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Leaders Led by Jesus
By C. Gene Wilkes

Barbara Kellerman assessed in her latest book, Followership: How Followers Are Creating Change and Changing Leaders (Harvard Business Press, 2008), that followers are “less likely now than they were in the past” to follow orders without question, never voice their opinions, know their place, and that leaders make a mistake when they do not pay attention to or take seriously their followers (xxi). Kellerman identifies five types of followers: isolates, bystanders, participants, activists, and diehards. The stories she tells to describe each type of follower could also come from our churches. Kellerman follows the findings of Zaleznik, Kelley, and Chaleff, all who have raised the importance of the follower in leadership studies. Kellerman theorizes that followers will have more influence than ever before on leaders and the organizations they lead.

What does this have to do with you and me who lead in the church?

I concluded in my book, Jesus On Leadership, (Tyndale, 1998) that one principle of servant leadership after the model and teachings of Jesus is, “Servant Leaders follow Jesus rather than seek a position.” (75) He redirected James and John’s ambitious request to that of discipleship that led to the cross, not a crown. (Mark 10:35-40) I concluded that “Jesus teaches that we learn to lead by learning to follow.” (80) Humble followership is a key characteristic of leaders led by Jesus.

If my observations are true (as are Kellerman and other researchers), then what does it mean when we find ourselves leading a group of followers who cease, for example, to be “bystanders” and become “activists” for their own causes rather than to the mission we have called them to complete? If following is the first steps to leadership among Christ followers, then how do you guide the highly motivated follower to set aside his or her agenda in order to learn to lead by following?

Let’s start with your answers to these observations and questions. Offer your comments, and I’ll join the dialogue with you. Next week, we’ll look how Jesus helped Peter learn to lead by following as an example we may embrace.

Gene: interesting reflections. When I taught a little at ACU I used the collaborative model exclusively for teaching class. Students were given a problem to solve in groups after a brief intro. Each group was responsible to “report” on their work before class was over. It was powerful and we enjoyed very high student evaluations.

At Lakewood we have 1/2 the adult population that will not attend a lecture class, and 1/2 that won’t attend a break out group discussion class.

In the same vein 75% of our church attends Home Church (small groups) regularly. The 25% who don’t are almost all older or long time members.

In the old days connection to a church involved being assigned a “ministry.“ Now it’s all about community connection and service.

I see a church of at least 50% who want to speak into or talk about the direction of most things. They want to be heard and feel involved in something significant. Mere listening to lessons won’t cut it.

By Reg Cox on December 22 2009

Reg, thanks for the real-life example. The good news of those who participate in our churches DO want a say and to be involved at a level that makes a difference. The challenge remains to lead activist followers to invest in the things that are most beneficial to the mission, not just their personal goals and needs.

By Gene on December 22 2009

I would think it’s much easier to harness the highly-motivated in the local church to serve the mission of the church than it is to get people to serve who are not serving. Newton had it right when he defined inertia. It’s true in the church, too. It all comes down to a compelling vision and passionate and inspiring leadership that leads people to honestly believe that the mission of the church is a much greater cause than any they could come up with on their own; that there is no greater “thing” to give their lives to, and that they are involving themselves in something much bigger, much higher, much more noble than they could ever be involved in on their on.

By kd on January 19 2010