Pilgrimage

“Christian leadership is different from other kinds of leadership because no Christian leader can assume the position of being ‘number one,’ that is, the leader” (Lawrence 1987). In secular organizations those at the higher levels of corporate structures are often seen as models of leadership. They are studied in academia and their companies are researched as products of their leadership expertise. In contrast, biblical leadership is ultimately concerned with ascribing worth, value, and honor to God. Goals are focused on these ideals. Vocational pursuits of the Christian leader are a means to accomplish a divine purpose as ordered by the Lord. Rather than authoritarian structures based on concerns of profit and loss, Christian leadership encourages pastors, teachers, parishioners, and students to introspectively examine and define core thoughts about themselves and God; then define a philosophy around that framework.

Submission to Christ

In developing a personal philosophy of leadership, submission to Christ is the initial and primary component. Christ consistently sought to submit His will to that of the Father. Even in death He prayed to be delivered from His torturous destiny, yet instinctively submitted Himself to God’s chosen plan for redemption. “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will’” (Matt 26:39, NASB). In His words, in His prayers, and in His actions, Christ not only exemplified genuine submission to the will of God, but also chose it to be His first priority in His earthly ministry.

Jesus is the sole prototype for leadership development. His methodology and practical applications are affirmed–often unwittingly–by leadership theorists in almost all professional industries. James Kouzes and Barry Posner articulate Messianic virtues in The Leadership Challenge. They state: “The climb to the top is arduous and long. People become exhausted, frustrated, and disenchanted. They’re too often tempted to give up. Leaders encourage the heart of their constituents to carry on. Genuine acts of caring uplift the spirits and draw people forward” (Kouzes and Posner 2002, 19). In a strikingly similar statement, John records Jesus as stating: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (16:33; NKJ). Close to two millennia before Kouzes’ and Posner’s text became a blockbuster in the business world, Jesus encouraged the heart of His disciples by letting them know the journey ahead would be long and hard, but He would be with them.

The writers of the New Testament continued to emphasize Jesus’ conviction that godly submission is essential to the Christian faith. The apostle Paul encourages submission to God, submission to governmental leaders, and submission within the family in his letters to Rome, Ephesus, and Colossae. Peter also encourages Christian leaders to live in submission to the Lord and others. He states: “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (I Peter 5:5, KJV). The early church leaders understood that God’s mechanism to produce and reproduce leaders was keenly designed in humanity’s willingness to submit to the Father and to one another. This is a basic, yet essential building block of God’s kingdom on earth.
Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol and Ken McElrath elaborate on this notion in The Ascent of a Leader. They state:
When we reflect on the nature of our Creator, we gain a sense of these deeper needs of our heart. The degree to which we entrust ourselves to the Supreme Being demonstrates the level at which we have understood the character of that being. Each of us must ask, “Is God good or capricious…?”…If we trust that God is good by nature, we will honor God’s authority and power in our lives (68).

By honoring God’s authority and power in one’s life, there is a realization that egocentric behaviors fail to further the divine plan. Individualism submits its will to kingdom prerogatives. Goals and aspirations find their focus in the common good. With this principle in mind, as I seek to establish God’s headship in my personal and professional life, ministerial opportunities are an occasion to further submit to the will of God and advance His Kingdom. Personal goals are measured by my desire and willingness to submit to God’s kingdom plan.

Zenger and Folkman share five fatal flaws that “must be fixed” in order for a leader to realize his or her full potential. They articulate lack of accountability as one of the key detriments to exemplary leadership (164). According to the authors, the extraordinary leader consistently seeks to put greater emphasis on group needs and affirmation than on personal needs and affirmation. Those in leadership who are regularly seeking to gain personal credit for jobs well done and abscond responsibility when work goes awry consistently fail in leading organizational change. Their unwillingness to submit themselves to the counsel and leadership of others brings failure both organizationally and personally. Conversely, one who eagerly seeks to listen to others and implement suggestions for improvement is an organizational asset. Herein lies the goal of this component of my leadership philosophy–to bring blessing to the kingdom of God, my family, and the ministries in which I labor.

The initial leadership paradigm instituted by God first requires submission to Him and His divine purposes. Personal leadership philosophies that begin here establish a bedrock principle, which guides through the myriad challenges of professional and ministerial leadership. My personal practice is to seek submission to Christ through prayer, fasting, and meditation on His Word. These disciplines are the essential elements of all the other components of my philosophy. One’s response to Christ and His calling are to first submit one’s will to His will, and then follow as He leads. Richard Foster in his classical work, The Celebration of Discipline says the spiritual disciplines (which include fasting, prayer, and meditation) liberate one from the “stifling slavery to self-interest and fear.” These are the antithesis of submission to Christ (Foster 1998, 2).