Lots of people these days have leadership titles, but how many of them have leadership traits?

Titles are granted, traits are earned.

Titles are impersonal, traits are relational.

Titles are easy to come by, traits are developed over time.

Titles can be an end in themselves, traits are the means to an end.

Titles create entitlement, traits necessitate empowerment.

Titles make much of self, traits make much of others.

For Jesus, leadership was not about titles, but traits like servanthood, self-sacrifice, and serving as an example for others…

So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-25, NLT)

Jesus didn’t look for leaders who would serve.  He looked for servants who could lead!

Jesus modeled for us how servanthood develops leadership!

If you have a leadership title of any sort (Dad, Mom, Boss, Pastor etc), ask yourself…

1.  If the people in your life served like you, what would their schedule look like?

~ (connect people to God, caring / coaching others)

2,  If the people in your life loved like you, what would their relationships look like?

~ (marriage, work / school, difficult people)

3.  If the people in your life handled resources like you do, what would their finances look like?

~ (debt, tithing, helping others)

4.  If the people in your life pursued Jesus like you, what would their life look like?

~ (prayer, Scripture, community, mission)

Jesus never awarded any leadership titles.  But He did model leadership traits for us to develop.

#1 – servanthood / #2 – self sacrifice / #3 – serving as an example for others to follow.

For further reading check out 1 Peter 5:1-7

Tags: Jesus and leadership, leadership, Titles, Traits of leadership