Leading Self

I mentioned in my last post that on the leadership journey we must begin with leading ourselves. Those who lead themselves well become leaders worth following. In other words, they establish the credibility to lead.

It's interesting to note that even Jesus had to begin here. In Hebrews 5:8 we read that “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered.” Quite frankly, I find this almost unbelievable. Jesus—Son of God—had to “learn” something.

Consider his three great temptations before he called his followers. They all had to do with self-leadership, clarifying personal values which made him someone worth following. They also struck Jesus at his core identity; two of the temptations are prefaced with, "If you are the Son of God". All leaders need to discover who they are and whose they are.

The first temptation concerned turning stones into bread. Jesus had fasted for 40 days in the wilderness and was starving hungry. But rather than instantly gratifying his flesh, Jesus chose to lead at a higher level. His response to the devil? "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." We become leaders worth following when we deny instant gratification and seek to accomplish a purpose greater than ourselves.

In the second temptation (according to Matthew's Gospel), the devil took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and told him to jump. What better place than this, for Jesus to establish Himself as Messiah in front of all the religious topguns! Imagine him gliding down in front of the religious authorities as a self-proclaimed super-leader, ready to take on the world and kick out the Roman rulers. He could have made a great name for himself, using his power for personal glory! But Jesus had come to do his Father's will...to establish a different kind of Kingdom based on a different kind of king. In fact, throughout the Gospel narratives, you'll often see him sneak away from the applause and the fame. We become leaders worth following when we use our strengths and abilities for God's glory rather than for advancement and self-exaltation.

In the third temptation, the devil tempted Jesus to bow down and worship him in exchange for all the kingdoms of the world. For Jesus, it would have meant escaping the torture of death on a cross to get what He had come for—a shortcut to success. But Jesus refused to sell his soul to accomplish his mission. The end does not justify the means. We must never compromise our integrity and character to achieve success. Doing the right thing the right way every time makes us leaders worth following.

So overcome like Jesus. Deny instant gratification, use your God-given talents and gifts for his glory, and never take shortcuts to success. In so doing you will become a leader worth following regardless of your position or title.

[My next post will touch on leading others, the second phase in the serving leadership journey.]