Follow the Leader

by Tom Gilbert
Published February 23, 2005

“Leaders must not be led by anger or other overwhelming passions, nor by deep feelings beyond their rights and faith” – William Penn

“Leadership is getting someone to do what they don't want to do, to achieve what they want to achieve.” – Tom Landry

“Don’t follow leaders, watch the parking meters.” — Bob Dylan (Subterranean Homesick Blues)

Good and effective leadership is something most people consider important.

We all want a government that is fair and capable and that requires those in roles of governing to be able to lead.

In the military matters of life and death are everyday occurrences and without leaders there can be disaster.

Sports tout the importance of leadership, too. You have coaches, managers and team captains.

I wonder, however, if our society’s obsession with celebrity clouds our judgment when evaluating leaders. Who are the best leaders? Are they the smartest, best looking and most charismatic?

Not everyone can be in charge, but decisiveness is a quality we look for in a leader. No one is right in every decision, but we certainly hope our leaders make wise choices. We all can’t get everything we want, but good leaders in positions of power can make a difference in looking out for the common good of all people.

Maybe the greatest characteristic is the willingness to do for others. Servant leadership is a word that gets bantered about, but how many truly understand it? It also seems like an oxymoron. Leaders are in charge; servants obey.

Any true leader knows that being of service is part of the job, whether in the boardroom or living room. Putting others' needs before one's own requires sacrifice and humility. Most would agree these are good qualities in any individual, especially leaders. Without such qualities leaders are self-centered at best and tyrannical at worst.

In Max DePree's book, Leadership Jazz, he compares servant leadership to a jazz band. Each player contributes his best in the instrument of his choice, using his unique voice. Often the best jazz sounds like it is about to fall apart, yet somehow holds together. Inspired playing creates exciting, cutting edge music that transcends the predictable.

Follow Me

When I study the Gospels I find that Jesus’ leadership style was very much like a jazz musician. He understood the basic structure of the society he lived in – both the Jewish and Roman ways. Yet, he improvised constantly. He was always challenging people’s perceptions of the way things were, could and should be.

Jesus did not circulate petitions or campaign for the King of the Jews position. He did say, “Follow me”. He said it more than once. The message appears to be: follow the way of living that Jesus’ modeled. There is a lot of self-denial and sacrifice in that, including a willingness to die for the good of others.

Everything is Not the Way it Seems

The world often tells us to put ourselves first – to watch out for number one. Still, there’s no denying how we respond to those whose personal sacrifices for the benefit of others makes us feel. We are grateful and we honor those individuals.

Once again, the message from the Christ turns our common thinking upside down.

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