The Key to Unlocking the bible’s point of view on leading

It is customary in recent books on biblical leadership to approach the sacred text as a source of enduring principles and moral guidelines for leading. Indeed there is a wealth of helpful insights for today’s leader in the ancient biblical record. One cannot help but gain valuable lessons for leading when gazing into the biblical mirror offered in the lives of Jesus, Paul, Moses, David and other ‘founding fathers” of the Christian faith. For sure, these books offer sound advice, even eternal wisdom, for leaders today. And their faithful emphasis on servant leadership as the paradigm for leading is outstanding. .

But is that all there is? The current genre of biblically based leadership books generally seeks to answer the question, “What lessons can leaders today glean from the examples and lives of biblical leaders long ago?” As instructive as these leadership lessons are, suppose there is actually a prescriptive model for leading in the Bible. While denigrating, neither the lessons learned from these books nor their authors, if we addressed the Scriptures with a different question, would we get a different answer? Refreshingly, the answer may well be “yes”. If the Bible does contain a definitive model for leaders in churches, mission agencies, and even in the business world, we all would do well to add it to our thinking and practice of leadership. Read More