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Jesus was a servant leader.
This is perhaps one of the most counter-cultural examples of leadership as we see it modelled in the Western world today. Jesus led by putting himself second. He knew His full identity as the Son of God, yet prioritized and put the needs of others above Himself. In a similar way that no task was too great for the Father to accomplish through Jesus, there was also no task too far “beneath” Jesus for Him to put His efforts into. Our heavenly king came not to be served, but to serve (Mark 10:45). He laid down his life in many different ways in order to be a bridge between the Father and His children. Had Jesus not made himself low, He would not have seen those around Him given the opportunity and authority to do far greater things that even Jesus himself did. (John 14:12)
As leaders, we are called to lay down our lives and serve those we lead. There are ideas, passions, and unique callings hidden within every individual. Unless you are willing to be the stepping stone they can stand on to go further, there is little chance for leaps of progression in the things that God has called you to accomplish together.
A powerful leader isn’t one who exercises authority and shouts commands from the front, but rather one who journeys alongside those who are looking to them, empowering and calling them higher.
Keeping in mind that it is more than just the action … how are you doing with serving those you lead? Do you serve with a joyful spirit?
You may need an outside perspective; can you find someone (or a few people) in your life who can give you an honest "assessment" on how you are doing at serving those who have been placed within your leadership?
As leaders, we need trustworthy voices outside of ourselves that can give us a hard to hear or edifying "evaluation," in a constructive and gracious way! They can help us to see our blind spots and keep us accountable in the ways we want to grow. Take some time to prayerfully consider who this “leadership accountability partner” may be for you.
About this Plan
There are so many aspects of Jesus’s life, relationships, and character that we can learn from. Over the next six days, we are going to take a closer look at examples in the Bible about how Jesus led and how we can model ourselves after him to become people who lead ourselves and others well.
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