Biblical Support for the Practices of a Leader

Currently, I am enrolled in a class on Leadership Principles and Strategic Management. For some of my future posts, I will be putting up a series on leadership from my written assignments. I will be quoting mainly from three sources:

1. The Bible (NASB version)
2. Business Leadership (Edited by Joan V. Gallos, published by Jossey-Boss)
3. Spiritual Leadership (By Henry and Richard Blackaby)

I hope you enjoy these posts as much as I have enjoyed studying them.

Leadership, according to Kouzes and Posner, is “not about personality; it’s about practice” (Business Leadership, 26). They argue further that a great leader does not rest entirely upon titles and positions. However, those titles shouldn’t be undermined, because there are great leaders who hold high positions. But the main point being stressed is that great leaders are marked by their conduct. Kouzes and Posner identify five practices of exemplary leadership, which include modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, and encouraging the heart. The purpose of this short essay is to show that the practices of leadership listed here are consistent with the teachings of the Bible. I will focus on only one practice of leadership: Modeling the way.

To model the way is to lead by example. It’s matching beliefs with actions. The leader is to behave in a way that agrees with the set of standards that they teach. The old saying goes, “do what I say, and not what I do.” But that opposes the idea that leaders are to model the way. The Bible mandates that Christians be examples to others. In order to be an example, we must have a set of practices to follow. James says “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22). Our claims to Christianity should be backed up by proof. Our life, which is on display for all to see, will either prove our obedience to God’s word, or negate our Christian claims. Paul encourages Timothy that “in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:12). By way of example, we are to show others what we in turn expect out of them. Through discipleship, Christians encourage one another to strive for righteousness by confronting sin, and helping each other glorify God through their lives. Yet we cannot expect others to behave in a way that we ourselves don’t follow. Paul encourages us to “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). His example was Christ, and in turn, his life was an example to all of us who read his epistles. We are to look at the example that Jesus left for us, and imitate His life, so that we too may be an example to others. Jesus is the standard that we measure our life up against, to see if we are consistent with His word or not. His entire life is an example that we should follow. Jesus modeled the way.