The Greatest Leader of All Time (Part 2)

June 6, 2017

Last week we talked about the characteristics that make Jesus the greatest leader of all time. Specifically we mentioned that:

Jesus attracted and inspired others by casting a compelling vision and taking impressive actions.
Jesus believed in the potential of followers and He developed them, regardless of their backgrounds.
Jesus served His followers and
Jesus met crisis head on.

Now today I want to continue talking about characteristics that made Jesus a strong and successful leader.

Jesus was humble yet committed to the cause – In Philippians Paul challenges us to have the same mind that Jesus, the very equal of God, had. Of course, Paul tells us that Jesus was humble and He:

Did not use His status with God, His divinity, for His own advantage.
Instead He humbly became a man and a servant to others.
He also humbly became obedient to the Father’s plan even to the point of death.

Lessons from Good to Great

In Good to Great (GTG) Jim Collins noted that the leaders of all (GTG) companies had what he called personal humility combined with an unwavering commitment to the mission.

This demonstrates a leadership commitment to achieving the mission and vision without it being about the leader. Jesus was not a self-promoter but a kingdom promoter. His leadership was about the mission and vision and not about Himself.

Jesus demonstrated His commitment to the mission, vision and people He led. In fact, so committed was Jesus to those things that He was willing to go to the cross and die for them.

In other words, Jesus walked the talk and proved His authenticity. How many leaders are willing to demonstrate anywhere near that level of commitment? Simply stated, when leaders walk the talk it inspires and moves people.

Jesus clearly demonstrated His commitment, not only in dying but also by keeping the promise that He’d be raised from the dead. It inspired others to follow. Consider that all of the apostles carried forward the mission and vision (the message of the Gospel) to others. As a result, church growth exploded and all but one died for the cause.

Jesus built a team and then collaborated and empowered them to act. No doubt, before His death many people followed Jesus and were the beneficiaries of His leadership. However, He built a comparatively small inner circle (12) of collaborators that He mentored, empowered and encouraged to act.

For example, when the apostles brought Him the problem of feeding 5,000 people, Jesus told them they should give them something to eat. Even though they had no idea of how to do that, Jesus was preparing them to take action in faith on their own.

Similarly, in Mark 6: 7, Jesus sent His disciples out two-by-two to tell others about the kingdom, and He also gave them power and authority. Then, in John 14 He promises that they will do greater works than He has done. Finally, in Matthew 28 He encouraged them to go and make disciples of all nations baptizing and teaching them.

While working with clients as a fundraising consultant, I have often heard complaints that while people are given a job to do, they’re not given authority or they’re not empowered to do the job without gaining permission every step of the way.

By contrast, Jesus wasn’t afraid for His followers to achieve. In fact, He wanted and even encouraged them to achieve so the Gospel (His vision) would accomplish the mission of preaching and making disciples of the whole world. And He empowered them and gave them authority to do that very thing.

In modeling these characteristics of Jesus, followers of Christ can make a major step forward in becoming inspiring and productive leaders.

“I really support The Covenant Group’s strategic planning process because their approach encourages staff-based support with board buy-in, and I felt that was important given what we were trying to achieve. The outcome is an effective plan that builds consensus and provides a clear sense of direction.”
- Jennifer Scott, Director of Development - The Cabbage Patch Settlement House

“The Covenant Group is highly competent, very experienced and knowledgeable. They provided a broad perspective by equipping us with useful data…and best practices in the field. All in all, they are excellent.”
- Dan Jones, CEO - 21st Century Parks

“The campaign has truly been a miracle. People were committed from the beginning, but…even raising $650,000 seemed like a stretch. To nearly double that amount is incredible! When the plan they developed allows you to hit a goal like that, it builds such a sense of community. The momentum built by the campaign is spilling outside the walls of our church and benefiting others in the process.”
-Father John Hollowell - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church

“For those of us who don’t do this everyday, The Covenant Group instilled confidence in us. They helped us get through the fear and apprehension by providing us with a process, training and motivation. They taught us and helped us plan in a way that was for the better. We have built lasting relationships with donors and we will continue to steward these relationships long into the future.”
- Sue Finke, Director of Institutional Advancement - Covington Catholic High School

“No one anticipated we could raise this amount. Even the Archdiocese is surprised. The funds raised represent about 15 times our annual giving. But it’s not just the financial results. People stand around talking more than they did before the campaign. There is also a renewed and energized spirit among the parishioners. It’s the most exciting thing to happen in our parish in the last 100 years.”
- Gary Libs, Campaign Co-Chair - St. Mary of the Knobs Catholic Church

“The Covenant Group’s process involved a lot of people in our congregation doing small tasks … that built ownership. They took our vision and put it into a concrete plan. They helped us understand the importance of making our vision clear and laid out the steps to make the vision a reality. Their process built consensus and showed people how they could help. Their methods are based on a solid theological foundation that includes key documents, prayer support, and requisite training … all of which were invaluable.”
- Daniel Montgomery, Pastor - Sojourn Community Church

“Everything The Covenant Group did to help us…in the initial stages was helpful…the development of the case statement; our materials; the training of our Board members; strategies; all these steps laid the foundation for eventual success. They brought such a high level of professionalism, a wealth of experience and a strong track record of integrity and success… just being associated with The Covenant Group helped us.”
- Nancy Doctor, Development Director - Wellspring

“The structure The Covenant Group provided was excellent. It allowed our members to use their God-given talents to benefit the church community They helped us develop a plan and identify key leadership candidates to chair the effort, as well as engaging between 80 to 100 people to carry out the work of the campaign. It was truly a whole congregation effort and The Covenant Group helped facilitate that. They helped us reach our full potential as a congregation.”
- Ron Poisel, Pastor - Christ Lutheran Church

The Greatest Leader of All Time (Part 2)

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