SIXTHGEN.COM
  • Blog
  • About
    • Sixth Generation
    • Jeff Cloeter
    • If you're not a Christian . . .
    • Contact
  • Loved & Sent
    • Get The Book
    • Endorsements
    • The Stories
    • My Children's Book
  • The Daily Pattern
Picture
sixthgen
​

pastoral publishing in the 21st century

Four Points on Christian Leadership

4/16/2012

2 Comments

 
     It seems there are 3,458 books on Christian leadership.  “Seven Principles.”  “Lead Like Jesus.”  “Twelve Steps.”  I’m burned out on such literature.  Here are a couple things I’ve come to conclude on leadership from a Christian vantage-point.  For more reading, my favorite leadership book is an unexpected book called In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen. 

Christian Leaders Serve: 
Christian leadership is distinctly humble in its posture.  It is servant leadership.  In the Kingdom of God, first is the servant and great is the slave (Matt. 20:20-28).   The leader puts himself/herself under others.  This is leading from “below.”  The business world has a model of leadership with this title.  Yet the goal of this servant leadership is still “success” or “revenue” or “outcomes.”  Servant leadership finds its goal in the well-being of others.

Christian Leaders are Strong:  Servant Leadership is NOT weak leadership.  Humility requires strength. A common perception is that the Christian leader is only nice, kind, and gets stepped on.  But for the sake of others, the Christian leader is willing to assert a muscular persistence in pursuit of God’s will. 

Christian Leaders Take Responsibility:  Leadership is largely about responsibility.  1.)  Be faithful in what you are responsible for.  2.)  Grow in your responsibility – for more people, for greater tasks.  3.)  Leadership means taking responsibility for things that aren’t your fault (ie. Jesus on the cross). It will mean pain and trial.  The greater the leader you are, the more responsibility you can handle.  Many shun leadership because they don’t want the responsibility.  Many shun responsibility and are poor leaders. 

Christian Leaders Learn and Earn:  Leadership is both learned and earned.  1.)  Learned from Mentors.  Paul in I Cor. 11:1: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”   2.)  Earned in Experience.  Dallas Seminary Professor Howard Hendricks:  “Between 80-90% of leadership development is on-the-job training.”  “Taught by the Holy Spirit in the school of experience.” 


2 Comments
amaka
5/19/2012 10:54:01 am

Beautiful write up and straight to the point. I'll appreciate it if christian teachings can be sent to me via email.

Reply
Jeff Cloeter
5/19/2012 11:46:48 am

Thanks, Amaka.

Let me know what you mean by "sent via e-mail." I currently don't have an e-mail list I send this out to. Just updates on this blog site. You can subscribe to it, or put it in Google Reader (www.google/reader) to get regular posts.

How did you find this blog? Hope it's of some benefit.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    JOIN My Tribe
    Subscribe and receive exclusive updates and free resources.



    Categories

    All
    Bible
    Church
    Culture
    Current Events
    Devotional
    Education
    Family
    Images
    Leadership
    Marriage
    Men
    Mission
    Money
    Poetry
    Prayer
    Preaching
    Quotebaord
    Quoteboard
    Random Things Tour
    Sabbath
    Service
    Stories
    World

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from weisserstier, adamnsinger, gunman47
  • Blog
  • About
    • Sixth Generation
    • Jeff Cloeter
    • If you're not a Christian . . .
    • Contact
  • Loved & Sent
    • Get The Book
    • Endorsements
    • The Stories
    • My Children's Book
  • The Daily Pattern