The Bible tells us that Jesus was perfect. 1 Peter 2:22 reads, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth” (NIV). Because Jesus was perfect, we can conclude that His leadership was also perfect. So by looking at the 33 years of His life, we can see what it truly means to be a leader.
In this article, I will share five ways you can lead like Jesus.
1. Lead with Purpose
The first way to lead like Jesus is with purpose.
A leader’s purpose is the reason he leads. You might call it your goal, cause, or mission. It’s what gets you up in the morning. It’s the reason behind everything you do.
In this book, I argue that the purpose of Jesus’ leadership was to reconcile humanity’s relationship with God.
We see this in the covenants of the Old Testament as well as the new covenant Jesus established through His death and resurrection.
Throughout the book, I explain how the leadership decisions Jesus made were rooted in this purpose.
2. Lead with a Team
Another way to lead like Jesus is with a team.
While many people idealize the idea of DIY leadership or admire lone ranger leaders, this is not an accurate view of leadership.
You might do a lot of things well. However, you cannot do everything. You need help.
When we look at the leadership of Jesus, we see that He had a team. His team was made up of twelve men: Simon Peter, Simon the Zealot, James (son of Alphaeus), James (son of Zebedee), John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, Judas Thaddaeus, and Judas Iscariot (Mark 3:16–19).
If there was one leader who did not need a team, it was Jesus. He was the Perfect Leader. He could have done everything Himself.
However, despite His perfection, He showed us the value of having a team.
3. Lead through Inspiration
Another way to lead like Jesus is through inspiration.
There are two reasons someone might follow a leader: obligation or inspiration.
Obligation is when you have to follow a leader. Inspiration is when you want to follow a leader.
When we look at the leadership of Jesus, we see that He inspired His team.
An example of this is when He called His disciples in Luke 5:1–11.
If you are familiar with this story, you will remember that they caught so many fish that the nets almost broke and the boats began to sink. Peter is moved by this miraculous sign, and Jesus tells the men that if they follow Him, He will make them fishers of men.
The story ends with them leaving everything and following Him.
4. Lead with Clear Expectations
Another way to lead like Jesus is with clear expectations.
Setting expectations is about helping your team know what they need to do.
When we look at the leadership of Jesus, we see that His disciples knew what was expected of them.
An example of this is when Jesus instructs His disciples to take up their cross. Luke 9:23 reads, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (NIV).
There are two ways to think about the cross in this passage: physical and spiritual.
A physical cross is the death of our bodies. A spiritual cross is the death of our will.
In addition to this, you can only take up a physical cross once. However, you need to take up your spiritual cross every day.
Being a Christian is not easy. It requires us to die daily to our will.
As a Christian leader, the work you and your team do may not be easy. However, it is your responsibility to not only set expectations but also to model them.
5. Lead through Sacrifice
Another way to lead like Jesus is through sacrifice.
It can be easy to focus on what your purpose gives you. However, there will come a point when you have to give your purpose something.
To fulfill your purpose as a leader, you will have to make sacrifices.
When we look at the leadership of Jesus, we see that He made sacrifices to fulfill His purpose.
There is no better example of this than His crucifixion.
When Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30, NIV), He was not referring to His life being finished. He was referring to His purpose being fulfilled.
Through His crucifixion, we see that He sacrificed His life to reconcile humanity’s relationship with God.
As Christian leaders, we will also have to make sacrifices to fulfill our purpose.
While we may not be called to sacrifice our lives, we are called to live sacrificially for those we lead.
Final Thoughts
Leadership isn’t simply something you do. It’s something you become.
As you follow the Perfect Leader, learn from His example, and apply His way of life, you will find yourself becoming a better leader wherever you lead.
If this was helpful, you might enjoy going deeper. I wrote A Leader Worth Imitating: 33 Leadership Principles From the Life of Jesus to explore these ideas more fully, with short chapters and application questions to help you apply them to your life and leadership.
Purchase a copy at your favorite retailer, or get a free excerpt from my Leadership Toolbox.
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Nick Chellsen 