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Leadership Christified: Christ’s Leadership Style
Every person searching for excellence in strengthening their leadership abilities will find much to aid their pursuit in this in-depth look at Jesus Christ – the most excellent leader ever lived. Christ’s three years of ministry during his time on Earth transformed into a global movement that altered the course of history. He is the leader, followed by the most significant number of people today. Christ set an example for us by putting essential leadership values into reality.
A Christ-like leadership – rooted in the Holy Bible and the deeds of Christ himself – relates to servant leadership. It puts others first instead of a leadership style that prioritizes the self.
Interestingly, “servant” and “leader” are typically considered two completely different things. Moreover, when combined, ambiguity develops more profoundly and meaningfully. The first impression is that the ambiguity appears self-contradictory, inconsistent, or opposed to common sense, but there is also an impression that it could be true. What sort of paradoxical “servant-leader” would this be?
In Robert Greenleaf’s essay titled “The Servant as Leader,” he said: “It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead.” He meant that a servant-leader is anyone who is driven to serve others and begins to take the lead at the same time. The bottom line is to open our eyes to fresh possibilities beyond past thought and belief paradigms.
So, what does it take to become a servant-leader in the present? We want you to take note of the six areas Christ’s leadership style is defined:
1. Compassionate
Leadership with compassion is more than simply a nice-to-have addition to our skill set. Modern leaders who wish to guide their teams and organizations to long-term success and a better future must possess it. Perhaps there was a time when compassion was a sign of fragility; however, that era has long since passed. Today’s leaders must recognize each person’s talents and attributes and treat them with greater compassion and humanity.
Compassion originates from the Latin word “compati” which means “to suffer with”; thus, when we have compassion, the pain of someone becomes our own. Genuine compassion alters the way we lead and the way we live life.
Christ demonstrated compassion for us by helping those in need and interacting with large groups of troubled people. Specifically, He made us feel welcome; provided us food; healed the sick by His touch; gave solace to the bereaved; gave many lessons to people, and many more.
2. Holistic
Holistic leadership enables leaders to cultivate the qualities that motivate people to follow them. It entails treating people with genuine concern and as more than just professionals.
For instance, some people get uninspired by an intriguing new title or move on to the next stage of professional growth. Hence, instead of making assumptions, leaders should determine what is most important to them. Leaders aware of this can better match roles to team members’ interests, which benefits both the individual and the organization. Leaders should consider their people as individuals with goals, families, and drives powered by various experiences, personalities, and histories.
Moreover, holistic leadership means seeing the bigger picture and how even the tiniest parts work together will help leaders make wiser decisions. The elements of holistic leadership are more significant than the sum of their parts. Leaders’ career advancement affects their coworkers, who, in turn, positively influence the greater community outside the business or organization.
3. Radical
The concept of authentic leadership that guides people toward fundamentally altered worldviews (such as those about the world of work) is known as radical leadership. These worldviews enable and encourage considerable growth in the organization’s overall effectiveness.
Radical leaders try to comprehend the underlying causes of societal issues and develop a perspective that extends beyond what is immediately apparent on the surface. If they are truly radical, radicals share one thing in common: they firmly hold to their convictions. For some people, this inspires them to take action, while for others, it causes them to feel isolated because they lack the bravery to defend their beliefs.
Christ was and continues to be the most radical person ever lived! One key message of Christ’s ministry stood out from all other rabbis’ teachings and was exclusively His own. It was not just radical; it also served as the foundation of His way of life, His doctrine of the Kingdom of God, and His role as the Messiah.
4. Infinite
What does it imply to engage in the endless game as a leader? It indicates that leaders leave a lasting legacy that transcends their temporary presence or contributions. When an infinite leader creates a culture, it becomes so strong that it endures even after the leader has ended his tenure or passed away. Unending leaders devote themselves to their just causes because of how brief their time here is and how they resemble shadows or newly sprouting grass that quickly withers away.
Servant-leaders should strive for relevance rather than victory. Victory means having an expiration date; thus, victorious leaders in the endless game inevitably lose. If individuals around them do not accomplish their objectives and realize their dreams, servant-leaders will not become influential. Infinite thinking is this. The servant-leader with an endless mind challenges the contemporary, looks beyond the numbers, and works to leave a lasting legacy by championing evenhanded foundations. Hence, we participate in the infinite game if we are servant-leaders.
5. Selfless
In organizational leadership, acting selfishly without being explicitly so is far too simple. For instance, a leader chooses to fund a project that enhances his team’s reputation over one led by a peer that offers more significant advantages. The selfish leader prioritizes their project even though the peer’s project may benefit the organization to make themselves appear superior to the peer.
Instead, the servant-leader saw a fantastic chance to dazzle his colleagues. He minimizes or rejects the possibility if it takes a significant expenditure and puts his group or organization at risk. In actuality, servant-leaders do not pursue notoriety or wealth. Servant-leaders push out the praise while pulling in the criticism.
Even more so for the believer whom Christ has ordered to die to himself for the Kingdom of God, selflessness is not an easy assignment for anyone. We do not watch out for the interests of others to make ourselves look better but rather to demonstrate our love for them. People need to see things more than ever at the moment we live.
6. Truthful
The role of a leader is to know how to get the most out of their teams. It is not to be an expert in every aspect of the organization. Asking the people we lead for advice and assistance is a great way to gain their respect. Utilizing our people’s expertise and experience is crucial to any organization’s success, as is willing to admit when we are wrong. Otherwise, it suggests that we do not trust our team to do tasks on their own if we seem as though we know everything.
Contrary to common belief, honest leadership requires courageous leaders to admit their weaknesses. In reality, it takes guts to expose ourselves to any risk. It needs conviction about what we try to do, and we do not think anyone can fake it. Putting our trust in others when it does not come naturally can also be frightening.
The thought has misled us that becoming a “leader” requires receiving a high mark before we can even remember. Leadership is a means of acknowledgment, achievement, and the road to privilege. Being dubbed a leader is comparable to receiving an honor or being listed among the gifted.
However, Christ calls us to approach leadership from a distinctly Christian viewpoint. As if His teachings on genuine leadership qualities were not powerful enough, the night before His execution, He added a memorable touch while kneeling with a washbowl and cloth in His hands. Authentic leadership is sacrifice, not a privilege.
So, can quality leadership be established if it is lacking in our organizations today? It can. The vast majority of leadership skills and abilities may be cultivated and nurtured by anyone who wishes to be more than just a competent leader, even while there is no doubt that some of the work of leadership depends on inherent talent.
Adopting Christ’s leadership style increases a person’s effectiveness and productivity, regardless of their leadership role — whether they are in leadership of a household, a ministry, an organization, or a business. No leader has considerably impacted the world more than Christ. His leadership style taught us valuable, transferable skills that anyone may use in the 21st century.
