Issue #16, October 8, 2009
We live in a world looking for ‘more.’ Marketers encourage us to buy because the product has ‘25% more!’ Businesses look for more customers and more profit. Churches look for more members and bigger budgets. Those who have more are highly esteemed. Leaders, as agents of change, naturally join the quest for more.
But John the Baptist shared a new paradigm for servant leaders when he said about Jesus, “He must become greater, I must become less.” (Jn. 3:30) This often overlooked Biblical leader recognized what all of us need to grasp: leadership is not about more of me; it’s about more of Jesus. When I decrease, Jesus can increase. In the upside down kingdom of Jesus, servant leaders lead more with less. How can we lead like John?
Lead more with less by focusing on others.
The power of John’s leadership came from the fact that he did not focus on himself but on others. He was not concerned about his own image or building his own kingdom. He saw the needs of people and proclaimed a message to meet their needs. When Jesus appeared John didn’t focus on his own career. Instead, he pointed people to Jesus who would meet their needs more completely. Servant leadership is really about meeting the needs of others. For an organizational leader, this style of leadership allows focus on the vision of the organization instead of the leaders’ own advancement. The focal point is on those who produce the product or meet the need of the customer. For servant leaders, less of the leader and more of Jesus yields powerful results.
Lead more with less by championing the team.
John the Baptist was not a weakling; he was a gifted leader! He drew crowds and boldly proclaimed a message that championed his cause. People responded and his influence grew to the extent that the political leaders took notice. He was on the road to celebrity status, the dream of many leaders. But he knew his role on the team and when Jesus appeared, he had no reservations about pointing people to Him. To use a sports analogy, John ‘passed the ball’ to a better player. Servant leaders recognize and applaud the efforts of their teams. They say, “Look what you all have done” instead of “Look what I have done.” They are willing to pass the ball to help the team advance even if they won’t get the credit. They are not afraid to bring people around them who are more skilled than they are.
Lead more with less by avoiding the ‘perks’ of leadership.
Most leaders envy the celebrity status John the Baptist enjoyed but they aren’t so excited about his diet of locusts and wild honey! Even as John’s popularity increased, he didn’t give up the simple acts of self-denial that God used to keep him humble. Often, Christian leaders begin with much prayer and fasting, but as they rise in power they start ignoring the basics. They begin to enjoy the ‘perks’ of leadership: titles, expense accounts or bigger office spaces. While these things are not necessarily wrong, servant leaders do not focus on the benefits of leadership. They recognize that as they climb the servant leadership ladder, their responsibilities increase but their privileges decrease. Their time and talents belong less to themselves and more to others. They are more accountable. They lead more with less.
Leading more with less in no way implies less confidence or courage in sharing the vision and helping people move forward. Leading more with less is not for weak leaders. But it does change the focus, less on the leader and more on the people and God’s purposes for their lives. Pause for a moment and ask God how you can lead more with less.
For further reflection and discussion:
- What makes it difficult for me to lead like John the Baptist, more with less?
- Is the focus of my leadership on my own advancement or on meeting the needs of others? (Think deeply about this before you answer!)
- When is the last time you sent a customer or member somewhere else because you knew it would better meet their needs?
- If someone else can do something better than I can, am I willing to empower them to do it or do I insist on doing it myself? Why?
- Are there ‘perks’ (privileges) of leadership that keep me from serving others? If so, what do I need to do to lead more with less?
- Are you willing to let someone else take the center of the stage or do you always need to be in the front?