Student Leadership 8
Last week we attempted to outline a generic understanding of leadership that we might consider as we set out to develop leadership among our students.
Let us now suggest another potential definition of leadership that is more weighted toward our distinctive faith perspective:
Leadership is discerning how God wants people to grow, serve one another and achieve God-honouring outcomes, developing the initiative to use God’s methods to get them there in reliance on God’s enabling.[1]
Which helps us to clarify how we might see Biblical Leaders:
A Biblical Leader is a person of character and competence who influences a community of people to achieve a God-honouring calling by means of the enabling of Christ.[2]
In our Biblical Christian understanding, we see that leadership is a responsiveness to God. In fact, the first criteria of a Biblical leader is for them to know that they are led; they are called to Godly obedience. This leadership involves discernment of calling, purpose and people. It involves initiative, God-honouring ways and dependence upon the enabling of God. God calls and God equips.
It is instructive to look at the implied verbs in these definitions: discerning, growing, serving, relating, achieving, developing, influencing, enabling. We need to interpret those actions through the two most important responsibilities for Christians – to love God and to love people. This gives us a wonderful context for leadership.
Some people suggest that, because many of our students will take up vocations in situations or communities that do not hold a Biblical Christian worldview, that maybe these definitions are too “spiritual”.
I think we can hold to our definitions wherever we may be; our public articulation may be a little different. Wherever we operate, I think this definition should be informative:
“Leadership is for the common good of the communities in which we live and serve; engaging respectfully, relationally and redemptively.”
Are these attempted definitions helpful in determining how we approach Leadership development with our young people?
Blessings
Brian
[1] Based upon John Piper (2014): “The Marks of a Spiritual Leader Desiring God” Minneapolis p3
[2] Based upon Mike Ayers (2015): “Power to Lead” RBK Texas p40