{"id":24536,"date":"2019-10-23T16:52:54","date_gmt":"2019-10-23T23:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=24536"},"modified":"2019-10-23T22:54:27","modified_gmt":"2019-10-24T05:54:27","slug":"by-the-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/by-the-book\/","title":{"rendered":"By the Book"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am a connoisseur of leadership materials and have been for almost 30 years. It started in my late 20\u2019s when I went to a pastors conference to listen to John Maxwell who at the time was the lead pastor of a large Methodist Church in San Diego, California. During that period, he was one of the few pastors in the church growth movement who specialized in leadership training. Since that time, he has become, in my opinion, one of the most influential writers and speakers in the world. Over the years I have belonged to a number of monthly leadership programs, as well as, read a great number of books. Many I have found beneficial and others not so much. What amazed me as I read through Nohira and Khuana\u2019s Handbook on Leadership Theory and Practice<\/em> was not only my familiarity of some of the information being discussed but what was missing as well. They unfold many of the theories surrounding leadership, but their focus was primarily on CEO\u2019s and high-level leaders without consideration that leadership comes in many shapes and types in and outside of the business realm into all aspects of life.<\/p>\n

Jay Lorsch in his article A Contingency theory of Leadership <\/em>brings to the forefront that often writers think leadership is so well understood that a definition isn\u2019t necessary. In fact, the definitions that are expressed are often complex and single focused around a particular vocational genre. Lorsch wisely states \u201cA leader is an individual who influences others to follow him or her.\u201d[1]<\/a> John Maxwell simplifies it even further in stating \u201cLeadership is influence.\u201d[2]<\/a> He drives this definition home by quoting an old leadership proverb \u201cHe who thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk.\u201d[3]<\/a> In other words if you want to know whether you\u2019re a leader just turn around and if someone is following you are a leader. In my opinion this definition allows everyone to understand they are leaders in one fashion or another. To limit leadership to a business position of authority is na\u00efve. Henry Blackaby in the preface of his book Spiritual Leadership <\/em>rightly describes the dilemma with secular leadership theory in the setting of Christian leadership. \u201cChristian leaders are reading secular books and are accepting their teachings uncritically. Much secular leadership theory is based on presupposition that may appear sound yet promote ideas contrary to the Scriptures.\u201d[4]<\/a> By only adopting a secular leadership style and neglecting the spiritual side of leadership a Christian leader is limiting their ability to lead. When a Christian leader, whether in business or in church fails to see leadership through the lens of God’s calling on their life their effectiveness is greatly decreased. Blackaby\u2019s definition is \u201cSpiritual leadership is moving people on to God\u2019s agenda.\u201d[5]<\/a> It is a great reminder that whether in business or ministry Christian leaders\u2019 primary objective is assisting others to walk in a manner worthy of their calling.<\/p>\n

One of the greatest acts of leadership in my opinion is found in John 13:3-5, 12-17.<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus, knowing\u00a0that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that\u00a0he had come from God and\u00a0was going back to God,\u00a0rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel,\u00a0tied it around his waist.\u00a0Then he\u00a0poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him\u2026 When he had washed their feet and\u00a0put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them,\u00a0\u201cDo you understand what I have done to you?\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>You call me\u00a0Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. \u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,\u00a0you also ought to wash one another’s feet. \u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>For I have given you an example,\u00a0that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you,\u00a0a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things blessed are you if you do them.\u201d (John 13:3-5, 12-17)<\/p>\n

This portion of scripture reminds me of 5 important aspects of leadership. If I may be so bold to preach a bit! The first aspect is, we are called to serve. A true leader doesn\u2019t need to blow his\/her own horn. True greatness comes from service in doing the will of God. Second, Jesus commands us to serve, \u201cIf I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another\u2019s feet. One of the ways our human pride manifests itself is in a stratified society is in refusing to take a lower role. The third aspect of leadership I see is we have to be secure enough to serve. Jesus met his disciples at their point of need and girded himself with a towel. We are told in Philippians 2 that Jesus gave up his divine privileges and humbled himself in obedience and died a criminal\u2019s death. When is the last time a CEO of a company saved a company by eliminating his own position and took a lower paying role? Fourthly we are called to lead through serving. I remember an old saying and cannot remember where I heard it but is says \u201ca boss says \u201cgo\u201d and a leader says, \u201clet\u2019s go.\u201d We are told that a servant is not greater than their master. Maybe in today\u2019s world of prestige and power we should say \u201ca CEO is not greater than his\/her lowest paid employee.\u201d Lastly, we are blessed through serving others. In today\u2019s world knowing and doing are often divorced from one another. True happiness doesn\u2019t consist of knowing but in doing. When we become servant leaders we are not only ministering to the hearts and minds of people we are adding value to them as well.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Jay Lorsch, \u201cA Contingency Theory of Leadership\u201d, 414, In Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice<\/em>, Edited by Nitin Nohria, Rakesh Khurana, Harvard Business Press, 2010<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> John Maxwell, Developing the Leader Within You, <\/em>Nashville, Thomas Nelson, 1993, 1<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Maxwell, 1<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Blackaby, Henry and Richard Blackaby, Spiritual Leadership<\/em>, Nashville, Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2001, x<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Blackaby and Blackaby, 20<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am a connoisseur of leadership materials and have been for almost 30 years. It started in my late 20\u2019s when I went to a pastors conference to listen to John Maxwell who at the time was the lead pastor of a large Methodist Church in San Diego, California. During that period, he was one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[669,1666,225],"class_list":["post-24536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-christian-leadership","tag-khuana","tag-nohira","cohort-lgp10"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24536"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24536\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24539,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24536\/revisions\/24539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}