The Baptist Digest

Jesus’ Paradigm For Leadership Development

January 2007

Jesus’ decisions concerning leadership development were seldom popular. When the crowds were following Jesus in Matt. 5, he left them, choosing instead to invest his teaching in his disciples. When he was healing and working miracles, others requested to join his band of disciples. In at least one case, Jesus turned down a man who begged to accompany him in his ministry, telling him instead to take another direction with his energies (Mark 5:18-19). And how do you suppose the other nine disciples felt when Jesus spent focused time alone with Peter, James and John? Likely there were complaints of, “What about me?”

Spending focused time on developing leaders was a priority to Jesus. Yet following in his footsteps can be challenging, for we can already feel the pressure and complaints those kinds of decisions are likely to bring. How many of us would have felt obligated to preach the Sermon on the Mount to the entire crowd? How many of us would have allowed any who wished to join the original twelve disciples? How many of us would have felt constrained to give equal time to all disciples? Or even to invest more in those who seemed most needy? When we take time to examine the way Jesus structured his ministry, most of our traditional ideas about Christian leadership get turned upside down.

Once we commit ourselves to investing in developing leaders as Jesus did, we can then also learn by examining his training methods. Again—it’s not the expected route. He offered no classes, gave no lectures, and conferred no degrees.

He knew the most effective leadership training involves people learning by doing. Jesus used a five-step “Show How” training process.

1. I do, you watch.
2. I do, you help.
3. You do, I help.
4. You do, I watch.
5. You do, someone else watches.

Jesus used this method because he knew people learn best by example, followed by hands on experience. He let them observe him casting out demons, then he let them try it themselves. He even let them fail. When they ran up against a demon they couldn’t cast out, only then were they ready to hear what Jesus had to say on the matter (Mark 9).

Perhaps we should all ask God to point out to us the future leaders we should be investing in and then consider ways to can implement “Show How” training within our own ministry context. What skills can you effectively model? What entry-level leadership opportunities can you provide? What are the leadership training needs of those God has brought to you?

Recommended Book:
A Leadership Paradox: Influencing Others by Defining Yourself, Greg Robinson with Mark Rose, Authorhouse Publishing.

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I thought you might like this column I read at baptistdigest.com. "Jesus’ Paradigm For Leadership Development" Jesus’ decisions concerning leadership development were seldom popular. When the crowds were following Jesus in Matt. 5, he left them, choosing instead to invest his teaching in his disciples. When he was healing and working miracles, others requested to join his band of disciples. In at least one case, Jesus turned down a man who begged to accompany him in his ministry, telling him instead to take another direction with his energies (Mark 5:18-19). And how do you suppose the other nine disciples felt when Jesus spent focused time alone with Peter, James and John? Likely there were complaints of, “What about me?” You can read the rest here: http://www.baptistdigest.com/archive/column/jesus_paradigm_for_leadership_development/