Leadership. It's quite a buzz lately in Christian circles. Have you noticed all the leadership chatter?
Consider the enormous popularity of Christian publications like…
- Leadership Gold
- Leadership Journal magazine.
Then there are all those Leadership conferences.
But go ahead and Google Christian conferences on “Following Christ”…and you won't find much. Following lacks the flash and fun of being a leader. And, in my opinion, therein lies the danger.
Now hear me carefully. I'm not saying we don't need leaders, or that there shouldn't be any new training for leadership. But I AM saying I think our current emphasis is probably out of whack.
Is our biggest problem today in Christianity really a lack of good leaders? I say it's a lack of good followers. While there may be problems in leadership circles…we are dying for lack of obedience in the pew. And in the end, the very best leader cannot conjure up an ounce of obedience.
So why all the conferences and DVDs and books on leadership?
The ugly truth is, too many of us want to be leaders because leaders get to call more shots. Leaders are entrusted with more power. Bigger salaries. Nicer perks. Even in Christian organizations. But that's the world's value system.
The call of Christ is to be fishers of men, not leaders of men.
The Great Commission is about making disciples…followers…not leaders.
The truth is, when we have good followers, we will have good leaders. Because an effective leader is nothing more than a follower who follows well—and who encourages others to do the same.
Yes…there's a place for vision casting and setting the pace… But there's an even bigger call to quietly run the race with integrity and humility.
It's time we stepped back a bit from our fascination with leadership.
It's time we stepped up our determination to follow Jesus all day… every day. No matter what the cost.
Only THEN will we create a new generation of leaders worth following.