“What is your leadership style?”
That’s the million-dollar question among contemporary leadership literature. And there are a plethora of tests that you can take that can apparently help you determine your leadership style. I don’t deny that such variety in leadership exists, nor do I make light of it. Those who know me best know that I love discerning the uniqueness of how God has “wired” individuals, leaders included (Psalm 139:14).
But trying to figure out whether or not I lead like a lion or an otter, a democratic or a delegator, whether I am a transformational or a transactional type, a hurricane or a gardener, has never been my priority. It certainly hasn’t been my priority since being installed as lead pastor of Kaimuki Church and School. I’m content to let others figure out whether or not I’m a democratic lion that transforms through hurricanes, or if I’m a delegating otter that transacts through gardening.
Leading Like Christ
What I’ve been more interested in knowing is what, as a leader, Christ calls me to be and what he calls me to value. After all, my leadership has always been in the sphere of Christian institutions—both the local church and the Christian school. Thus, I’m called to lead the way Christ leads (see 1 John 2:6). His leadership must be reflected in my own, whatever distinctive traits my natural personality contributes. Most importantly: the distinguishing mark of Christ’s leadership is lasting love. He exhibited it, modeled it, and he calls all leaders in the Christian community to follow his example (John 13:34-35).
Listen to John’s words about how Jesus led his twelve apostles:
“…Jesus, knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1)
What was characteristic of Jesus as a team leader? It is that he loved this team of twelve men he had assembled. He may not have always been impressed with them—they did, after all, make a ton of mistakes in word and deed. But he genuinely loved them. And to what degree did He love them? John, one of the twelve and one of the three in the inner circle, said, “He loved them till the very end.”
Leading with Lasting Love
The word telos (“end”) here literally means “to completion.” It can be translated as “to the uttermost” or “eternally.” Pick which English translation you may, the idea is that Jesus didn’t love them partially, but fully. He didn’t withhold any love from his twelve disciples. Jesus didn’t hold anything back in order to protect his own heart from hurt or disappointment.
These words also mean that Jesus never stopped loving them, no matter how difficult it was to do so Christ’s love for his disciples was both full and faithful. So, when he tells his disciples to love one another as he had loved them (John 13:34), he meant that they were to love one another with enduring love. This kind of love is a hallmark of Christian leadership. Secular leaders aren’t called to love. Bosses and managers are called to exercise justice and equity, but the word “love” doesn’t usually appear in corporate leadership job descriptions. Hence, Christian leaders in Christian institutions are to be different.
So if you are a leader in the Christian community—a pastor, a missionary, a teacher, a professor, a president, or whatever else—you are called to love your people and your teams with a lasting love. Jesus modeled it so that you can emulate it. Such a love is more than just “caring” about people. Anyone can care, because all humans have some element of mercy and compassion by virtue of being made in the image of God. It’s another thing to love with a lasting love, and it is this quality that should distinguish our leadership from worldly leadership. But what does enduring love look like?
Don’t Stop Serving Your People
First, leaders must not stop serving their people. Immediately after his statement in 13:1, John gives the account of Jesus’ washing his disciples feet. It’s astounding that the Son of God would do the work of a slave that, quite honestly, his disciples could have done for themselves. But it’s not just how Jesus served that is astounding, but who he served. Among those feet he washed were the feet of Judas Iscariot, the one who he knew would betray him. Honestly, if I were in Jesus’ position, I would’ve been tempted to either tell Judas to leave so I wouldn’t have to wash his feet, or hurl water in his face. But Jesus washed his feet. Until the moment that Judas would leave to betray him, Jesus would serve him.
There are times when we as leaders may be tempted to say, “I’ve been serving people all my life! I think it’s time to start thinking about myself.” I don’t deny the importance of caring reasonably for oneself. But leaders aren’t just those who love to serve—they love by serving. And no matter how difficult it becomes to do so, and no matter how difficult those we serve can be, we must never stop. Christ served his twelve to the very end, and so must we. Lasting love doesn’t stop serving one’s people.
Don’t Stop Teaching Your People
Second, leaders must not stop teaching their people. It’s amazing reading what we today know as the Upper Room Discourse—the section of John 13-17, and the depth of truth that Jesus taught his disciples the night He would be arrested. Jesus was a teacher—in fact, He was the Teacher (John 13:13) —and his public ministry was primarily about preaching and teaching. That he was just hours away from being arrested and handed over to what would be his death did not stop him from teaching his disciples. For as long as they were with him, for as long as they were his disciples, he would teach them.
Teaching is difficult—not only because it’s mentally exhausting to do, but because people don’t always get it. At least, not right away. I know this having served both as a pastor and a school teacher. Teaching is one of the most exhausting and draining endeavors that I’ve undertaken when it is done well. I remember talking to a retired teacher who, prior to his career in teaching, served in the military for several years. His description of teaching, compared to his service in the military (which, by the way, is a service I consider of highest nobility), was this: “Teaching, compared to being in the military, was twice the amount of work for half the amount of pay.”
True teachers—both in churches and schools—don’t teach for the money. They teach because they truly understand the value of truth and how the truth truly can set people free (John 8:32). And, as a teacher, I can attest to how easy it is to want a permanent break. And many have. Seeing too many people hear and not get it can be disheartening. But lasting love doesn’t give up on instructing people with God’s truth. If you are a leader, keep teaching your people.
Don’t Stop Encouraging Your People
Third, leaders must not stop encouraging their people. What is incredible about the Upper Room Discourse is, again, the fact that Jesus was just hours away from his death. If there was any time that a man could insist on focusing on himself, it was then. If it there was any time that a man could pass from giving comfort to others to insist on being comforted, it was then.
Jesus knew that his disciples would desert him, and he knew that one of them would betray him. He also knew that one of his closest disciples would outright deny Him. But he continued to comfort them. “Do not let your heart be troubled,” he would say (John 14:1). “My peace I give to you…do not let your heart be troubled” (John 14:27). It’s astounding! How can a man who knows he is about to be arrested, scorned, beaten, flogged, and crucified still take the time to comfort a motley crew that would let him down in the time of his greatest need? It’s because Jesus loved them with a lasting love, and lasting love doesn’t cease to strengthen and encourage its people.
This is what loving leaders do. Even in their most agonizing of seasons, in their seasons of greatest trial and hardship, they don’t cease from encouraging their people. Why? It is because no matter how difficult life gets for them and no matter how much emotional pain they may be experiencing, godly leaders recognize the priority of others before themselves. Always. If you are a leader, keep encouraging your people, no matter how much pain you may be in.
Don’t Stop Praying for Your People
Fourth, leader must not stop praying for their people. At some point, in that upper room, Jesus turned his eyes away from his disciples up to his Father in heaven, and began to pray for them. It’s what we refer to today as the High Priestly Prayer.
Personally, for me, there are two prayers of Christ recorded in the Scriptures that truly pierced my heart when I first read them. The first was His prayer of submission in Gethsemane. The second, this High Priestly prayer. It’s a beautifully rich prayer where our Chief Shepherd and Lord humbles himself before his Father and earnestly petitions for his people, knowing both their imperfections and the persecution that lay ahead. And so He prayed for them. Until the end, he prayed.
Leaders love their people are leaders who pray for their people. Even when they aren’t with their people, they pray for them. Even when people let them down, they pray for them. Even when people stumble, they pray for them.
When the apostle Paul commanded us to pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17), I don’t think he meant to literally be mouthing words to God every millisecond of the day. What he meant is that we should never give up on the endeavor of prayer, even when we are tempted to. In Ephesians, he specifically says that we should always (unceasingly) be in prayer for people (Eph 6:18).
There are times where I’ve honestly—and I say this regretfully—given up on praying for people (at least for a season). It was either because things seemed hopeless, or because I simply didn’t want to be disappointed. Other times, it was because it was too painful to even think about a person, let alone pray for them. But leaders who love with a lasting love are leaders to don’t stop approaching God on behalf of their people. If you are a leader, keep praying for your people.
There may be a time when those who are currently leading may no longer be under your care. There are times when people will transition from being led by you to being led by another. At times, this may happen smoothly. Other times, roughly. Still other times, painfully. There are times when the people you lead will bring you great joy. There are times when they will bring you grief. Still other times, they may turn on you. But let your love for your people be marked by the love that Christ had for His twelve—a lasting love. Let it be a love that doesn’t stop serving, teaching, encouraging, or praying for your people. This is the love of Christ that resulted in our salvation. Let it be the love that we, who are saved, reflect in our leadership.
