Learning to Lead by Serving the Master

Leadership legend John Maxwell believes that we’ve all basically got the wrong idea about what it takes to be a leader. In his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Maxwell argues that the greatest misunderstanding people have about leadership is that it requires power, position, or authority. We assume that in order to make a difference, whether it’s in the church, in the workplace, or in society, we need to have the official title or power to get things done.

But that’s simply not the case.

Sometimes good leaders have official titles and positions of authority, but not always. It’s more common that strong leaders don’t have any official power at all. So how do they do it? How do they lead people and bring about positive change if they don’t have the formal authority to do anything?

The answer is… they’ve earned it. They have earned the right to influence others by loving and serving the people they are trying to lead. Simply put: Leadership isn’t based on power — it’s based on influence. And besides, Jesus explicitly rejects the idea that leadership is about using your power to make people do things (Matthew 20:25-28).

If you have people in your life that you can influence through your words, actions, and attitude, then you are a leader. And if you are a follower of Jesus, you have an obligation to use that influence to share the Gospel and lead people to Him. But sometimes it’s not always clear how we can do that effectively. We know we want to make a difference in people’s lives, but we’re not sure how to do it on a practical level.

This past week, our elders and ministers began a new Sunday morning class to help address that issue. This class is called “Follow the Leader: Learning to Lead by Serving the Master”, and it will focus on some key Biblical principles related to servant leadership. This isn’t just for people who have or want an official role in the church — it’s for everyone (male or female, young or old, new Christians or lifelong disciples) who wants to learn how they can be a more effective leader at home, in business, at school, or in the church.

If that is something that God has placed on your heart, then we’d love to see you every Sunday morning at 9 a.m. in Room #21 as we train, encourage, and equip one another to lead others spiritually by studying the example of Jesus.

Blessings,

Bryan Fojtasek