's why they do not be born as a leader but are made. When we look at all the influential leaders of the Bible, we see a lot of trials and tests in their lives to make them the kind of character God looks for it in His appointed leader. It takes time for a Christian leader to be made. You can not learn it in the academic environment but in real life. Christian leadership is distinctive and unique in its character requirements. Christian leadership requires Christian character. Other kinds of leadership speak ideally of the leader's character but none of them require Christian character. As a matter of fact the downfall of a lot of successful political and economical, and educational institutes have been caused by the lack of proper character in their leadership; All have been victim of "lust of the eye, lust of the flesh, and pride of life", all showing themselves in the lack of self-control and love of the money and power. The standards stressed in 1Timothy 3:l-7 deny leadership to any believer who does not exhibit Christian character. The characteristics of this list must be in place before the position of leadership can be assumed. It means that this character quality has to be present and demonstrated in the life of the person before occupying any leadership role. Leadership requires authority and authenticity. Authority of a Christian leader grows out of authentic Christian character. Such character means congruence between attitude, word, and action, a congruence that speaks of integrity and serves as a magnet to draw others who listen and respond to the leader. Oswald Sanders in his book "Spiritual Leadership" observes that Apostle Paul never lacked followers. His quality of character irresistibly lifted him above his colleagues and associates. What was true of Paul must be true of all Christian leaders. Authenticity of a Christian leader grows of the commitment the leader has for Christ. And this is the second major aspect that make Christian leadership distinctive and unique; its position 2. Christian leadership and its position The position Christian leadership takes is different from all others. It is different because no Christian leader can assume the position of being "number one", that is, the leader. The true follower of Christ knows it well that there is only one "number one," who is the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore when it comes to Christian leadership, the leader knows who the real leader is! He knows it well that He is the Lord and He is the One in control not him. In John 13:13 we see the attitude the disciples had towards Jesus. They were calling Him Master and Lord. Jesus commends them this attitude. These titles clearly showed that He was 3
their superior in knowledge and authority. These titles showed that He was the one to whom they were accountable, the one they were to follow. In their mind there was no confusion as to who the Leader was. Therefore its fair to say that the chief characteristic of a Christian leader is his submission to Christ. In Christian leadership submission to Him is the key to authority and only those who have learned this principal can be effective and influential Christian leaders. The crown of Christian leadership is made of thorns. The Apostle Paul demonstrated this principal throughout his ministry. Christ's authority gave authority to Paul! Paul never had any doubt of his authority; he exercised it decisively and continuously. Paul had a magnificent sense of command. He was seeing himself as slave to Christ yet acting like a general. He was in charge and he knew it well. Paul's ability to lead grew out of his submission to Christ as Leader and this gave him the authenticity he needed as a Christian leader. Such authentic leader has the ability to show others which way the Leader is going. This ability does not come easy and has specific implications for leadership: First; a leader must have a clearly defined awareness of the purposes the Lord has revealed. He must know what the Leader wants. He must be aware of the place God's Word has in his life and must be aware that God seeks to accomplish His truth, love, and righteousness in His followers. Second; if a Christian leader expects other believers to respond to him as their leader, this truth, love, and righteousness then must be evident in his character, behaviour, and relationships. The Christian leader must be the ultimate follower, a follower of the Leader Himself. In the body of Christ if a leader wants to be recognized as a leader, he needs to be a proven follower of the Head of the body. When this prerequisite is present, people will follow him even when they are uncertain about his gifts. This is a character building process and when it is present in the life of the leader, the Lord will stand by him even when others will not. The purpose of each Christian leader should be to guide others in the ways of God and in following Christ. His aim should be to focus on Him and His ways, and to show others how to do this. A Christian leader is someone who knows where the Lord is going and can get others to follow him as he follows the Lord. Such a leader is authentic and has Biblical objectives and spiritual motives. The Bible determines what he wants to do and the Holy Spirit determines why he wants to do it. This means that a Christian leader will have goals in keeping with his Leader's goals, and motives that are in keeping with his Leader's motives. 3. Christian leadership and its source Christian leadership has another distinctive aspect as well. It is its source. Although the debate about whether leaders are born or made continues on in secular leadership circles, but 4
there is no doubt about the source of the raw materials that are needed for the ability of a Christian leadership; Christian leadership is a gift from the Holy Spirit. In Romans 12:6 we read; "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them." And in writing of the gift of leadership Paul does write that "he who leads" should do so "with zeal" (v. 8). Spiritual gifts come from the Holy Spirit, as 1 Corinthians 12:7 declares: "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." "Manifestation" refers to spiritual gifts. Leadership then is more than a skill to be learned, though it certainly includes this. Unless the basic capacity to lead is present as a gift from the Holy Spirit, one cannot be a Christian leader. Later the point will be made that a Christian leader must be controlled by the Spirit; however, one must have a capacity for leadership from the Spirit in the first place or no amount of control will produce the skill necessary for spiritual leadership. This gift, like other spiritual gifts, is distributed by the Spirit and is not a matter of human choice or human effort. We as human beings can not choose our gifts and take credit for them. Therefore there is no room for the assumption that our gifts make us superior people. Gifts are shared out among Christians; all do not receive the same gifts but all the gifts come from the Spirit, so that there is no room for rivalry, discontent, or any feeling of superiority. The fact that the Holy Spirit is the source of leadership capacity and that leaders are chosen by Him produces freedom from pride and arrogance among those who are responsive to Him. The gift of leadership is not some thing that we put finger on a certain type of personality and state that the leadership gift is for this type. Peter was a leader by virtue of personal strength (Acts 4:8-12). James was a leader by virtue of practical wisdom (Acts 15:12-21). Paul was a leader by virtue of intellectual capacity. Timothy was a leader by virtue of sacrificial service (Phil. 2:19-2I). And John was a leader by virtue of the heart he had God and man. All these leaders shared all these virtues, but each of them had a distinct personality strength that uniquely made him distinctive from the others. This shows clearly the fact that leadership is not a matter of human personality but more of divine sovereignty. Just as the gifts of the Spirit are not reserved for a few outstanding people, so as the Spirit's gift of leadership is not reserved for a particular kind of personality. How could then we discover this gift? The same way we discover the other spiritual gifts! Gift of leadership can be discovered and developed through life experience, training, and the maturing process, like any other spiritual gift. Even though it is the product of the Spirit's presence and God's grace, this gift requires diligence, faithfulness, hard work, and commitment if it is to be exercised effectively. 4. Christian leadership and its power Christian leadership is distinctive and unique because of the source of its power. It is the Holy Spirit that empowers Christian leadership and only Christian leaders can count on His presence and power. Christian leaders who possess this gift may exercise it in secular settings 5
such as business, politics, or education, but it is not true with non-christian leaders since they cannot claim the Spirit's power. This truth is one of the most unique elements in Christian leadership. Christian and non-christian leaders have many things in common. They both must provide vision for their followers; they both must earn the trust of their followers; they both must communicate to their followers; they both must use their abilities effectively in providing leadership. But it is only Christian leaders that can count on the Holy Spirit to accomplish their purpose of affecting and changing others in the spiritual realm. The Spirit's power will not make their leadership perfect, but it will guide them in a the road of maturity as well as enable them to have a spiritual impact that cannot be had in any other way or by any other kind of leader. Dependence on the Spirit is very important for a Christian leader. Without this dependence, he will be avenue of the flesh, just as an unredeemed leader. Christian leadership demands the Spirit's power to accomplish God's purposes. Being an influential leader means to have ability to influence others. Influence is the ability to cause others to respond to the direction the leader gives. It is the ability to cause them to think, act, and live the way the leader encourages. Apart from the power of the Holy Spirit it would be unthinkable to believe this could or should occur. The spiritual leader influences others not by the power of his own personality alone but by the personality that is being lightened and empowered by the Spirit. Spiritual leadership is a matter of spiritual power, and can be generated just by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, one of the most distinctive marks of Christian leadership is the spiritual resources that empower it. For the very reason leadership training must include a strong emphasis on the Spirit's ministry in the life of the believer. Otherwise the gift will be misused. If a gifted leader, who occupies a leadership position, does not get the power the Holy Spirit, he will not be able to have godly influence on the people he leads. Leadership is not so much a position as it is a function. Leader is not a title but a role. You only become a leader by functioning as one. A Christian leader, then, must follow the Leader by exercising his gift in the power of the Holy Spirit. What is it that makes Christian leadership distinctive and unique? In answer to this question I pointed out several factors; it is distinctive because of its character requirements. It is distinctive because of its position. It is distinctive because of its source. And it is distinctive because if its enablement. 5. Christian leadership and its ambitions Now I will point out to an element that might seem strange. Christian leadership is distinctive because of its ambition. The word "ambition" might create negative feeling in us when we hear. This is because many people think of ambition self-centredness seeking for more power and authority. Obviously there is no place for this attitude in any kind of leadership, least of all in Christian leadership. 6
But ambition is a desirable attribute when understood and exercised properly, though many miss the proper perspective of ambition and equate all expressions of it with ego and arrogance. Ambition is essential in a leader for it provides the drive and the desire necessary to carry the burdens and responsibilities of leadership; ambition is the fuel for leadership. There is no problem with ambition in itself; the problem with ambition lies in its aim, not in its strength and its presence, as Mark 10:35-45 makes clear; And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you. And he said to them, What do you want me to do for you? And they said to him, Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory. Jesus said to them, You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? And they said to him, We are able. And Jesus said to them, The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism, with which I am baptized, you will be baptized but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared. And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. This passage shows ambition at its worst and its best. In James, John, and the other disciples, all of whom sought the highest position for themselves, ambition is seen as self-centred, competitive, assertive, thoughtless, arrogant, proud, and blind (Mark 10:35-39,41). Their ambitious request was foolish because they did not know what was involved in it. They spoke in ignorance. Nothing could be uglier than the attitudes found here. But nothing could be more surprising than Christ's response to these attitudes; He did not attack them for being ambitious, nor did He reject them for having this desire. Instead He redefined ambition and turned it into service for others without taking away any of its drive for achievement. Jesus transformed ambition into a humility that seeks to serve others than self. This passage not only redefines ambition from self-service to self-sacrifice, but includes the instruction in how to be first. Jesus modelled himself and demonstrated ambition at its best as the one who willingly sacrificed Himself for the sake of others. 7
Christian ambition, then, is the burning, even driving desire to make a name for Christ, not for self, which results in a constructive rather than destructive impact. In contrast to Christian ambition is the ambition James describes it in 3:14. It is the selfish ambition that is earthly, fleshly, and devilish. There is no place for such ambition in spiritual leadership. But in Christian leadership, we should remember that, there must be a place for proper ambition or there will be no leadership. The key for determining whether the ambition being expressed is Christian or not, lies in the answer to this question: "what is my purpose? Am I satisfying my ego through this ministry or sacrificing my ego to it?" Christian ambition in one sense is not the denial of desire but much more as the redirection of aim. Proper ambition is not the loss of ego. As long as we live in the flesh, this will never happen. Therefore we need to redirect our egos according to God's purpose. Biblical ambition is not the lack of ego. This will not happen as long as we live in the flesh. Proper ambition is ego under the control of God's Spirit. Proper ambition is not the love of ego, but ego redeemed and used as God's redeeming force. Though "ego" is a negative concept, but we should remember the distinction Paul makes in Romans 7. He says: For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh" Only the flesh part of "me" is negative; there is a positive side about "me" which is "Christ in me" (Gal.2:20) and it is the product of the grace of God. There is no place for self seeking ambition in Christian leadership. But there is no Christian leadership without the self-sacrificing ambition of those who follow the Saviour in reaching for the redemption of others at great cost to themselves. The fact that there can be no leadership without ambition is obvious from the Lord's choice of disciples. He chose only men who had the raw material of ambition and rivalry. The ambition of the Christian leadership is redeemed, redirected, and self-sacrificing ambition. Without such ambition no leadership will occur. 6. Christian Leadership and its motivation When we look at secular leadership in practise, it is not so hard to see dominance, control, and power as its characteristics. But it is not true with Christian leadership. Christian leadership is different in the area of motivation. You can see Christian leaders to be up front and in the lead too, but not in a domineering power play. When ambition is redefined and redirected, the entire nature of leadership is affected. Christian leadership is motivated by love and concern, not power and position. We see this in the use of the Greek word "proisthmi" ("to lead") in Romans 12:8. In almost every occurrence of this word in Greek literature, it is used figuratively in the sense of "to surpass, to preside." Synonymous meanings in Greek literature are "to 1ead, conduct, direct, govern, take over the direction of the people, and stand or go before someone or something in protection." This usage can be summarized as "to assist, to join with, to protect. The New Testament meaning of the word is to lead, but it also includes an emphasis on being 8
concerned about, caring for, and giving aid to others. This emphasis adds a uniquely Christian dimension to the word. Whenever the term is used in the New Testament the context demands the connotation of "to care for" as well as "to lead" (Rom. 12:8; 1Th. 5:12; 1Ti.3:4-5, 72; 5:I7; Tit. 3:8, 14). This is explained by the fact that caring was the obligation of leading members of the church. If we look at the context of 1Thessalonians 5:12, it shows clearly that the task of the leader in large measure is pastoral care and the emphasis is not on rank or authority but on the leader's efforts on behalf of these who follow him. The references in 1Timothy show again the same ideas of caring and guiding. Therefore, if I try to define leadership, it is the developed gift of giving direction to others out of care and concern for them and their needs and is not the result of position or title. Leadership, then, is not taken or given, but is earned through service that puts the needs of others first. This must be one of the key marks of the Christian leader. His leadership is empowered by the Holy Spirit through a gift He has given, and it is also the product of care for others at the sacrifice of self. The regeneration of ambition into self-sacrifice produces a love which is others-centred. 7. Christian leadership and its authority A seventh distinguishing mark is the nature of the authority of Christian leadership. The Christian leader is a servant leader. This is the result of the other characteristics, particularly as it relates to the unique aspects of ambition and motivation. Self-sacrificial, others-centred leadership must be servant leadership. It can be nothing else. Many people find the concept of servanthood repulsive, since it seems to be demeaning and undignified. True, a servant is limited by the will of his master. A servant is dependent on his master for all his life needs and he has no freedom to do anything except what his master desires. But there is another perspective concerning the role of a servant, at least a servant of God. The word "servant" ranges in meaning from a slave to a vassal king, but always refers to one characterized by dependence and servitude. For this very reason royal officials and personal representatives of a king were designated "servants". The term "servant" indicated a degree of honor, depending on the position of the one who was served. To be the "servant of God" denoted the highest honor. This means that to be a servant leader under the Lord Jesus Christ is to gain the highest honor since it enables the one who occupies the position to share in the 9
very glory and prestige of the Lord of the universe. If I try to define servant leadership, the concept would be: a servant is someone under the authority of another who voluntarily serves for that one's benefit with a spirit of humble dependence and who finds his freedom, fulfilment, and significance in the limits of his service. But hear we face with an important question: how cans a servant leader exercise authority? Many have the impression that because a servant is subject to his master, he cannot exercise authority over those who are under him. In other words, how can a servant leader serve others and still exercise authority over them as necessary when providing leadership for them? This is a significant issue because a failure to exercise necessary authority is one of the major problems of leadership. Problems in organization seldom come from the excessive desire of individuals to assume responsibility. On the contrary, the difficulties spring from their reluctance to take responsibility. This is a very critical issue and we need to understand it clearly since a misunderstanding of the servant concept of leadership will have disastrous results. A key passage that helps us to resolve this tension is 2Corinthians 4:5; For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants (duloui in Greek meaning more as Bond- Servants) for Jesus' sake." The servant leader is enslaved to those whom he serves, but not to do their will; he is enslaved to them for Jesus' sake, that is, out of concern for Christ's interests. In this concept he serves others, then, not to do for them what they want, but to do for them what Christ wants; the servant leader serves others because he is out of an interest in seeing Christ's purposes accomplished in their lives. And what are Christ's interests in the lives of others? Consider some of His interests at the list below: Christ is interested in God's glory (John 17:4). Christ is interested in proper worship (Matt. 2I:I2-I7; John 2: 13-22; 4:24). Christ is interested in discipline (Matt. 28:16-20; Mark 1:16-17; John 17:6). Christ is interested in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-2A; Mark l6:l4-15; Luke 24:44-49; John 2O:I9-23; Acts 1: 8). Christ is interested in restoring sinning saints (Matt" 18:15-16). Christ is interested in confronting sin (Mat. 18:15-20). Christ is interested in disciplining rebellious saints to maintain the purity of the church (Matt. 18:15-20). Christ is interested in correcting competitive leadership (Mark 10:43-45). Christ is interested in stable marriages (Matt. 5:3I-32; I9:3-l2). Christ is interested in having authoritative leadership (Matt. 18:18-20; 28:20; Mark 6:7; John 20:21-23). 10
From this list of Christ's interests in the lives of His followers, it is clear that servant leaders must have and exercise authority if they are to provide true leadership. The difference between secular leadership and Christian leadership does not lie in the absence of authority but in the attitude that motivates authority, the sanctified nature of ambition and motivation, and the holy character mentioned earlier. Servant leaders must exercise authority if Christian churches and organizations are to develop and grow. They are needed to model godliness, make policies, manage finances, give direction, hold the group accountable for its purpose and actions, and provide the human layer of security under Christ which is needed if unity is to be maintained. How can any participate in the practice of church discipline without exercising authority, as Paul demonstrates in 1Corinthians 5:1-8 and 2Corinthians 7:8-13? If Paul had not faithfully fulfilled his painful duty of disciplining writing in stern terms to them, if they had not responded with repentance, certainly they would have suffered in great measure as a result of his negligence. If the servant leader under the Lord Jesus Christ wants to represent the interest of his Lord responsibly, he cannot be negligent. However, his authority does not come from his position or his power or his dominance, but from his commitment to the Leader, his reflection of the Leader's glory, his redirected ambition, his motivating love, and his faithful exercise of authority. In essence, the servant leader serves by leading, by providing direction, by holding others accountable, by planning, by organizing, and by equipping others to do the same. According to much of leadership literature we have to day, it is this kind of leadership that all want, both Christians and non-christians. The most interesting result that has come out of multimillion dollars of research is the fact that it suggests the same leadership style which Scripture delineates from the start. It is a style which recognizes the inherent value of the individual and the worth of human relations not only as a means to an end but as an end in itself. Perhaps the thing that makes Christian leadership most distinctive is the fact that so many want it but so few have it. All these bring us to who a Christian leader is: a Christian leader is a follower of Christ, the Leader, who possesses the Leader's character, and who is gifted and enabled by the Holy Spirit, marked by self-sacrificial ambition, motivated by an others-centred love, and a pursuer of servant authority. This kind of leadership produces the kind of impact made by first-century leaders when Christ turned nobodies into some bodies. This is the dream of all who exercise leadership, but especially of those who seek distinctive Christian leadership. 11