What thoughts come to you when you think of the word leader? I find that most people think of power, authority, and control. Considering the events of the 20th century, the word often resonates negatively, as some national leaders have been harsh tyrants. The names of leaders of terrorist organizations are in the headlines daily. Some Pied Piper religious figures have led their congregations into acts of self-destruction. So the word leader has fallen on hard times.
One can feel the void this leaves. There is a strong, yearning today for real leadership—leadership that includes vision, responsibility, and power. Leadership on the world scene. Leadership in business. Leadership in religion. Leadership in government. Yet that yearning appears to hit a barrier of fear—fear that a leader will abuse the power that he or she has. There is a yin-and-yang conflict between the desire for better leadership and fear of what it might lead to.
How can we redeem a right sense of leadership? First, we should divorce the idea of leadership from the idea of ambition. The age-old strife over who shall be greatest is at war with true leadership. Leadership is effective only when it is selfless. Jesus' disciples, for example, frequently jockeyed for power and preference. Yet Jesus humbly washed their feet and asked them if they understood the difference between their ambition and his service. Earlier he had said: "For who is greater—the one who sits at table or the servant who waits on him? Surely the one who sits at table. Yet here I am among you like a servant." Luke 22:27 (NEB).
