Legacy Leadership: Wisdom Of The Apostle PaulSample

A New Definition of Leadership – Part 2

In our opening lesson, I introduced a new definition of leadership: legacy leadership is intentional influence that takes place in the context of a relationship. In that lesson we emphasized the intentional, mission-driven nature of legacy leadership. 

Today, I want to focus on two subtle aspects of the intentional influence process that are missing from most discussions leadership. First, notice that for Paul leadership is a team endeavor that takes place among those we are leading. 

We attribute the authorship of this letter to Paul, but the letter actually is sent to the Thessalonians from Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. The fact that three men are identified as co-authors of the letter indicates that the leadership of the Thessalonians was a team effort. For Paul, leadership was a shared process and there is a constant emphasis on the leadership team throughout his letters to the Thessalonians: the little words “we,” “our,” and “us” appear 35 times in the just first 22 verses of the letter. 

The second dimension of the intentional influence process is that Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy lived among those they were leading. “Among” means they were in the midst of or surrounded by those they were leading. These men had what sociologists call a “low power-distance.” They did not allow their position, rank, or title to create a barrier between them and their followers. Paul often reminded his followers of how they had lived among them. 

Many leaders would advise you to not get too close to those you are leading. Yet, Paul and his team went in the opposite direction of that advice. By choosing to be among their followers, they were known by their followers, and the Thessalonians were known by them. This intimacy of this relationship allowed Paul’s team to individualize according to the needs of each one. They were “exhorting, encouraging, and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children” (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12). Rather than using a one size fits all approach, the leadership team customized their leadership for each individual follower in the same way a father considers the uniqueness of each of his children. 

Legacy Leaders are not lone rangers, they are team players who lead in the context of a relationship with other leaders. They are also intentional about drawing close to those they lead. They are among their followers. 

Reflect and Act on these questions:

• Are you a lone-ranger leader or do you work within a leadership team?
• Is your leadership up-close and personal or do you maintain a distance with those you lead?
• Do you customize your leadership for each individual follower or do you tend to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach?