He says the words like a charge and a challenge to us, the warm bodies filling the pews on a Sunday morning.

“We’re all called to be leaders.”

The too shy and too-busy. The servants. The broken, the ill-equipped and the unwilling.

You say that if we call ourselves followers, we are also called to be leaders?

“Without wise leadership, a nation is in trouble.” Prov. 11:14a

Then he tells us a leadership course has already been written for us — look to Christ and focus on these seven actions:

Identification. Clarification. Motivation. Collaboration. Concentration. Meditation. Relaxation.

The gospels reveal all the ways Christ walked it out.

• Christ knew who he was — Light of the world, Son of God, the Way, the Truth, the Life.
• Christ was aware of his purpose, he knew where he was going.
• Christ knew who he was trying to please, “the one who sent Me.”
• Christ worked with a team, the 12 apostles.
• Christ had a focus and an “iron will.”
• Christ took time daily to pray and meditate on God’s word.
• Christ knew when he needed rest.

There is no denying this truth — to be Christ-like means I must also be a leader.

How do I do that on days when it’s hard to put one foot in front of the other? And besides, who would follow when I seem to be going nowhere, when I appear to be lost?

Truth be told, I don’t want anyone looking to me for leadership. Some would say my status as a first-born should make me a natural-born leader, but it really just makes me “bossy”. I’d rather serve in the background, supporting others as they lead, serving the followers and cleaning up after them.

Lead the way? I don’t need that kind of pressure.

But I dig into the Word again and come up with this:

Christ led not as a commander but as a fellow journeyman who carried the map. Click To Tweet

He led by example. And he led with single-minded humility. Christ led with his eye on the goal and simply invited others to follow.

He knew who he was following

Maybe I can do that. Maybe with more training, a role model and a road map I can say “I didn’t choose to be a leader, but follow me.”

And these words of a 12th century saint pretty much sum up my “leadership style.”