Do you ever wonder what happened just prior to some of the events that are recorded in Scripture? For example, what preceded the account in the Gospel of Mark of the calling of James and John, the sons of Zebedee? Eugene Peterson in The Message relates the incident in the following way: “Jesus said to them, 'Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.' ” (Mark 1:17). They didn't ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed.

Nature or Nurture?
What was it about Jesus that two fishermen would suddenly give up their livelihood and follow him? They were not alone in their willingness to commit. Scripture attests to thousands following Jesus to hear his teaching—the feeding of multitudes is recorded in all of the gospels. And down through the centuries untold numbers have responded to Jesus' invitation to follow him.

Our society has a fascination with inspiring leaders. The recent election of U.S. President Barack Obama confirms this. Libraries and bookstores feature hundreds of inspirational biographies and self-help books that recount leaders' successes and failures. Modern life is challenging and, like the people of Israel looking for a king in 1 Samuel 8, we have a tendency to look to someone to provide direction. Questions about leadership continue to captivate us.

Here is one of the most enduring questions: Is leadership an innate characteristic or a quality that can be nurtured? A common theory of leadership is the “great man” or “great woman” theory. It revolves around the idea that great leaders have an inherent charisma, intellect and wisdom that compel others to commit to their vision. Another approach is referred to as transactional leadership in which the leader exercises control over his or her followers by providing incentives for them to do what he or she wants.

Neither of these models by themselves fully satisfy the need for reciprocity and respect between leaders and followers that makes for great organizations. In recent years, The Salvation Army has been making a significant shift to a third style of leadership, a style known as the leader-coach model or transformational leadership. It's the method most clearly modelled by Jesus.

Power of Influence
Society is changing. Our world is vastly different than it was even 10 years ago. Technology has expanded our worldview and changed the way we relate. In the same way, the nature of leadership needs to change. Leadership expert Joseph Rost, in his book Leadership for the Twenty-first Century, recognizes the importance of followers as well as leaders. He defines leadership as “an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purposes.” For Rost, leaders and followers must share a vision. It's a more collaborative approach in which influence works both ways.

Jesus empowered his followers to live a life committed to God and others, but by asking pointed questions and telling parables, he put the initiative to change and grow in the disciples' hands. Today, his style would be recognized as transformational leadership. What is fascinating is that the term “leader” is not used in Scripture in reference to Jesus (although he carries leadership titles and roles such as Lord, Master and Teacher/Rabbi). Scripture refers to the Pharisees as leaders of the synagogue, yet it is Jesus who is the leader we must emulate. We sing, “I will follow Jesus,” but what are the leadership qualities of Jesus that we need to practise?

Seeking God's Direction
The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory has recently provided opportunity for some lay leaders and officers to learn about the leader-coach model. While many of the concepts of this model of leadership, such as fair process, unconditional positive regard and peer coaching (see sidebar) are new terms, the values behind these ideas are all modelled by Jesus.

By asking pointed questions and telling parables, Jesus put the initiative to change and grow in the disciples' hands

Jesus' leadership style was based on the strength of his relationships. Jesus' most important relationship was with his heavenly Father. He often withdrew and spent time alone with God. This included prayer and quiet reflection as he listened for God's direction: “For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken” (John 12:49). Jesus teaches us to protect our time with God and to reflect on what God is saying about our lives and ministry. In so doing, we develop a stronger relationship with ourselves—we gain an awareness of who we are, why we do what we do, what we need to celebrate about ourselves and what we need to strengthen.

Being Present for Others
The strength of Jesus' leadership style was also evident in his relationship with others. His disciples were not perfect, but Jesus chose them. He taught them as they walked through the countryside or interacted in the marketplace or shared a meal. His greatest gift to them was his presence. He accepted them where they were and influenced them to move beyond that state to become leaders themselves.

As Christians, we need others who are present with us, who care for us as we are and who challenge us to move beyond our present status quo in our natural leadership style. Jesus did not need to be in control of every situation. He relied on the innate ability of the disciples. When Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus, he was welcomed as “an Israelite in whom there is no deceit” (John 1:47). When Andrew, in spite of misgivings, brought the boy with the five barley loaves and two fish, Jesus fed thousands (see John 6:1-15). Jesus asked his disciples for their support as he worked through his pain in the garden of Gethsemane (see Mark 14:32-42). While the disciples' efforts were far from perfect, they were physically present with Jesus at key moments.

Heart of Leadership
When David was chosen as king, God indicated to Samuel that “the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). As research about leadership continues, many writers are focusing on the “heart” of the leader. This is understood as the leader's ability to be committed to what is important, even in challenging times. Unfortunately, leaders, in an effort to do the right thing, are often misunderstood. At times, this may feel like persecution. Sometimes it is only through the conviction of God's calling and an understanding of the complexities of leadership that one is able to remain committed.

Followers must be sensitive to the challenges that leaders face. Being a follower does not mean abdicating responsibility. Indeed, the better term for follower might be collaborator when it comes to transformational leadership. Everyone in our organization has a shared responsibility to be attentive to what God desires for The Salvation Army. To do this, we must make an effort to hear each other's points of view and work toward a common vision and mission. Only then will we achieve our full potential as individuals and as an organization.

Leadership is a great responsibility. But in order to be a great leader, we must remember to whom we are ultimately accountable. Jesus said, “Come, follow me.” Today, this call is just as relevant as it was in Jesus' time. It is an invitation to every Salvationist—leader or follower, lay or officer—to fish for souls. May we each be open to God's indwelling so that we will have the heart to say, “Yes, Lord.”

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Glossary of Terms for the Leader-Coach

Peer Coaching
Leaders today are not expected to have all the answers but are constantly developing relationships so that the answers can be found in the community. Peer coaching is one of the pillars of the leader-coach model. The value lies in identifying a colleague who can help you think through difficulties, provide objective feedback and hold you accountable to your action plans.

Unconditional Positive Regard
An effective leader-coach relates to others with an attitude known as unconditional positive regard. This is a blanket acceptance of a person's inherent worth, regardless of what they say or do. It is an attitude of grace that values people despite their failings. In Christian circles, we often refer to this as agape love. Followers also need to practise this discipline since leaders, too, grow weary, make mistakes and struggle from time to time.

Fair Process
People care about the decisions you make, but they care even more about the process you used along the way. In the leader-coach model, fair process is a method of involving people in the decisions that affect them, explaining why decisions have been made and stating mutually agreed upon “rules of the game,” so that followers understand by what standard they'll be judged in the future.

Major Mona Moore is the Leadership Development Secretary for The Salvation Army