{"id":31940,"date":"2023-03-19T15:27:29","date_gmt":"2023-03-19T22:27:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=31940"},"modified":"2023-03-19T15:27:29","modified_gmt":"2023-03-19T22:27:29","slug":"pressing-on-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/pressing-on-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Pressing On…"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

This week’s book, Leadership: Theory and Practice<\/em> by Peter Northouse presents different models of leadership. It is, as Dr. Jason Clark said in our zoom meeting last week, the foundational book on leadership for any student. Northouse’s definition of leadership is the “process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.” [1] There are three sections in this book. The first section is primarily an introduction to the book. The second section is the meat of the book. It features twelve approaches to leadership followed by questions and self-assessments that can be taken at the end of each chapter which I really like. The third section deals with contemporary issues like women in leadership.<\/p>\n

My favorite models of leadership in this book that were covered were those of authentic leadership and servant leadership. In the rest of this blog I will discuss these models in greater detail.<\/p>\n

Authentic Leadership<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to Matt Gavin of the Harvard Business School Online, Authentic Leadership’s key differentiator is the motivation behind it. For an authentic leader, it is not just about the bottom line, it is also about creating meaningful relationships with their team as they work together toward goals. [2] There are several characteristics of authentic leaders worth noting.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. They’re committed to bettering themselves.<\/li>\n
  2. They cultivate self-awareness.<\/li>\n
  3. They’re disciplined.<\/li>\n
  4. They’re mission-driven.<\/li>\n
  5. They inspire faith. [3]<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    When I think of authentic leaders in our world today, Dolly Parton comes to mind. She embodies all of these characteristics that are listed above. Certainly, over her lifetime, she has bettered herself from growing up dirt poor in a log cabin in the mountains, to where she is today. She knows her strengths and weaknesses, and plays on them very well. It takes discipline to make it in the music industry, especially as a young woman in the 60s and 70s when she first began. She’s mission-driven. She sets her mind on a goal, and meets it, year after year. She’s still setting goals and meeting them. She hasn’t slowed down. And she inspires faith in anyone who pays attention to her.<\/p>\n

    Dolly said, “I always ask God to work through me and let me be a light of some kind and help in this world, so I always pray for that, and I always want to do good.” [4]<\/p>\n

    Servant Leadership<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Servant leadership is based on the desire to serve and give to your community. [5] “By putting the needs of others first, you empower people to perform at their best.” [6] Servant leaders focus on others and help them grow, usually without recognition. [7] It is the opposite of most typical leadership theories.<\/p>\n

    When I think of servant leadership, I think of the ultimate example of a servant leader – that is Jesus Christ. In John 13, the Savior of the world showed his disciples that he was the servant of mankind. He was the greatest servant of all time. Beginning with verse 4 Jesus washes the feet of his disciples before the feast of the Passover. In John 13:16-17, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, a 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.” Jesus is telling his followers they are blessed if they follow him in this servant lifestyle… this serving with no thought of getting something in return.<\/p>\n

    Another way that Jesus is an example of servant leadership is in the way he cared for the wayward and the least among the people. Most leaders are about power and demonstrations of strength. Jesus spent time with sinners and healed the sick. He touched lepers and spent time with children. He even went out of his way to speak to a Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. We read about it in John 4. She was a Samaritan, a woman, and a sinner. And yet, Jesus took up time with her. Ultimately she was saved, she and her whole community! What a testimony!<\/p>\n

    Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Because of Christ’s own example, I myself aspire to be a servant leader. There’s a lot of work behind the scenes in servant leadership. There’s a lot of days (years) without recognition. But as Paul says in Philippians 3, “I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” [8]<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    ______________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

    [1] Peter G. Northouse,\u00a0Leadership: Theory and Practice<\/em>\u00a06th<\/sup>\u00a0ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2013), 5.<\/p>\n

    [2] Matt Gavin, “Authentic Leadership: What It Is And Why It Is Important”\u00a0Harvard Business School Online<\/em> (December 10, 2019) Link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    [3] Ibid.<\/p>\n

    [4] Movieguide Staff, “Dolly Parton Wants to ‘Be a Light and a Vessel Used’ By God,”\u00a0Movieguide: The Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment<\/em> (2020) Link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    [5] Bethany VanBenschoten, “What Is Servant Leadership and How To Apply It,”\u00a0National Society of Leadership And Success<\/em> (November 25, 2020) Link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    [6] Ibid.<\/p>\n

    [7] Ibid.<\/p>\n

    [8] Crossway Bibles, ed. 2007. ESV: Study Bible: English Standard Version<\/i>. ESV text ed. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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