Jesus: The Perfect Leader

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There are far more things to be said about the Lord Jesus Christs remarkable leadership
than any single article or book could possibly coer! but " #ant to point out a fe# of the
attributes and skills he demonstrated so perfectly$ These same skills and %ualities are
important for us all if #e #ish to succeed as leaders in any lasting #ay$
Fixed principles
Jesus kne# #ho he #as and #hy he #as here on this planet$ That meant he could lead
from strength rather than from uncertainty or #eakness$
Jesus operated from a base of fi&ed principles or truths rather than making up the rules as
he #ent along$ Thus! his leadership style #as not only correct! but also constant$ 'o many
secular leaders today are like chameleons( they change their hues and ie#s to fit the
situation)#hich only tends to confuse associates and follo#ers #ho cannot be certain
#hat course is being pursued$ Those #ho cling to po#er at the e&pense of principle often
end up doing almost anything to perpetuate their po#er$
Jesus said seeral times! *Come! follo# me$+ ,is #as a program of *do #hat " do!+ rather
than *do #hat " say$+ ,is innate brilliance #ould hae permitted him to put on a da--ling
display! but that #ould hae left his follo#ers far behind$ ,e #alked and #orked #ith
those he #as to sere$ ,is #as not a long.distance leadership$ ,e #as not afraid of close
friendships( he #as not afraid that pro&imity to him #ould disappoint his follo#ers$ The
leaen of true leadership cannot lift others unless #e are #ith and sere those to be led$
Jesus kept himself irtuous! and thus! #hen his closeness to the people permitted them to
touch the hem of his garment! irtue could flo# from him$ /'ee 0ark 1223433$5
Understanding others
Jesus #as a listening leader$ 6ecause he loed others #ith a perfect loe! he listened
#ithout being condescending$ 7 great leader listens not only to others! but also to his
conscience and to the promptings of 8od$
Jesus #as a patient! pleading! loing leader$ 9hen :eter dre# his s#ord and smote the
high priests serant! cutting off his right ear! Jesus said! *:ut up thy s#ord into the
sheath+ /John 1;2115$ 9ithout being angry or perturbed! Jesus %uietly healed the serants
ear /see Luke 222115$ ,is reproof of :eter #as kind! yet firm$
6ecause Jesus loed his follo#ers! he #as able to leel #ith them! to be candid and
forthright #ith them$ ,e reproed :eter at times because he loed him! and :eter! being a
great man! #as able to gro# from this reproof$ There is a #onderful erse in the book of
:roerbs all of us need to remember2
*The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the #ise$
*,e that refuseth instruction despiseth his o#n soul2 but he that heareth reproof getteth
understanding$+ /:ro$ 11231432$5
"t is a #ise leader or a #ise follo#er #ho can cope #ith the *reproof of life$+ :eter could
do this because he kne# that Jesus loed him! and thus Jesus #as able to groom :eter for
a ery high place or responsibility in the kingdom$
Jesus sa# sin as #rong but also #as able to see sin as springing from deep and unmet
needs on the part of the sinner$ This permitted him to condemn the sin #ithout
condemning the indiidual$ 9e can sho# forth our loe for others een #hen #e are
called upon to correct them$ 9e need to be able to look deeply enough into the lies of
others to see the basic causes for their failures and shortcomings$
Selfless leadership
The 'aiors leadership #as selfless$ ,e put himself and his o#n needs second and
ministered to others beyond the call of duty! tirelessly! loingly! effectiely$ 'o many of
the problems in the #orld today spring from selfishness and self.centeredness in #hich
too many make harsh demands of life and others in order to meet their demands$ This is a
direct reersal of the principles and practices pursued so perfectly by that perfect e&ample
of leadership! Jesus of <a-areth$
Jesus leadership emphasi-ed the importance of being discerning #ith regard to others!
#ithout seeking to control them$ ,e cared about the freedom of his follo#ers to choose$
=en he! in those moments that mattered so much! had to choose oluntarily to go
through 8ethsemane and to hang on the cross at Calary$ ,e taught us that there can be
no gro#th #ithout real freedom$ >ne of the problems #ith manipulatie leadership is that
it does not spring from a loe of others but from a need to use them$ 'uch leaders focus
on their o#n needs and desires and not on the needs of others$
Jesus had perspectie about problems and people$ ,e #as able to calculate carefully at
long range the effect and impact of utterances! not only on those #ho #ere to hear them
at the moment! but on those #ho #ould read them 2!000 years later$ 'o often! secular
leaders rush in to sole problems by seeking to stop the present pain! and thereby create
een greater difficulty and pain later on$
Responsibility
Jesus kne# ho# to inole his disciples in the process of life$ ,e gae them important
and specific things to do for their deelopment$ >ther leaders hae sought to be so
omnicompetent that they hae tried to do eerything themseles! #hich produces little
gro#th in others$ Jesus trusts his follo#ers enough to share his #ork #ith them so that
they can gro#$ That is one of the greatest lessons of his leadership$ "f #e brush other
people aside in order to see a task done more %uickly and effectiely! the task may get
done all right! but #ithout the gro#th and deelopment in follo#ers that is so important$
6ecause Jesus kno#s that this life is purposeful and that #e hae been placed on this
planet in order to perform and gro#! gro#th then becomes one of the great ends of life as
#ell as a means$ 9e can gie correctie feedback to others in a loing and helpful #ay
#hen mistakes are made$
Jesus #as not afraid to make demands of those he led$ ,is leadership #as not
condescending or soft$ ,e had the courage to call :eter and others to leae their fishing
nets and to follo# him! not after the fishing season or after the ne&t catch! but no#?
today? Jesus let people kno# that he belieed in them and in their possibilities! and thus
he #as free to help them stretch their souls in fresh achieement$ 'o much secular
leadership is condescending and! in many #ays! contemptuous of mankind because it
treats people as if they #ere to be coddled and cocooned foreer$ Jesus belieed in his
follo#ers! not alone for #hat they #ere! but for #hat they had the possibilities to become$
9hile others #ould hae seen :eter as a fisherman! Jesus could see him as a po#erful
religious leader)courageous! strong)#ho #ould leae his mark upon much of
mankind$ "n loing others! #e can help them to gro# by making reasonable but real
demands of them$
Jesus gae people truths and tasks that #ere matched to their capacity$ ,e did not
oer#helm them #ith more than they could manage! but gae them enough to stretch
their souls$ Jesus #as concerned #ith basics in human nature and in bringing about
lasting changes! not simply cosmetic changes$
Accountability
Jesus taught us that #e are accountable not only for our actions but also for our ery
thoughts$ This is so important for us to remember$ 9e lie in an age that stresses *no.
fault insurance+)and *no fault+ in other human behaior as #ell$ 7ccountability is not
possible! of course! #ithout fi&ed principles$ 7 good leader #ill remember he is
accountable to 8od as #ell as to those he leads$ 6y demanding accountability of himself!
he is in a better position! therefore! to see that others are accountable for their behaior
and their performance$ :eople tend to perform at a standard set by their leaders$
Wise Use of Tie
Jesus also taught us ho# important it is to use our time #isely$ This does not mean there
can neer be any leisure! for there must be time for contemplation and for rene#al! but
there must be no #aste of time$ ,o# #e manage time matters so ery much! and #e can
be good managers of time #ithout being frantic or officious$ Time cannot be recycled$
9hen a moment has gone! it is really gone$ The tyranny of triia consists of its driing
out the people and moments that really matter$ 0inutia holds momentous things hostage!
and #e let the tyranny continue all too often$ 9ise time management is really the #ise
management of ourseles$
Secular leadership
Those indiiduals #hom #e most loe! admire! and respect as leaders of the human
family are so regarded by us precisely because they embody! in many #ays! the %ualities
that Jesus had in his life and in his leadership$
Conersely! those leaders in history #ho hae been most tragic in their impact on
mankind #ere tragic precisely because they lacked to almost any degree the %ualities of
the 0an of 8alilee$ 9here Jesus #as selfless! they #ere selfish$ 9here Jesus #as
concerned #ith freedom! they #ere concerned #ith control$ 9here Jesus #as concerned
#ith serice! they #ere concerned #ith status$ 9here Jesus met the genuine needs of
others! they #ere concerned only #ith their o#n needs and #ants$ 9here Jesus #as
concerned #ith the deelopment of his disciples! they sought to manipulate mortals$
9here Jesus #as filled #ith compassion balanced by @ustice! they hae so often been
filled #ith harshness and in@ustice$
:erhaps all of us #ould not be the perfect e&ample of leadership! but all of us can make a
serious effort to#ard approaching that great ideal$
!ur potential
>ne of the great teachings of the 0an of 8alilee! the Lord Jesus Christ! #as that you and
" carry #ithin us immense possibilities$ "n urging us to be perfect as our Aather in ,eaen
is perfect! Jesus #as not taunting us or teasing us$ ,e #as telling us a po#erful truth
about our possibilities and about our potential$ "t is a truth almost too stunning to
contemplate$ Jesus! #ho could not lie! sought to beckon us to moe further along the
path#ay to perfection$
9e are not yet perfect as Jesus #as! but unless those about us can see us striing and
improing! they #ill not be able to look to us for e&ample! and they #ill see us as less
than fully serious about the things to be done$
=ach of us has more opportunities to do good and to be good than #e eer use$ These
opportunities lie all around us$ 9hateer the si-e of our present circle of effectie
influence! if #e #ere to improe our performance een a little bit! that circle #ould be
enlarged$ There are many indiiduals #aiting to be touched and loed if #e care enough
to improe in our performance$
9e must remember that those mortals #e meet in parking lots! offices! eleators! and
else#here are that portion of mankind 8od has gien us to loe and to sere$ "t #ill do us
little good to speak of the general brotherhood of mankind if #e cannot regard those #ho
are all around us as our brothers and sisters$ "f our sample of humanity seems
unglamorous or so ery small! #e need to remember the parable Jesus gae us in #hich
he reminded us that greatness is not al#ays a matter of si-e or scale! but of the %uality of
ones life$ "f #e do #ell #ith our talents and #ith the opportunities around us! this #ill
not go unnoticed by 8od$ 7nd to those #ho do #ell #ith the opportunities gien them!
een more #ill be gien?
The scriptures contain many marelous case studies of leaders #ho! unlike Jesus! #ere
not perfect but #ere still ery effectie$ "t #ould do us all much good if #e #ere to read
them)and read them often$ 9e forget that the scriptures present us #ith centuries of
e&perience in leadership! and! een more importantly! the fi&ed principles upon #hich
real leadership must operate if it is to succeed$ The scriptures are the handbook of
instructions for the #ould.be leader$
The perfect leader
" make no apology for giing something of the accomplishments of Jesus Christ to those
#ho seek success as leaders$
"f #e #ould be eminently successful! here is our pattern$ 7ll the ennobling! perfect! and
beautiful %ualities of maturity! of strength! and of courage are found in this one person$
7s a large! surly mob! armed to the teeth! came to take him prisoner! he faced them
resolutely and said! *9hom seek yeB+
The mob! startled! mumbled his name! *Jesus of <a-areth$+
*" am he!+ ans#ered Jesus of <a-areth #ith pride and courage)and #ith po#er2 the
soldiers *#ent back#ard! and fell to the ground$+
7 second time he said! *9hom seek yeB+ and #hen they named him! he said! *" hae told
you that " am he2 if therefore ye seek me! let these Chis disciplesD go their #ay$+ /John
1;234;5$
:erhaps the most important thing " can say about Jesus Christ! more important than all
else " hae said! is that he lies$ ,e really does embody all those irtues and attributes the
scriptures tell us of$ "f #e can come to kno# that! #e then kno# the central reality about
man and the unierse$ "f #e dont accept that truth and that reality! then #e #ill not hae
the fi&ed principles or the transcendent truths by #hich to lie out our lies in happiness
and in serice$ "n other #ords! #e #ill find it ery difficult to be significant leaders
unless #e recogni-e the reality of the perfect leader! Jesus Christ! and let him be the light
by #hich #e see the #ay?
CillustrationD 'ermon on the 0ount! by Carl 6loch$ >riginal at Eings :rayer Chair in the
Chapel of Arederiksborg Castle! Fenmark$ Gsed by permission of the <ational ,istoric
0useum at Arederiksborg$