The Leadership of Jesus

The Leadership of Jesus

The question of whether leaders are born or can be taught is one that is common in leadership discussions. My personal opinion is that leaders can be taught, and should be taught by studying the principles and practices by which our history's most effective leaders led. Furthermore; it is important to realize that leadership through hierarchies is quickly becoming inferior to leadership through service and having a joint vision shared by all those affected by this leader. Jesus was such a leader; a servant leader. Jesus said, "whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:25-28 New International Version). Jesus was a remarkable servant leader who led his followers as a team player, teacher and a strategist. Jesus did not lead by a ranking system or by giving orders, he led by the examples he set and his resulting actions, and he led by compassion, humility and integrity. Jesus had a mission; he then acted to fulfill this mission through his disciples and his teachings. His strategic leadership involved teaching by example, never losing focus on the foundation of his teachings, and always acting through faith. This paper intends to elaborate on the main principles and practices of this great leader, and provide examples of how the leadership of Jesus is used - or should be used - extensively today.

Jesus' mission was to reach all people with the Gospel that revealed him as the son of God who would liberate God's people by offering Himself as the agreed sacrifice. He did, however, understand the immensity of this task and therefore concentrated on forming and training twelve ordinary men to carry on the teachings of this Gospel. Jesus was able to bond these men of various backgrounds and they would follow him and sacrifice everything. Jesus said to them: "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). And so they "went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them" (Mark 6:12-13), for they knew that their reward "would be a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life" (Mark 10:30). Jesus was a formidable, committed and loving team player and it was because of his skills as a teacher that the disciples turned away from their own interests and devoted themselves to his teachings.

Jesus taught in a multitude of settings and to various numbers of people. He taught to his disciples, the crowds, and to individual people such as Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, and the rich young man. In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he used the so called Beatitudes, and offered promises to the hungry, poor, and those who feared prosecution: "Blessed are you when people insult you persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12) He conveyed to his listeners to "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). He also emphasized the importance of spiritual morality and attitude: "do to others what you would have them do to you" (Matthews 7:12) and he taught against self-righteousness, arrogance and egoism; "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15). Jesus was a strategic and convincing teacher because he offered hope to those who had none, but made His followers aware of the dangers of putting ourselves and our possessions ahead of God.

Jesus was a great strategist and this can clearly be seen by the vastness of the movement that he started. From the very beginning, Jesus was committed to training the leaders who would continue to spread his message long after his death. Jesus realized the importance in focusing on his disciples