Legacy Leadership: Wisdom Of The Apostle PaulSample

Legacy Leaders Develop Other Leaders

The highest level of leadership occurs when a leader teaches his or her followers to live successfully without them. Legacy leaders teach others how to lead themselves. But this doesn’t happen immediately. It is an intentional process that takes time. Paul used a four-phase process to develop his protégé, Timothy. This provides a model for our approach to developing those around us.

Phase 1: Watch Me. While Timothy was still young and immature in his faith, Paul asked him to join him on his mission trips and simply observe. Paul selected Timothy to accompany him on his missionary journeys because he had a good reputation among the believers in Lystra (Acts 16:1-3).          

Phase 2: Do It With Me. It wasn’t long before Timothy was not just accompanying Paul, but was actually ministering with him in the cities outside of Jerusalem (Acts16:4).  Paul refers to working with Timothy in the opening greetings of six of his letters (2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon).

Phase 3: You Do It, I Watch. During the next phase of Timothy’s development, Paul would often send him on specific tasks (Philippians 2:19). These can be viewed as developmental assignments designed to develop Timothy’s ability to work independently. When he returned, Paul would provide a constructive review and critique.

Phase 4: You Do It. Finally, Paul left Timothy to pastor the church in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3). When Timothy became the leader of that church, Paul encouraged him to perpetuate the legacy logic process he himself had modeled. Timothy was an example for others.

“Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. (1 Timothy 4:12)

Just as Paul had done, Timothy was to be intentional about his influence. This influence was to be an intentional, comprehensive, full-on effort: in speech (what you say and how you say it); in life (the quality of your daily routines); in love (the quality of personal relationships); in faith (the way you love God); and in the purity of your moral life.

Not only was Timothy to live a life that was worthy of imitation, he was to continue the process of intentional investment in others. Paul had invested deeply in Timothy, and now Timothy was to invest himself in others.

“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)

There are three generations of leadership development indicated in this passage. The first is Paul’s leadership of Timothy. The next is Timothy’s teaching of faithful men, and then these faithful men will teach others.

Paul’s development of Timothy reflects the intentional investment in others that characterizes a Legacy Leader. The concept of legacy is clearly present here:

Legacy Leaders have an impact now and for generations to come.

Reflect and Act on these questions:

• Think of a leader who had a lasting impact on you personally
• How do describe the impact they had on you?
• What did this leader do to leave his or her “mark” on you?
• How might your life be different if your life had not intersected with that leader?
• I encourage you to express your gratitude to those who have invested in you. First, thank God for placing them in your life. Then, send him/her a card or a letter to express your gratitude. Schedule a lunch or dinner to thank them personally.