The Lausanne Global Conversation is on the World Wide Open Network
Author: The Lausanne Leadership Development Working Group
Date: 10.06.2010
Category: Leadership Development
Editor’s Note: This Cape Town 2010 Advance Paper has been written by Jane Overstreet, on behalf of the Lausanne Leadership Development Working Group, as an overview of the topic to be discussed at the Multiplex session on “How To Build a New Generation of Christ-like Leaders.” Responses to this paper through the Lausanne Global Conversation will be fed back to the author and others to help shape their final presentations at the Congress.
Introduction
We have a leadership problem! And it is a problem that must be solved in order for World Evangelization to flourish! Too often evangelism is done successfully, a church is planted and begins to flourish, but then a leader is appointed who sadly destroys everything that was built, and the fruit is lost. While there are many variations on the story, its theme is much too familiar.
The Lausanne Leadership Development Working Group was created to respond to this need for Christ-like leaders. The working group is made up of a cross section of global senior leaders in the Body of Christ, many of whom are specifically involved in leadership development.
We started with a survey of Christian leaders. We asked them to tell us about their experiences with Christian leaders, what they thought Christ-like leadership should look like, and what they thought was most effective in building Christ-centered leaders.
We collected responses from 1,031 leaders from across seven continents. Those surveyed included a wide range of ages, types of leadership experience and quantities of leadership experience. Approximate one-third of those surveyed were women. We conducted the survey in five languages to try to get a wide range of opinions.
In the process of conducting the survey, one thing became frighteningly obvious—we have a leadership problem! First we will see how our respondents defined the problem, then how they defined Christ-like leadership and finally how they described the best methods of developing leaders as a partial solution to the problem.
(To view survey results to non-short answer questions, see separate document entitled: “Appendix: Leadership Development Survey”)
1. We have a Problem!
If we look around us at the cry for Christ-centered leadership, it becomes clear that something is terribly wrong in our world. Survey respondents easily identified the characteristics of a Christ-like leader, but pointed out that many leaders they had worked for fell painfully short.
When asked to describe their worst experiences working under leaders, and what characteristics those poor leaders had, 1,000 leaders answering the survey said:
Slightly lower on the list:
Keep in mind that these descriptors were not used to describe non-Christian leaders, but rather “Christian” leaders, or those who said they were “Christian.” Too often it seems, the motivation to aspire to leadership stems from ambition and pride. We believe we can do it better than “they” did. We set out to prove something to someone, or to ourselves. We want to be in control of the situation to hide our own insecurities and failures. The result of this brand of leadership is tragic.
Leaders in our survey were also asked a similar question in a different way but the results were strikingly similar. They were asked, “From the list below, choose up to five of the most pressing issues facing Christian leaders in your nation.”
The most frequent response to this question was “Personal Pride,” followed by “Lack of Integrity,” then two hundred votes further down the list were “Spiritual Warfare,” “Corruption” and “Lack of Infrastructure.”
The only exception to this ranking by language group was the French group who put the top pressing issues as “Poverty,” “Lack of Infrastructure,” “Corruption” and then “Personal Pride.”
This emphasis on the issue of “Personal Pride” could be surprising when compared with issues facing leaders like poverty and corruption. But on closer reflection, this points out the vast damage done by the disease of “big boss” leadership which is the very antithesis of the servant leadership style of Jesus.
Christ-like leadership is a challenge because it is inherently counter-cultural in every setting. It goes against the very essence of our selfish human nature. It is antithetical to our sinful nature.
And it seems too few of us have experienced Christ-centered leadership. We have rarely seen models of the type of leader we aspire to be. Perhaps this is why the hunger for mentoring today is so high.
2. Defining Christ-centered Leadership
The task of defining Christ-centered leadership is not simple. It is potentially fraught with theological controversy. Even the term leadership can be difficult to define. Yet in spite of these obvious challenges, let’s address this task as simply and as straightforwardly as possible, aiming to clarify the term for common usage.
In its simplest form, leadership has often been defined as “influence.” If this definition is acceptable, then we might say that Christ-centered leadership equals “Jesus style influence.” We could stop there, but the phrase “Jesus style influence” also begs more definition.
To describe what “Jesus style influence” looks like, one option is to turn to the example of Jesus and begin to list the traits that he exhibited while leading his disciples here on earth. When 1,000 Christian leaders across the globe were surveyed, the top three ranking characteristics that described Christ-centered leadership were:
Next on the list came:
So we can conclude simply that anyone with influence who has these qualities and uses them to further God’s Kingdom goals is, in fact, a Christ-centered leader.
While each of us is born with gifts and personality traits, if one asks the familiar question, “Are leaders born or made?” as evangelicals we believe that all people are born in need of the saving grace of God. Hence it is impossible to be “born” a Christ-centered leader no matter how “gifted” one might be.
The ultimate challenge is that leaders always lead out of who they are, out of what is inside them, or we might say out of a set of internalized core values. The only possible way to exhibit traits of Christ-centered leadership is, in fact, to be Christ-centered. Of course the first step to becoming Christ-centered is inviting Christ into your life. However as we have noted through our survey results, being a believer in Christ and being a Christ-centered leader are not synonymous. To become a Christ-centered leader is an undertaking for which a lifetime is too short.
One conclusion we must then draw is that Christ-centered leadership is not a goal to achieve, but rather a lifetime journey to undertake. And so the next question that springs to mind is where do we get the map for this journey and what is the best means of transportation?
3. Describing Best Practices in Leadership Development
If Christ-centered leadership is the goal, but does not come “naturally” to anyone, and if it is a lifetime undertaking, which we cannot do on our own, how does leadership development take place? How do Christian leaders develop into leaders who are truly “Christ-centered” in their leadership? This is one of the most challenging and confusing topics within the Global Church today.
What is Leadership Development?
One of the reasons this subject is so confusing is that almost anything that contributes to the growth, discipleship, skills or knowledge of an individual can arguably be called “leadership development.” Everything from Sunday school picnics to seminary education can qualify. Mentoring, accountability groups, special workshops, basic Bible training, executive management sessions, interactive adult education––the list seems endless.
According to the old adage of the blind man and the elephant, if you cannot see the entire beast, then wherever you touch the elephant, a different picture will emerge. When you touch the trunk you think an elephant must look like a snake. If you touch the side, you believe an elephant looks more like a hippopotamus. As a result, it is nearly impossible to obtain a clear picture of true leadership, particularly with so many initiatives claiming to focus on “leadership development.” Therefore the term has nearly lost its meaning.
This dilemma prompts another proverb––“How do you eat an elephant?” One bite at a time, of course! Breaking the elephant of “leadership development” into bite-size pieces is probably the best and most helpful approach and may help us even see the overall “beast” more clearly. This leads to two questions regarding leadership development: (1) What are you trying to accomplish and (2) With whom are you trying to accomplish it?
Using this approach, all leadership development efforts can be organized on a simple matrix with two axes: (1) Axis #1: the goal to be accomplished (i.e. the content to be learned or character qualities to be developed, and (2) Axis #2: the target audience. On the one hand, what characteristics of a Christ-centered leader is your program, school or course trying to develop? What is the content you are trying to teach? On the other hand, who is it you are trying to develop—teenagers, Bible scholars or seminary presidents? What would be the best method or means of development for this group in this context?
After obtaining this information, one can begin to develop the best plan for achieving this type of character development or knowledge impartation in this group of people. How you develop integrity in a teenager in Mongolia would look quite different than helping a pastor learn Greek in Kansas. Yet both are needed for the body of Christ, both are valid and yes––both are “leadership development.”
What Is the Most Important Subject Matter?
There are continual calls for more leadership and better leadership development, but there has been little agreement as to what this should look like. Rather than tackle the entire field, the working group narrowed the “target” to the development of “Christ-centered leaders.”
Survey results of Christian leaders helped us focus on the subject matter, character traits and knowledge required. Christian leaders prioritized the traits of a Christ-like leader as follows:
If we attempt to differentiate character qualities from knowledge the lists would grow quite long and the process be very confusing. Take, for example, just the first bullet listed. There we start with “integrity.” Integrity is of course a character quality so that means that something more than just objective knowledge is needed to develop integrity. Character is not primarily developed in the classroom but through life experience, mentors, models and accountability.
But thoroughly understanding and developing integrity also requires knowledge. For instance one would want to study about what the Bible has to say about integrity. Assuming a leader wants to have integrity in all aspects of his/her life this would lead to studying many further subjects, like marriage and family, management of money, and how to stop corruption. This is why the development of leaders is both a complex and life-long endeavor and why many methods are needed.
Which Subjects Do We Begin with Today?
When 1,000 leaders were asked the question, “If you had the opportunity to take classes in leadership development right now, what subjects would be of most interest to you?” their top prioritized choices included:
One of the first steps in leadership development is to start with the “felt need,” or what leaders feel is missing and sense that they need. All adult learners are more motivated to learn what they know they need and can apply immediately. For leaders, this is possibly even truer because they are such busy people and their time is so limited. If the subject is not a desperate need or a deep interest, they will probably not invest the necessary time.
To approach this issue of critical subjects to be taught leaders from a another angle, we asked a different question: “What would you say is the most frequent cause of failure in Christian leaders to ‘finish well’ as a Christ-centered leader in the nation where you are currently living?” Respondents could pick three answers. Five of the ten possibilities received the vast majority of the votes. The top five included:
The sixth cause ranked was “sexual sin” with 292 votes.
Again, the complexity of how to best grow leaders is evident. If “burn-out” is one of the biggest causes of leaders failing, what is the antidote? Is it better time management, better delegation skills, a better theology about work, a better understanding of God, a better insight into one’s culture, a better self-concept, a better understanding of God’s love, or all of the above? A list of possible causes and possible responses becomes longer and longer and arguably, all are critical!
For any leader, a long list of critical subjects must be considered relevant in this journey toward Christ-like leadership. Bible knowledge and theology, leadership and management training, and spiritual formation and character development make up three heavily overlapping areas within which most of these subjects can arguably fall.
Determining which leadership development subject is most important to a leader at any given time is more of an art than a science. It is dependent upon that individual’s personality and gifts, his/her past experience and training, and the demands of his/her current context. What is easier to discern is that all leaders need to be growing in all of these areas throughout each one’s lifetime.
Which Forms or Methods of Leadership Development are Best?
According to language groups surveyed, one of the few places where results varied in the survey of 1,000 leaders was in response to the question: “What types or forms of leadership development opportunities do you wish you had access to?” Otherwise the results of the survey were rarely distinguishable from one language group to the next.
The options given in this question were mentoring, classes, workshops, books, feedback from staff, informal discussion with peers, internet resources, small accountability group, observing others, none at this time and other.
In English the top answers were:
In Spanish the top answers were:
In French the answers changed even more:
Perhaps this gives us an indicator of what is not available in each setting. It may also tell us more about what different cultures value in leader development or what they believe is critical.
What is perhaps most important to take away at this point is that no type or opportunity for leadership development should be given all the attention in any setting. Rather a well-rounded array of opportunities is invaluable for leaders to grow and keep growing in the various qualities that identify a Christ-like leader.
Formal versus Non-formal Education
Too much time in the past has been wasted on the debate about whether seminaries and Bible schools are more important or better than non-formal training in developing leaders. This has really been a debate about the wrong question. The reality is that all tools of leadership development are needed in every setting possible. Some just work better
in certain contexts than others or achieve different results than others.
A tremendous amount of educational research has been done throughout the secular world as well as some in the Christian world as to methodologies that produce the most results and learning that enables behavioral change. This brief paper is too short to comment on these topics extensively.
What is relatively clear from an overly simplistic glance at this topic is that lecture-based teaching in traditional classrooms can be very useful for transferring vast quantities of subject matter. In addition, sequential learning that results in degrees is extremely useful for motivating the learner to complete the course, for measuring what that individual knows and for record keeping and communicating this area of proficiency to others. Degree programs that are primarily delivered through lecture are certainly useful to achieve some of the critical outcomes related to the field of leadership development with certain audiences.
When growing in areas of character development, discipleship, worldview and modifying core values, however, experiential learning has a great deal to offer. But not all experiential or interactive adult education is created equal. Factors that make this type of learning most effective include a motivated learner
The leader/learner who has the opportunity to participate in this type of experiential learning has, by far, the greatest chance of actually changing his/her beliefs and behavior. Excellent leadership development must include, but go beyond just acquiring information and include this type of experiential learning.
The Setting or Learning Environment
The learning environment is also an important factor in leadership development. A residential setting can foster deeper learning or it can merely isolate the leader from his/her constituency so long that the leader becomes irrelevant.
Appropriate forms of interactive learning can take place in the seminary classroom just as easily as under a tree. Excellent lectures can transfer knowledge over the Internet, or across a dining room table. The setting can enhance or detract from learning, but in the end it is only one factor to be considered.
What is most important is to begin with the end in mind. Determine which content is most important to achieving the desired outcome with this target audience. Then review possible methods and choose the one(s) that will be most productive in helping the leader to grow toward this goal. Determine the best learning environment available and make good use of it.
Focus on your target audience and offer the most relevant content, using the best methods possible for the outcome desired, in an appropriate setting that encourages learning. When these factors are combined, the Holy Spirit will use them to ensure that Christian leaders will grow toward Christ-likeness—if they are willing.
4. Stewardship in Leadership Development
No one has unlimited resources. For example, even if someone has all of the financial resources in the world, his/her time is inherently limited. Therefore, while a well-rounded array of opportunities for growth is ideal, which of these opportunities should be given the most time, attention and resources? How can we be good stewards of the extremely limited resources we have available? Again, the answers are not simple.
In our survey we asked leaders, “Which of five answers comes the closest to explaining why there is such a shortage of Christ-centered leaders?” Their overwhelming response was:
A somewhat close second was the answer:
The remote third, fourth and fifth responses were:
So vast numbers of current leaders surveyed believe that we are doing a poor job of leadership development through our existing programs today! They do not think that low pay, age or complexity of the role are the main problems, though leaders who refuse to encourage younger leader are a contributing factor. Rather our current efforts at leadership development need to change and improve.
This is a serious indictment coming from a wide base of Christian leaders. It should give those of us working in this field of leadership development cause for deep concern. We must do better in the future. We must stop and realize that no one type or opportunity for leadership development should be given all the attention in any setting. Rather we must work to ensure that the widest range possible of the most needed opportunities is made available for leaders in every geographical setting so that they can keep growing toward becoming Christ-like leaders.
Having Christ-like leaders is not a luxury but a necessity. Providing opportunities for leaders to grow is absolutely critical to a healthy, vibrant, transformational and multiplying Church. We must be wiser stewards of the resources that are available, because in many places the very future of the Church is at stake.
Unless we find, make available, promote and multiply the very best in leadership development opportunities throughout the globe, the results will be tragic. The staggering weight of poor leadership will hold back the advance of the gospel. Let us work together toward ensuring that every leader has the opportunity he/she needs to keep growing toward Christ-like leadership.
© The Lausanne Movement 2010
Keywords: Leadership development, Christ-like, survey, problems, pride, integrity, servant, diverse training, outcomes, audience, influence, spiritual maturity, character, skills, humility, journey, stewardship, learning, poor leadership, education, strategy
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United States
So often there is a lack in general leadership within our societies today. This overall lack of leadership creates an even harder avenue for the Christ centered leadership to arise. We can be the Christ centered leadership. This article is blunt in what they see the common flaws and successes of Christ centered leaders today, and for that I applaud. The task of leadership comes with great responsibility, and adding the Christ centering aspect, that we are commissioned by God does not make it easier. However, Christ centered leadership, can happen, does happen and needs to happen.
08.09.2011
United States
@ Elizabeth_B:
I agree with you Elizabeth, and I often pray that each time we hear of some leader falling from grace that it won’t put up a sheild between futher followers and futher leaders.
29.04.2012
United States
In our day and time godly leadership is needed more than ever. To Look at the church as a whole it seems that many people are falling away from their faith because of their experience with inept leaders. As a pastor for more than sixteen years, I have seen many churches testimony take a beating because of the failure of their leaders to live godly lives before the congregation and community. The result of these failures can be seen through the continued decrease in church attendance and participation along with a decline of trust and respect for spirtual leaders in the pulpit. Thank you for highlighting a topic for discussion that is so relevant for christian leaders today, that will challange us to stay in the word, preach and teach sound biblical truths and lastly to walk the walk before our congregants and community.
02.10.2011
United States
@ pastort:
How do we then, as pastors, who we both want to portray the gospel in the most positive light possible, by our word and deeds, help build or rebuild, for that matter, leaders to live Godly lives? If our entire purpose is to be light unto the world and be a city on a hill, is there a way that we can relight old cities to have a Christ centered focus?
We are each have the capability with God’s grace, to do great things for his glory, are there ways, through mentorship, discipleship or other ways that you have found that these great things can occur more often to prevent such a rapid decline in our churches today?
06.10.2011
United States
@ pastort:
I understand how a pastor or church leader can cause a person or in some cases many people to leave the church, it happened to me at a early age.
29.04.2012
United States
Thank you for this article. Christ-like leadership is much needed in our socities today. We say we love the Lord, but find ourselves following our own agendas and not the biblically sound scriptures that made leadership so effective in times past. As pastor of a congregation that is so loving and works hard for the church, I get somewhat disappointed when I look at the leadership that has come through the church and now find myself pastoring a people where the church building can fall at any moment. Just a few days ago, I stood in the old church and asked the lord what happened in this situation. My answer came in this way, "Others fix up and repair and beautify their own dwellings, and yet my house set in ruins". Somewhere leadership was not effective, and I believe that Christ-centered leadership is not what the Lord can do for me, but what is it that I can do to further kingdom growth. Thank you for this article that encourages me to be steadfast, unmoveble, listen and love God’s people and be the besst you can be. To God be the glory.
Reggie
10.07.2011
United States
Let me such say from the outset, how refreshing it was to see that this paper was based on responses from 1,037 participants representing seven continents in five languages, rather than merely based on first-hand observations and set of assumptions adhered to by the author. For this reason, I was extremely interested in what was shared.
By way of overview, I have bulleted the key points and added my comments under each one –
It seems that no matter which direction one looks, there is a leadership vacuum, whether that is in a ministry, not-for-profit or commercial context. Although culture and geography certainly will impact the nature and severity of a leadership problem, there is no single culture inoculated from ineffective leadership – West or East. The inability of current leaders to see beyond their own respective leadership terms prevents them from establishing a clear leadership succession plan. Other problems that contribute to this include – 1) Pride and the inability to give up power 2) Lack of skills to identify and develop existing and emerging leaders and 3) Lack of understanding regarding what leadership model or paradigm could be explored further for application to a given culture and set of challenges. Certainly, while these issues exist, it becomes more cumbersome to appoint the right leaders and see subsequent generations of leaders build on the work completed by their predecessors
It is interesting that #1-4 have more to do with the leader as a person. Some would argue that I have misplaced #4 (Spiritual Warfare), however, it is closely linked to the spiritual maturity and prayer life of the leader. A Christian leader cannot afford to ignore spiritual realities by depending more heavily on other personal qualities and gifts. Lack of infrastructure is also deeply impacted by #1-4. If others perceive there are pride, integrity, spiritual and corruption issues, then there is less likelihood for the leader to obtain the support and resources that others would otherwise be willing to make available.
It seems we all are sensitive to the failures of others, especially when they directly impact us. I found it fascinating that there was consensus about what constituted Christ-centered leadership, and wide acknowledgement that we nearly all fall short of that, albeit in different ways. Having gone through seminary, studied to be a psychologist and worked in senior executive leadership positions for a global ministry, I must say there has been very little attention given to training and teaching potential leaders in the areas of integrity, authenticity, character, servanthood and humility. It seems we know what they are, but lack the ability to teach them or impart them to others. Perhaps it comes back to the old adage that, “values are caught, not taught.” We simply need more leaders to model for the next generation what Christ-centered leadership looks like. There is no doubt that this is not an event, but a journey.
I liked the way the paper sought to differentiate between knowledge and character. I think this was insightful. Although knowledge is certainly valuable in understanding what leadership qualities people are looking for, and what is necessary for effective leadership, the mere impartation of knowledge does not automatically transform itself into character per se. Again, it is a journey of spiritual discovery and maturity, not all of a sudden acquired in one single event. Naturally, any existing or emerging leader will benefit from the wisdom and maturity of having a mentor walk alongside, exploring and evaluating teachable moments as they arrive, sometimes very ingloriously and depised!
Again, against this backdrop, the author highlights the complexity of how to best grow leaders. “Is it better time management, better delegation skills, a better theology about work, a better understanding of God, a better insight into one’s culture, a better self-concept, a better understanding of God’s love, or all of the above?”
Through the responses of the survey participants, the author has raised relevant concerns about the need for Christ-centered leaders, the nature of leadership, the difference between developing character and imparting knowledge, and in the latter part of the paper identified key learning environments that may help towards this end.
One thing is clear. There is a leadership vacuum. Who will stand up and model Christ-centered leadership to emerging leaders of subsequent generations? And organizationally, how much are willing to invest into this effort?
#dmingml
#capetown2010
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21.10.2010
United States
There certainly is a critical need to develop servant leaders. Are their resources/curriculi available that present models of experience based teaching models? I am involved in a first year start up school of omissions where we are endeavoring to train future missionaries, missions mobilizers, and mission leaders.
16.10.2010
United States
There certainly is a critical need to develop servant leaders. Are their resources/curriculi available that present models of experience based teaching models? I am involved in a first year start up school of omissions where we are endeavoring to train future missionaries, missions mobilizers, and mission leaders.
16.10.2010
United States
Thank you to Jane, and the Lausanne Leadership Development Working Group for their contribution.
I respectfully must express my disappointment with the advance paper, however. Please allow me to explain.
While I do not disagree with the findings, nor do I disagree with the need to discuss the current specific deficiencies in leadership, I am concerned that we are not asking questions concerning, and probing into the topic of, what God might be doing in the current generation of young leaders to rectify this situation.
This present generation of young Christians, and emerging leaders of the church, are passionately driven to engage the world with the love of Christ (missional living) and to create restorative solutions to the greatest problems facing our world today (poverty, human trafficking, oppression of many forms).
Yes, we have a problem. But much of the problem may lie in an aging leadership within the church, and the pridefulness of this group (as your own studies reveal) as they ignore the cries of the youth of our world, denying our youth the opportunity to lead by the power of the Spirit at work within them.
Conversely, lest I be misunderstood as one-sided, the "entitled" attitude of this new generation is also in need of humility, and the manifold wisdom Christ and his church.
Together, as the whole Body of Christ, may we find, by the grace of God, a way forward on this most crucial topic of discussion.
16.10.2010
United States
Thanks for unpacking some extensive and sobering statistics with clarity and grace.
It seems that much of the present situation has been the fruit of business management principles wrapped up in Scripture and then passed off as “biblical leadership.”
Searching for “Christ-centered leadership” provides an important distinctive as its locus is the person and work of Jesus Christ. This not only encompasses the historical work of Christ in the redemption of the leader but (hopefully) His ongoing regeneration and renewal as that leader tends and feeds His sheep.
The need for community as a leader cannot be overstated. Not to be the first among equals but the least among servants.
16.10.2010
Taiwan (ROC)
Thank you Jane, you do a very good paper about sharing this problem.
I agree that there are more enough good people in our church but not
so many ’GOOD’ leaders in there.
Maybe to give more chance to the ’Young’ or high fliers is the best solution.
16.10.2010
Egypt
ِexcellent piece. I thought that in the third world and muslim countries we have different problems. But after reading your paper I realized.... Human beings are the same all over the world
14.10.2010
United States
Thank you Jane for taking the time to put this paper together. It shows us once again how much there is a need for intercessors on behalf of leadership! I know I need to be spending more time in prayer with all of this as well. People can be aware of what it means to be a "Christ-like leader," but seeing an actual change in people’s lives and making the right decisions/choices on a daily basis, is the difficult part.
As a younger leader, it has been a burden for me to see how many other younger leaders turn away from leadership, because of some of these statistics that you stated. OR they don’t end up wanting the responsibility that goes with the title of a "leader", once they really find out what it all entails. OR they see the burned out leaders, etc and don’t want to turn out like them, so they pull away from leadership all together. I’ve seen it happen time and time again.
I can still remember when I really began to evaluate my style of leadership and how I was handling situations. I was 21 yrs old and I had this girl say that she would never want to be me. We were good friends, but I was also her leader and when she went more in depth as to why she wouldn’t want to be me, I found out that it was because I was always busy, stressed and had so much responsibility and she didn’t want to have to deal with all of that.
It really got me thinking about what kind of leader I was portraying. Even if I was tired and had to much going on, that’s NOT the first thing they should see! It REALLY challenged me and that’s where I feel like I began trying to live more of a "Christ-centered leadership" life-style. Not that I had been neglecting my relationship with the Lord, or anything like that, but it challenged me to be aware of what others saw in me first, where my priorities were at, how much I was trying to do in my own strength, how I was leading out and what the most evident thing in my life was. If we’re supposed to be striving to be "Christ-like", then others SHOULD want to be like us. So, it was a HUGE turning point in my life and I continue to ask God to convict me, or show me how I can change and be the leader that He wants me to be.
I liked how you expressed this: "Christ-centered leadership is not a goal to achieve, but rather a lifetime journey to undertake."
I appreciate all you have shared and it helps to even know how to pray more specifically for leaders and the type of leaders that need to be raised up. It’s not easy, but it is a HUGE need. I know there’s hope for change, but I have to continue to pray that people will make the right choices and apply what they learn. Even those that have been set in their ways for so many years. When younger leaders can see an intentional change in the lives of the leaders above them, besides just talking about it, it makes a HUGE difference.
14.10.2010
Norway
Interesting survey, but are there no positive and encouraging stories and examples to tell about? If I were young, this survey and your interpretation would make me lose hope from the very outset.
Another matter: On p.3 you say that one cannot be born a Christ-centered leader no matter how gifted one might be. Yes, but is it not conceivable that the Spirit sometimes takes a natural gift and puts it on fire and in that way transforms it into a spiritual gift? So why only paint the gloomy picture? Are not also our natural gifts gifts from the Lord?
14.10.2010
Italy
Thank you for sharing this research and for this refreshing paper! I question that still remained with me as I read it was regarding the target audience. Even though it is stated that the “target” was “Christ-centered leaders”, that it is still very broad… Maybe a more defined audience in terms of scope with help further the discussion. Blessings as you prepare for next week!
13.10.2010
Italy
Thank you for sharing this research and for the refreshing paper! A question that still remained with me as I read it was regarding the target audience. Even though it is stated that the “target” was “Christ-centered leaders”, that it is still very broad… Maybe a more defined audience in terms of scope will help further the discussion. Blessings as you prepare for next week!
13.10.2010
Malaysia
We have uncountable leadership workshops and seminars that sharpen the skills but where are the Christ-like leaders, vulnerable and transparent, who are willing to walk with us and show us the essence of leadership?
10.10.2010
Indonesia
It’s has been so long when we entry leadership discourse our eyes look upon how worldly, secularism, and what so called ‘professionalism’ define about who leader is. We expect leaders who could compete with this world and even with other churches and christian organization and put this kind of leader in christendom. From leader, we demand more capacity, ability, capability than spirituality, humility, integrity dan simplicity. then we short of leaders.
How about Christ-Like Leader, with availability for sacrifice, suffering, may a looser, not famous, but faithful and humble ?
08.10.2010
United States
What a blessing to have those statistics and concerns mapped out like that. I agree that we have a leadership void. It’s odd that in the US where we practically worship leadership, we still don’t see much of biblical leadership touted (sacrifice, humility, integrity). More often it’s about leading people in such a way so that a corporate entity can make more money.
07.10.2010
United Kingdom
We have a leadership problem indeed, but then in the terms set out in this paper, so did the church in the first century and in every century since. The amazing thing is that God uses fallible leaders to accomplish his work. A Biblical and historical perspective can perhaps give us a little more hope.
Maybe it helps to distinguish spiritual and structural factors in leadership development. Learning skills and developing character each require a different methodology. Spiritual development is necessary in every context, but the specific skills may vary within different church and cultural contexts.
07.10.2010
United States
Thanks for the presentation of the survey and your comments, Jane. Very helpful.
06.10.2010
Nigeria
This subject is dear to my heart. There is a huge generational gap of deliberate and sacrificial mentoring by older Christian leaders, targeted at raising emerging Christian leaders. This has contributed greatly, in my opinion, to the crisis the Church is facing in this regard and has continued to increase the hunger for mentoring today among emerging Christian leaders.
What distinguishes a Christian leader is Christ-centered influence, emanating from his/her character or if you like internalized core values (walking your talk, living and leading like Jesus), which I agree are developed through life experience, mentors, classroom training, models, accountability, etc. As a YL, I have in the course of my Christian walk related with several older Christian leaders at various levels and fronts and have had very enriching and also not so good encounter.
It’s a mixed feeling in my view; the oldies are too busy to make out time to mentor the youngies, they lord it over them and are more inclined to using the people to accomplish the task than raising people to accomplish the task. The youngies, like orphans, struggle to develop themselves through every other available option (experience, bible school, etc), and to influence their successors.
The time has come for all hands to be on deck toward ensuring that every Christian has the opportunity he/she needs to grow and keep growing towards Christ-like/centered (selfless and sacrificial) leadership.
05.10.2010
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