Elevate

Announcement

I am moving to Vineyard, Utah to plant a church with the North American Mission Board. More information to come! You can monitor our progress starting October 1st at www.utahcunninghams.com.

Book Review: Jesus on Leadership

Jesus On Leadership: Discovering the Secrets of Servant Leadership from the Life of Christ by Gene Wilkes is a helpful resource for teaching Christians biblical answers to leadership questions. Wilkes, who pastored Legacy Drive Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, earned his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and his MDiv and a Ph.D. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Wilkes speaks and trains internationally in the area of leadership.

Wilkes gives the seven principles of servant leadership. Principle one is, “Servant leaders humble themselves and wait for God to exalt them.” The Parable of the Wedding Feast, found in Luke 14:7-11, serves as the source material. This passage reminds leaders they should not concern themselves with places of esteem.  Principal two, “Servant leaders follow Jesus rather than seeking a position,” is based on Mark 10:32-40, where Jesus foretells of His death for the third time. Much like the disciples, Christians need to trust Jesus when they are uncertain of the outcome. Principle three, “Servant leaders give up personal rights to find greatness in service to others,” based on Mark 10:41-45, features Jesus giving one of His most famous quotes, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Christians, likewise, are called to serve. Principle four is “Servant leaders can risk serving others because they trust that God is in control of their lives.”  John 13:3 states, “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,”(ESV). Trusting in God’s plan and provision gives Christians purpose and confidence as they serve their communities Principle five says, “Servant leaders take up Jesus’ is towel of servanthood to meet the needs of others.” John 13:4-11 gives an account of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet. Christians are called to do likewise. Principle six is “Servant leaders share the responsibility and authority with others to meet a greater need.” Acts 6:1-6 tells of the calling of the seven to serve. This passage commissions Christians to help their communities. Principle seven, the final principle, encourages servant leaders to multiply their leadership by empowering others to lead. Exodus 18:17-23 serves as inspiration. This book helps leaders grow in their personal leadership ability through biblical application and then inspires them to produce other leaders who share those qualities. 

The book shines when it stays on the source material — Jesus Christ. Wilkes does a serviceable job of organizing and communicating some of Christ’s best teachings and personal examples of servanthood. Wilkes also adequately demonstrates how servants inspire better performance from their followers. Integrity, loyalty, and trust are qualities that emerge from servant leaders. These qualities encourage their followers and help organizations. Jesus’ model of the suffering servant inspires Christians to look past their ambitions and focus on the well-being of others. Christ’s aversion to the “head table” and His desire to serve instead of being served are qualities that have inspired Christians for centuries. Waiting on God’s timing and approval moves the burden from the leader and empowers him or her to succeed. Finally, Wilkes argues that a willingness to be a follower creates teams that are focused on the end goal but greatly benefit the group as opposed to the individual.

Wilkes correctly emphasizes the need for Christians to emulate Jesus above all. In a world saturated by materialism and power, focusing on Christ’s example and seeking Him in worship challenges believers to pursue higher callings and become better stewards of physical and human resources. Following Christ adds perspective and purpose to seemingly meaningless daily decisions that can be harnessed for God’s greater plan. This perspective, aided by Scripture and prayer, emboldens believers to make difficult decisions that can seem counterintuitive in worldly environments and to leave the results to God.

While the book is an accessible read, some areas flow better than others. The book, at times, wanders from Christ into the teachings of Moses, Paul and other parts of the Bible. At these junctures, Wilkes appears to be more concerned with supporting the seven principles than examining the life and leadership of Jesus. While the content of these passages is beneficial for leaders, Wilkes fails to connect the content directly to Jesus. The results are cumbersome and unnecessary, considering Christ should offer plenty of source material and serves as the book’s titular focus.

Written at the end of the twentieth century, Jesus on Leadership is also a product of its era. While much of the teaching is timeless, some of the author’s application is dated. Wilkes cites church growth gurus such as Rick Warren and Bill Hybels without updated examples from twentieth-century leaders. His use of acronyms, such as S.E.R.V.E. and E.Q.U.I.P. harken back to a time when churches regularly used corporate and military communication methods to relay their vision. His references to DISC personality inventories and spiritual gifts assessments alongside biblical teaching are hallmarks of the church growth movement. This work was also shaped by a corporate mentality. Most of Wilkes’ examples come from the first chair, like a pastor or CEO. These examples fit the context of leaders making decisions by themselves or with a small group and expecting subordinates to carry out the vision. While the illustration of a CEO serving his or her workers is inspiring, the visioning and creative process may have changed in recent years. Tech companies such as Google and Facebook have implemented innovation structures that are more collaborative and less hierarchal. Also, church polity can be diverse depending on geography and denomination. Some congregations make decisions in a more grassroots manner, without strong pastoral or elder input.  Some of Wilkes’ applications need updating to account for these changes.

Critics allege that pastors of that era “baptized” corporate resources to put congregations to work. The size and scope of the megachurch movement required heavy parishioner involvement. In the twenty-first century context, programmatic church ministry struggles with sustainability issues, and the leadership applications of this work may need updating to decentralized, missional settings. While the merging of biblical wisdom and leadership study, if done improperly, can be distorted into shallow self-help or prosperity teaching, Wilkes balances the two and produces a useful resource that respects both sources.

Though dated, Jesus on Leadership by Gene Wilkes is a valuable and helpful read for those who desire to use their position of leadership for the greater good. He demonstrates knowledge of both the biblical text as well as leadership theory, and he can connect ancient scriptures to a modern context. Wilkes advocates admirably for servant leadership and inspires a generation of leaders to re-define success.

Book Review: Lead Like Jesus

Lead Like Jesus by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges serves as one of the most acclaimed leadership resources inspired by Christian principles. Blanchard achieved notoriety for his best-selling book, The One Minute Manager. In the late twentieth century, he became a committed Christian, and Lead Like Jesus came from combining his two passions — his faith and leadership. 

Like his contemporary John Maxwell, Blanchard defines leadership as influence. “Leadership is a process of influence. Anytime you seek to influence the thinking, behavior, or development of people in their personal or professional lives, you were taking on the role of a leader.” Blanchard holds a Ph.D. in education administration and leadership from Cornell University. He remains in demand as a speaker, trainer, and expert in the field of leadership. His book The One Minute Manager was an international hit, exceeding sales of 13 million copies. This book merges his love of leadership theory with his faith, drawing inspiration from Jesus Christ as the ultimate example for leaders to emulate.

The book divides leadership into four domains. The heart and the head deal with internal aspects of leadership. The heart deals with motivations and egos, and the head addresses the leader’s beliefs and theories. Meanwhile, the hands and habits describe external factors of leadership. The hands judge the leader’s actions, and the habits break down daily routines to help the leader succeed. These four domains are viewed through the lens of a servant leader. A servant leader puts the needs of others above his or her own. To be a servant leader is to be like Jesus. These habits are designed to help leaders emulate the qualities of Christ and, in turn, influence those around them to perform better while changing their world for the better. Readers are asked three questions to apply these principles: “Am I a leader?” (p. 4); “Am I willing to follow Jesus as my leadership role model?” (p. 11); and “How do I lead like Jesus?” (p. 19). This work was one of the most important books of its era, inspiring Christians to embrace their leadership potential through the empowerment of Christ.

The book is remarkably practical. The author’s emphasis on internal development helps improve external results. The four domains help leaders evaluate their motivations, values, beliefs, and strategies before assessing their schedules, habits, and other factors. The book’s best contributions are the head and heart domains. If leaders can align their work with their values, they improve their effectiveness because they find purpose in their efforts. Blanchard and Hodges also effectively define, describe, and advocate for the role of the servant leader. Servant leadership is possible when the heart and head domains influence the leader’s “hands” and “habits.” Whether the readers are pastors, business leaders, or congregation members, this accessible work can inspire people from all walks of life to improve their leadership potential.

As with many faith-based leadership resources, more attention is paid to the internal domains than to the external domains. This book is more concerned with developing the reader’s character and purpose than providing specific strategic, managerial, or process advice for leaders. While readers hoping to find specific advice on leading organizations may come away disappointed, those looking for a fresh way to improve themselves and inspire others can benefit from this practical and biblically-based resource.

Critics of modern biblical leadership theory point to the work of Robert Greenleaf and his coining of the term "servant leadership" in the 1960s. Greenleaf's work espoused an idealistic brand of leadership, but it did not reference the biblical text. Furthermore, it could be argued that religious organizations throughout history functioned as ambitiously as their secular counterparts. Critics of biblical servant leadership allege that Christian authors "baptized" Greenleaf's work and ascribed his values to biblical characters. Reformed ministers are particularly critical of this brand of teaching. In Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, by John Piper, the author suggests that “We may think we are centering our lives on God when we are really making Him a means to self-esteem.” Christians comparing their visioning ability to that of Christ would imply that they look to their insight and do not submit to God's will. Critics lumped these kinds of resources in with the prosperity gospel, self-help, and materialistic preaching. Blanchard, Maxwell, and their contemporaries saw their work reproduced and preached with varying levels of effectiveness around the turn of the century. Not all congregations appreciated what they perceived as sermons on professional development. Some asserted that Christ's teachings were packaged and sold for a profit, rather than viewing these resources as a means of attracting professionals to church. Biblical leadership resources offer scriptural and doctrinal applications that help Christians lead with confidence and effectiveness. Books that hold up Jesus as a model risk alienating believers with a more reverential view of their faith. They would simply argue that they cannot lead like Jesus because they are not Jesus. They argue that these comparisons trivialize the deity of Christ and set unrealistic expectations for his followers.

This view would be an unfair characterization of Lead Like Jesus. Though blending leadership and biblical sources is difficult, Blanchard and Hodges provide proper balance and application. This work is not meant to be a theological treatise. Rather, it calls God’s people into action and prepares them to act with the heart and ideals espoused by their inspiration — Jesus Christ.

Blanchard's age and background, coupled with Phil Hodges’ corporate business experience, offer a unique perspective on Christ's teachings. Their application, however, is best-suited for late 20th-century business structures. At the time of the book's publication, pastors and Christian leaders struggled in their ability to reach and engage community leaders. Clergy underwent significant professional development in order to remain relevant to an evolving culture. This resource proved influential in training pastors in this growth area. It remains to be seen whether this work will translate with Gen Y and Gen Z, whose attitudes about organizations and leadership differ from those of their predecessors.

Though the moral and functional failings of religious organizations are well-documented, and leadership theory is easily manipulated for selfish motives, Jesus Christ remains the ultimate standard to which Christians aspire. The four domains provide useful checkpoints for self-assessment and improvement. Servant leadership is also needed in churches, businesses, and communities. Lead Like Jesus continues to inspire people to harness biblical wisdom to make a difference.