The Servant Heart Empowered Through Compassion and Integrity

The leadership which people love does not come by man-made rules, or by the following of conventional role expectancies. Yet it does come by integrity, reliability, hard work and sometimes mixed with gentle humour.

Leadership does not require status to occur, and neither is it threatened by the fact that others have acquired or even been born to privilege. A person who follows and commends a dream becomes a leader as soon as someone follows. It requires commitment to a goal.

Leadership can work in a team best when the “leaders” have “died to self’, when they are autonomous to surrounding standards but are still accountable to fellow workers, and malleable in the hands of the Creator- Sanctifier. Leadership is not a doormat to the expectations, agenda and demands of others, but becomes recognisable when someone is captivated by the created dignity and meaning that lies within the personhood of others.

A leader is a very focussed and self-disciplined person. This is sometimes assisted when the person also has a capacity for lightness and humour. This humour will never be predatory upon the personhood and sensitivities of others, and will sometimes be self-effacing, but without pretence or patronising attitudes.

Leadership is willing to accept the painful consequences at those times when the very nature of leadership indicates only one person can see all the perspectives requiring decisions. Leadership will take children seriously, respect their boundaries, and validate their personhood without demanding adult maturity. Leadership is relaxed but not careless, efficient but not officious, pursues excellence but can laugh at own mistakes, except with regard to the hurt caused to others.

These qualities are seen in Jesus Christ in the Gospels. He is our Creator, Saviour, Sanctifier, Intercessor, and our Example.

Lindsay Johnstone

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