Leading or Lording?
Today, millions of Americans will go to the polls to select the next leader of our country. This is the culmination of a campaign season that has stretched on for nearly two years. Two years of fundraising, stump speeches, commercials, talking points, debates, attack ads, conventions, endorsements, policy statements, comedy sketches, and opinion polls. Two years of jockeying for position, making a case, and trying to gain a competitive advantage.
In many ways, it’s the ultimate contest. And as such, it’s easy to see why so many people see the Presidency as the ultimate prize to be won.
To the winner goes the spoils. Perks. Power. Prestige. Position. Or so we’ve come to expect.
But Jesus gives us a different perspective. In Mark 10, he says to his disciples:
“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45
So leadership is not primarily about wielding power, or exercising one’s authority. It’s about service, and self-sacrifice. Using power to empower others, and preserve their freedom. So while we may desire the perks, power, prestige, and position, what we need is a sense of accountability, responsibility, humility, and consistency.
Leadership is therefore not a prize to be won, but a responsibility to be accepted, as a sacred trust. Great leaders serve. Leading, not lording.
My prayer and hope for the next President is that he will embrace this notion. My personal challenge is to flesh this out in my own experience. To pray for those who have authority over me, and to serve those for whom I’ve been given responsibility. To trust, and to be worthy of trust.
What are your thoughts on leadership? Which leaders have inspired you by their service and self-sacrifice?
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This post is part of a Synchroblog on Leadership. The following blogs took part in the experiment:
Jonathan Brink - Letter To The President
Adam Gonnerman - Aspiring to the Episcopate
Kai - Leadership - Is Servant Leadership a Broken Model?
Sally Coleman - In the world but not of it- servant leadership for the 21st Century Church
Alan Knox - Submission is given not taken
Joe Miller - Elders Lead a Healthy Family: The Future
Cobus van Wyngaard - Empowering leadership
Steve Hayes - Servant leadership
Geoff Matheson - Leadership
John Smulo - Australian Leadership Lessons
Helen Mildenhall - Leadership
Tyler Savage - Moral Leadership - Is it what we need?
Bryan Riley - Leading is to Listen and Obey
Susan Barnes - Give someone else a turn!
Liz Dyer - A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Polls…
Lionel Woods - Why Diverse Leadership is Good for America
Julie Clawson - Leadership Expectations
Ellen Haroutunian - A New Kind Of Leadership
Matt Stone - Converting Leadership
Steve Bradley - Lording or Leading?
Adam Myers - Two types of Leadership
Bethany Stedman - A Leadership Mosaic
Kathy Escobar - I’m Pretty Sure This Book Won’t Make It On The Bestseller List
Fuzzy Orthodoxy - Self Leadership
Sonja Andrews - Leadership In An Age of Cholera
good entry.
I have no idea what my thoughts are on leadership right now besides the verses you quote….
Steve, well said. The intoxification of power is interesting and sadly I think Bush got sucked into it.
Go see W. It’s really interesting and sad.
Yes! Exactly! And you ask the perfect question at the end: “Which leaders have inspired you by their service and self-sacrifice?”
I bet many can name “leaders” who have inspired them with their teaching or vision or determination or integrity or intelligence or charisma, etc.
But, Jesus said, “Follow those who are servants.” I don’t think many of us even think about following servants.
-Alan
steve, thanks for sharing. i just put your link on my list, somehow i missed it in all the hubub. i love what you say about using power to empower others & preserve their freedom. preserve their freedom. i hadn't seen it like that before and that really resonates. thanks as always for great perspectives on these topics!