For Work, I Attended A Training Session where the speaker spoke about what makes a great leader. He broke it down into four characteristics. I could tell from some of his comments that he had a religious background as he made reference to the different words for “love” in the Greek language. That, among other things, caused me to continually apply his words to Christ. In addition to applying it to Christ, the characteristics also apply to us, as we strive to develop ourselves for the roles in which we will serve in the kingdom of God, as kings and priests.
Here are the four characteristics of a great leader he set out: the need for a vision; the ability to effectively communicate that vision; the ability to empower followers, and the ability to serve as a role-model. In examining the four characteristics, we will look at how they apply to Christ and how we can apply them in our lives.
- Need for a vision
The first characteristic, the need for a vision, is something of which we are all aware for the book of Proverbs tells us: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Christ had that vision, which was of the kingdom of heaven.
Last year, Newsweek had an article entitled, “Why We Need Heaven,” which spoke about what heaven is and who goes there. An Israelite widow is sure that her husband, who was shot by a Palestinian gunman on his way to work, is “at the feet of the throne of the Almighty.” At the same time, the father of a suicide bomber said, “I have no doubt whatsoever that he is in paradise,” when speaking of his son.
The article goes on to say that, “For believers, heaven can be inspiration, incentive, comfort or ballast.” Yet people have differing views of what heaven is, which all depend very much on what they personally desire. The article notes that, “Smart political and religious leaders know this.” And describes it as “an effective tool for manipulation.”
A vision can be used for ill
A professor of theology said that, “If you can get people to believe in a certain heaven, you can get them to do anything.” Heaven is the vision that is used in modern days and leaders provide the specific details of it to their followers. If the follower adopts that vision, the leader then has power over that person since the leader would also provide the way in which that individual would be allowed to participate in the vision.
As such, we see that a vision can be used for ill as well as good. It can motivate people to obey God or to commit acts of terrorism. We therefore need to be careful when adopting a vision of our own as it gives power to the provider of the vision. So we turn to Christ, who expounded to us the vision of the kingdom of heaven, which will be founded on the earth with its capital in Jerusalem. This vision was provided to him through the words recorded by the prophets as revealed to them by God. And if there is anyone who we should grant power over ourselves, it is God, if we truly want to serve Him for the rest of our lives. (Yet we have to be careful to adopt the vision as it is supplied and not to make it dependent upon any individual interpretation.) And when we fully adopt God’s vision, we can strive to achieve it and display the first characteristic of a great leader even as Christ did.
- Communicating the vision to others
The second characteristic of a great leader is the ability to effectively communicate that vision to others. Christ communicated this vision to his followers through parables. The kingdom of heaven was compared to a grain of mustard seed, leaven, treasure hid in a field, a merchant seeking pearls, along with others. Christ had internalized the vision drawing it out of the law and the prophets as communicated by God. He then developed stories whereby others might better understand the vision.
Yet many did not understand the parables, as we see in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 13. After Jesus had spoken a parable, the disciples come to Jesus to ask him why he spoke in parables. In verses 11 – 17 we see his reply as he explained the meaning of the parable of the sower to his disciples. Many of us would describe Jesus as a great teacher, since he always seemed to know the right thing to say even, at one point, causing many to be astounded and afraid to challenge him further with questions. And indeed he was a great teacher, so we should not confuse his speaking in parables as some sort of lack of ability in effectively communicating the vision. Rather, it should be acknowledged that not everyone could accept the vision due to the hardness of their own hearts. So the parables were given to those who were willing to accept those things that Christ had to say.
Our attempt to communicate the vision
We, too, have a need to effectively communicate the vision which we have. We can talk of it to one another as the people did in Malachi’s time as we are told:
They that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
In this way we can strengthen one another, “as iron sharpeneth iron” and Lord willing, be included in the book of remembrance so that we might take part in the vision which we have received.
Yet more important than speaking to one another about the hope in which we share, we need to be able to effectively communicate it to others who are currently without hope, even as we were “without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” As we were afar off before being “made nigh by the blood of Christ,” we need to share this vision so that others might come to a true love and understanding of God and might incorporate that vision of the kingdom into their own lives. Therefore we have a need to preach to others.
If we cannot talk to others of the hope within us, in order that they might partake of it, have we truly adopted the vision into our own lives? Our vision is not an individualistic thing, as is common in the world today, but rather a shared vision with the many that have gone before us who currently await the resurrection from the dead. If we are genuinely grateful that it has been shared with us, we should in turn share it with others. If we want to develop as leaders, we need to put this second characteristic of great leaders into practice by communicating the vision through preaching.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One