4.2 The call to Christ-likeness
All of us agreed that the starting point in describing the fully developed leader
must be the call to Christ-likeness, or as some preferred to say, Christ-centeredness.
We have been called to run the race fixing our eyes on Jesus as the “author and
perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2, NIV). To be sure, there are some areas in which we
cannot emulate Christ, such as in his role as intermediary between God and humanity,
or in his pre-existence and perfect intimacy with the Father. Nevertheless, Jesus’
invitations to the disciples to “follow me” and to “learn from me” are summonses to us as
well.
Our foundation for understanding leadership is the written word of God. As
Christian leaders we must examine the Scriptures to see how Jesus led and what he
taught about ministry. We need to pay attention to the word pictures Jesus used, and
the stories he told, which shaped the values of the disciples as they began to understand
their relationship to God, to one another and to the world into which Jesus was sending
them. Within our Future Leadership Issue Group we experienced the rich insight that
comes from prayerful study and discussion of the biblical text in the context of a group.
We noted that too often as leaders we do not spend sufficient time looking freshly at the
Bible to discover wisdom for how to lead as Jesus led, nor do we spend a significant
proportion of our time together with other Christian leaders in reflection on God’s word
and its application to our leadership task. 5. What is a Christ-like leader?
5.1 Christ-like in character
To be a Christ-like leader means first to be Christ-like in character. The “fruit of
the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22, 23) is what the Holy Spirit produces in the life of a believer. In
summary, Christ-like qualities are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Abundant fruit production is possible only for
the one who lives in intimate union with Jesus Christ, as a branch remains in the vine
(John 15:1-8). Intimacy with God, therefore, must be the primary focus of the leader’s life.
Christ-like character is the product of a life that is genuinely submitted to Jesus
Christ and His word, just as Jesus the Son of God submitted to the Father. Leadership
begins with follower-ship. The first step in the leadership development process for
Jesus’ disciples was to obey His call to “follow me.” Only the one who has learned to
follow is qualified to lead. Only the one who has learned to listen to God through
meditation on the word of God and learning to recognize the promptings of the Spirit of
God is prepared to speak for God.
When leaders are genuinely listening to God, and keeping in step with the Spirit
of God, they will naturally find themselves in tune with one another as well. Jesus
prayed that His followers would be one as the Father and Son were one, and that their
complete unity would show the world that God loved them and had sent Christ (John
17:20-23). The proof to the world that the disciples were genuinely followers of Jesus
would be their love for one another, the same love that Jesus had showed to them (John
13:34, 35). The primary mark of the Christ-like leader, then, will be his/her love for other
disciples of Jesus, including other Christian leaders.
Christ-like leadership means integrity, that is having every dimension of life
centred in consistent obedience to God. There are no “closets”, no hidden areas that
cannot bear public scrutiny. The leader with integrity is above reproach in financial
dealings, in sexual behaviour, and in family life. No area of life is out of control. Physical
discipline, emotional discipline, and spiritual discipline express a life centred consistently
on intimate friendship with God.
Christ-like leadership includes not only engagement with the needs of others, but
also withdrawal for times of solitude and prayer. Not even Jesus was available to all
people at all times. Periodically he spent focused time with the inner circle of his
companions. Regularly he pursued time alone with His heavenly Father.
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of Christ-like leadership is Jesus’ teaching
on servanthood. In a context where the disciples were competing with one another for
primacy, Jesus reminded them:
You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high
officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead,
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, NIV)
On the night of the Last Supper Jesus provided a vivid and unforgettable
illustration of servanthood, when He rose from the table, stripped off His outer clothing,
girded Himself with a towel, and began to perform the menial task that no one else
wanted to do — washing the disciples’ feet. Before the next day ended, Jesus
completed the ultimate act of servanthood, laying His life down for the sins of the world. The leader who desires to follow Jesus will find that the path of Christ-likeness
leads to service, sacrifice, suffering and death — but ultimately to joy, victory and life
without end. Leadership is costly. It requires perseverance. It involves us with conflict
and opposition. It brings us face to face with our own weakness and vulnerability. It
reveals our need for spiritual accountability, and for others to speak honestly into our
lives to counteract our natural tendencies to self-deception.
One of the greatest perils for Christian leaders is to fall into the “Big Boss
Syndrome” of authoritarian leadership. They are always commanding others, but never
receiving counsel themselves. They revel in position and power and special privileges,
but do not use their influence to lift up and
strengthen those they lead. They are
determined to consolidate their own power
at all costs, but have no concern to prepare
others to lead. In contrast, the apostle Paul
wrote to the Corinthians about the apostolic
authority that he had been given for building them up, not for tearing them down (II
Corinthians 10:8; 13:10).
5.2