It was a startling statement, coming from one of America's leading corporate trainers. But what Jon said next was even more surprising:
"Ironically, no one can really define what a leader is!"
Stronger leadership is desperately needed in every for-profit, non-profit, and church community today. Yet defining leadership and discerning how to develop leaders puzzles us.
Church leaders across America find themselves riding the whitewaters of dramatic change. The change promises to be as far reaching as the Protestant Reformation. Progressive shifts in worship styles and an orientation toward more intentional community outreach combine to alter the way in which churches are responding to a rapidly changing environment.
Whitewater change requires strong leadership to inspire this new vision.
What is Leadership?
No doubt definitions of leadership are legion. My favorite is this: "the influence exerted by a person or a group of people to help others move toward a goal." A more simple way to say it is "Leaders inspire others toward a goal."
Four key elements form the foundation for this definition:
1. Leadership is service.
First and foremost, leaders who follow in Christ's footsteps view themselves as servant-leaders. Their goal isn't to gain personal power or prestige.
They seek to demonstrate God's grace and love by sacrificing for the sake of others, including those they lead. Whoever wants to be great in God's mission, will become a servant of others, just as Jesus served.
2. Leadership is influence.
Leaders intentionally motivate a person or group of people toward a new perspective, attitude, or behavior. Great ideas remain only ideas without leaders who influence others to implement them.
Leadership motivates and empowers others to achieve desired goals. One may possess a position of leadership without exerting much influence. On the other hand, many exert great leadership influence above and beyond their positional power. Jesus demonstrated leadership by influencing others toward the mission of God through his words and example.
3. Leadership defines reality.
In order for a leader to influence others, followers need to know where they're going. A good leader helps define the current conditions and the future desired conditions—the vision. The leader must have a broad perspective of personal, organizational, societal, and even global issues that might impact the vision.
The visioning process isn't merely an individual exercise. It first involves careful listening to God, then the external and internal environments. A leader prayerfully, rationally, and intuitively gathers the data from followers and helps them crystallize the current situation and future direction. This process often involves empowering others to set goals, objectives and strategies to attain the desired vision. Through stories, wise teachings, and the cross itself, Jesus painted a new picture of reality for his followers.
4. Leadership is relational.
While most leadership development has focused on the leader as an individual, real-world leadership always functions in the context of relationships. Relational leadership recognizes that power is mostly earned and given by the followers rather than grasped by the leader. Someone may possess a title of leader, yet he or she is only leading if followers are following.
Effective leaders understand this relational context and seek to maximize meaningful communication that can empower others to perform effectively and efficiently. Leadership strategies such as networking, team building, coaching, and collaboration all recognize this relational leadership approach, which influences followers toward a goal. Jesus earned the right to be followed by engaging others and influencing them through love, compassion, and connection.
