Team Leadership from a Biblical Perspective Essay Example
Servant Leadership
The first thing to be considered in developing a theological understanding of team leadership is servant leadership.
Servant leadership is at the heart of Christian leadership. Servant Leadership is different from servanthood. All Christians, not just leaders, are called to be servants, serving each other, following Jesus' example in washing his disciples' feet, and loving our neighbours as ourselves. Along with that call to servanthood is the need we each have to allow ourselves to receive from Jesus, just as he washed his disciple's feet. When Peter protested, Jesus told him, 'Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.' (John 13:8)
In his inspiring book, Leadership: Trilogy on Leadership and Effective Management, Anthony D'Souza1 states:
When discussing leadership and managerial skills, we need remind ourselves that Christian leadership essentially involves service. When we consider the church and/ or church related institutions, we grasp the concept of service. Yet when mention corporations and businesses, the word "service" sounds out of place. Part of the confusion may come from not understanding the true concept of leadership. For many, the word leadership connotes power, authority, honour, prestige, or personal advantage. That's not Christian Leadership. Here's my description of Christian Leadership. It
Seeks to be of service, rather than to dominate;
Encourages and inspires;
Respects rather than exploits others' personalities;
Reflects, prays, and acts on Jesus Christ's words, "whoever wishes to be first among you, shall be servant, even as the son of man came not be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many" (Mt 20:27).
What underpins servant leadership is the motivation behind our actions as leaders. If personal desire was the sole decision criteria, Jesus would have chosen not to go through the pain and suffering on the cross. In the garden at Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, 'Father if you are willing take
The first thing to be considered in developing a theological understanding of team leadership is servant leadership.
Servant leadership is at the heart of Christian leadership. Servant Leadership is different from servanthood. All Christians, not just leaders, are called to be servants, serving each other, following Jesus' example in washing his disciples' feet, and loving our neighbours as ourselves. Along with that call to servanthood is the need we each have to allow ourselves to receive from Jesus, just as he washed his disciple's feet. When Peter protested, Jesus told him, 'Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.' (John 13:8)
In his inspiring book, Leadership: Trilogy on Leadership and Effective Management, Anthony D'Souza1 states:
When discussing leadership and managerial skills, we need remind ourselves that Christian leadership essentially involves service. When we consider the church and/ or church related institutions, we grasp the concept of service. Yet when mention corporations and businesses, the word "service" sounds out of place. Part of the confusion may come from not understanding the true concept of leadership. For many, the word leadership connotes power, authority, honour, prestige, or personal advantage. That's not Christian Leadership. Here's my description of Christian Leadership. It
Seeks to be of service, rather than to dominate;
Encourages and inspires;
Respects rather than exploits others' personalities;
Reflects, prays, and acts on Jesus Christ's words, "whoever wishes to be first among you, shall be servant, even as the son of man came not be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many" (Mt 20:27).
What underpins servant leadership is the motivation behind our actions as leaders. If personal desire was the sole decision criteria, Jesus would have chosen not to go through the pain and suffering on the cross. In the garden at Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, 'Father if you are willing take