Everything associated with Christianity is about relationships. The reason the Father created the universe is as a home for man. The purpose of the cross is to bring man and God back into relationship after the fall in the Garden of Eden. Now, as Christians, we are to be involved with other people in order to lead them to Jesus, assist them in becoming strong disciples and be leaders in the world.

Leadership is also relational, meaning the best way to lead is to first know the people you are leading. In John Maxwell’s Leadership Bible he lists three levels of leadership.

1. Leaders can IMPRESS others from a distance. We can impress others by our qualifications or our experience. The leader’s lifestyle should be ‘impressive’, this will bring others to willingly follow our lives. Paul said, “Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.” I Thess. 2:9.

2. Leaders can INFLUENCE others as they grow closer to them. Leadership is influence. The influence happens when the follower chooses to duplicate the example of the leader. At this stage the follower’s life will change. It is a humbling matter for our lives to bring about positive change in others.

3. Leaders can IMPACT others only in close relationships. Closeness brings about a climate for growth and transformed lives. It is as a leader opens his/her life that the followers see what needs to happen in their lives.

To be a leader is not about control or domination; it is about helping people fulfill God’s plan for their lives. Love is the only motivation for real leaders.

Dr. Jim Burbank

This update was posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 at 8:23 am and is filed under Dr. Jim's Newsletters.