What Serving Leaders Do

When it comes to serving leadership actions and behaviors much could be discussed. In this post, we'll unpack briefly those defined through the Biblical metaphors of shepherding and stewarding.

John 10:1-18 describes Jesus as the Good Shepherd. As a shepherd leader:
-you lead from a position of credibility and legitimacy (vs. 1)
-you know your followers intimately & lead them somewhere worth going (vs. 3)
-you lead from the front as an example rather than drive your followers (vs. 4)
-you bring fullness of life to the people who follow you (vs. 10)
-you sacrifice yourself for the good of your followers (vs. 11)
-you care for your people and protect them (vs. 12-13)
-you get to know your followers & are vulnerable, letting them know you (vs. 14)
-you are others-oriented to the point of laying your life down for them (vs. 15)
-you care about those not under your leadership and work toward unity (vs. 17)

Matthew 25:14-30 records a parable on stewardship. Here Jesus points out that everyone is given different gifts or talents and with that comes different levels of responsibility. We're all required to steward them to the best of our ability. So ponder this question: With the gifts, talents, energy, and resources allotted to us, how can we best steward them in the remaining time that we have?

[Next week I will discuss four levels of change.]