Four Weaknesses that make a Great Leader

What makes leaders great?

Is it influence? Wielding power over organizations? Claims of expertise or authority?

In the Bible, leadership is a stewardship, and often one that only the local few know about. It isn’t about using your work to gain a reputation, a platform, or bigger “success.” It’s not striving for greatness in the eyes of the watching world.

Jesus spoke of the “great ones” of the Gentiles. (Mark 10:42) He took their example and flipped it on its

head. They lorded over the people, but Jesus called for servanthood. Leaders following Jesus work hard to serve and know who they are serving.

Here are 4 qualities of “great” leaders. We could even call them 4 weaknesses.

1. Great leaders walk in confession.

Followers of Jesus, even those who are in leadership positions, are sinners. Shocking, right? It can seem that way when a leader never acknowledges sin or asks for forgiveness. It can be implied that the good deeds of the leader invalidate the need to confess. This example is subtly teaching a false gospel that achievements and power can cover sin. It is so tempting for leaders to project our sufficiency and perfection so that we do not need to deal with confession.

As we confess our sin, the log can be removed from our eyes, so God-willing, we can see more clearly. This rescues us from the web of worrying about how others see us.

Our confession is safe and good, because we do believe that the cross was enough to pay for us, and his grace continues to transform us. If we obscure and lie about our sin, our feet will soon be and his grace continues to transform us. If we obscure and lie about our sin, our feet will soon be stuck in quicksand of hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Confession is the only deliverance from such a pit.

2. Great leaders walk in humility.

When I’m honest about my abilities, I know I’m incapable of doing all the Lord puts before me. I quickly come to the place of realizing that magic doesn’t flow from my own genius–and I have weaknesses. Instead, I steward what God has given me, leaning into his grace and truth.

Feigning authority and expertise is much easier than humility, yet I walk before God with an equal need to receive truth. And we don’t use God’s word for our own praise; we don’t play God. We are only human. This forces us to walk the path of humility and equality.

3. Great leaders walk in risk.

When we lead, we become invested in the outcome. It’s easy to dream up what could happen and then slowly begin to make sure that happens. But leaders following Jesus don’t manipulate, and they know they cannot be in control.

Leadership is risky if you’re doing it right. The risk involves being willing to hear others’ perspectives and ideas as well as dealing with conflict. It means welcoming disagreement for the sake of coming to the best decision. It means allowing people to make decisions for themselves within community.

Posturing, power positioning, and achieving will rule any other way. We will feel the need to control, assert our value, or fall into insecurity. Christian leadership is not founded in how well informed or smart we are, rather it must be rooted in a permanent and intimate relationship with God himself.

Admitting this is risky means we also admit we cannot fix it all. We cannot know it all. We do not know what is going to happen, nor do we know another person’s heart and motives. We’re not called to repent because we cannot do all this. Rather, we repent when we have tried to.

4. Great leaders walk in ordinary service.

When we lead, create, teach, or train, power can be a crazy-making temptation. It allows us to masquerade in a divine role for a few minutes. When we meet with someone, our first consideration can be how well we achieved our goal for that session, how they may evaluate us, or, in contrast, it can be how well we served them. That is the daily temptation for us to choose—will we overlook our calling to serve? This is how Jesus defined leadership for his people. Is that what marks our leadership?

We must protect ourselves from desiring only the tasks that feel important, neglecting the “ordinary” for the sake of “eminent” work. “Distractions” (who are often image-bearing people) in our busy lives may often lead to the sweetest conversations and opportunities to lead an audience of one. And when we stand before the throne, I am convinced that it is not the stages I stood on my Savior will mention but the times I slowed to love someone in obscurity. Busyness doesn’t make us great, but ordinary service honors our King.

Jesus did not have sins to confess or weaknesses to show. He did not have to be vulnerable in risk in the same way we are. But he did walk in humility, lowering himself to human form; he lowered himself to death on a cross. (Phil. 2:7-8)

Still, his life wasn’t about amassing power, but service and sacrifice. He was not overcome with busyness, but within a busy life, he took the time to serve the individuals that Father gave him to love. When we remember that great leadership is service, we can see those in front of us without the ambition to find a way up the ladder of importance.

Take it to Heart:

• Who in your life has modeled one or more of these four traits? What did that look like in day-to-day life or ministry? How has that impacted you?

• Which of these four traits is hardest for you? When you reflect on it, what fear, shame, or past experiences are coming to mind when you think of changing? Spend some time in prayer with the Lord and talk with a trusted friend or mentor about where you are at and how you want to grow in this trait.