What Kind of Leader Do You Choose to Be?

What kind of leader was Jesus Christ?

How do you make a difference in the world today? It seems like we’re always being challenged to become better leaders. But at a time where we can all impact the world in our own ways, why do we strive to be more like everyone else we know?

What kind of leader was Jesus Christ?

I try to model my life after a carpenter who walked the earth over two thousand years ago. He was a serving leader. Jesus Christ didn’t have great political skills or army of followers at the time he launched his mission but he did have a powerful message that would change the world forever.

Jesus Christ worked closely with his followers and he shared his wisdom with anyone who would listen. He picked a team of followers from across society. He may have been the first leader who recognized the power in community and the inherent value of diversity.

Jesus Christ’s followers included many of his society’s least desirables and the unclean. The stories about him leave little doubt that he loved people. He enjoyed his time while he was here but understood how challenging it was to go against manmade power structures.

Jesus Christ understood how hard it was to make change happen across society. He strove to help others make lasting change. He understood that even the best people backslide, no matter how committed they might be to a cause. He loved them always.

Jesus Christ taught the lesson of inclusion and belonging. This may have alienated many of his family and friends who believed they were called to a unique position in the world. True leadership comes from understanding who you are and what you believe.

Jesus Christ chose not to judge others and felt love was more powerful than hate. He came from a highly structured culture but chose to share an intimate view of his Holy Father. His belief that God was approachable changed how people viewed God across many cultures.

When you study the times in which Jesus Christ lived you uncover a very violent time in mankind’s history. He was the not the first man that the Romans crucified or would he be the last. Many of his early followers would meet a similar fate. He chose to preach love and not overthrow. Many historians believed that this is why many abandoned his early church.

Jesus focused on serving others, forgiveness, and unconditional love to be his lasting legacy. These simple ideas would create a movement that has helped changed the world for over 2000 years.

For my friends and fellow serving leaders across the globe I wanted to take time to wish you a Happy Easter from all our contributors at Market Leadership Journal.

May we help guide you to create your own lasting leadership legacy. Happy Easter.

Originally Published at Developing Serving Leaders