SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP

As believers, we recognize the value of imitating
Jesus and His leadership style. But if we really
think about it, it’s strange that we try to emulate
a leader who never developed an organization,
regularly encouraged people to stop following
Him, and ultimately saw His death as the
pinnacle of His accomplishments.
Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/
AurelianGogonea
What kind of perspective must a leader have to
place high value on these kinds of strategies?
Jesus was not a manager. His primary role was
to function as a spiritual leader.
Not all leaders in religious organizations are
spiritual leaders. This is not a criticism as much
as a distinction. Distinguishing spiritual leadership
from other forms of leadership can free people
from unrealistic expectations of some leaders.
At the same time, making this distinction can help
identify who the spiritual leaders in your
organization are. Here are six characteristics that
identify most spiritual leaders:
1. They lead others into their own encounters
with God. One of the most effective things
about Jesus’ lifestyle was that He didn’t
switch into another mode to introduce His
disciples to the reality of God.
Whether standing in the synagogue or
picking wheat along the path, interacting
with the Father was so natural that others
around Him could not help but do the same.
Whether a spiritual leader is training a new
employee or working through a difficult
conflict resolution, his followers will discover
their own connection to God more deeply in
the process.
2. They lead others to discover their own
purpose and identity. Spiritual leadership is
characterized by great generosity. A
spiritual leader genuinely wants others to
fully discover who they were made to be.
Workplace issues and strategic development
become tools to help followers discover
their own identity and overcome obstacles
standing in their way. People functioning in
an area of their created identity and
strength will always be more productive
than those who are simply trying to fill a
position or role.
3. They lead others into transformation—not
just production. When the goal is spiritual
growth and health, production will always
be a natural outcome. People function at
their peak when they function out of
identity.
Helping your followers discover that their
own transformation can happen on the job
will engender loyalty and a high level of
morale. Spiritual leadership fosters passion
in those who follow. Passion is the
ingredient that moves people and
organizations from production to
transformational impact.
4. They impact their atmosphere. While we
may not stop a tempest with our words,
spiritual leaders recognize that they can
change the “temperature” of a room,
interaction, or relationship.
Changing the atmosphere is like casting
vision, only it is immediate. When there is
tension, fear, or apathy, a spiritual leader
can transform the immediate power of these
storms and restore vision, vitality and hope.
A spiritual leader can fill a room with love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness
and gentleness, even while speaking hard
things.
5. They help people see old things in new
ways. Many people are stuck not in their
circumstances, but in their perspectives and
paradigms. The word “repent” means “to
think differently, or to think in a different
way.” Jesus called people to look again at
old realities through new eyes. Changing
ways of thinking always precedes
meaningful change.
6. They gain a following because of who they
are—not because of a position they hold.
Spiritual leaders can be found in secular
organizations, in the same way managers
and organizational leaders can be found in
religious ones.
Spiritual leaders influence more than they
direct, and they inspire more than they
instruct. They intuitively recognize that they
are serving something—and Someone —
larger than themselves and their own
objectives.