Two types of leadership
I was born into a “Christian” cult. Fortunately, my family left this group whilst I was still quite young but none the less they have provided me with a great example of how not to lead.
The leadership in this group wielded authoritarian like control over their congregations. Any personal decisions had to be approved by them (who you could date, when you could holiday, who had custody over the children in a divorce, etc). All personal information had to be disclosed to them. The leadership was rich whilst my family lost everything.
This was a clear cut case of spiritual abuse. The leadership exerted ultimate authority with no accountability and used whatever verses suited to defend their actions.
Two types of leadership
The actions of that cult are the natural conclusion of a certain paradigm of leadership. In this paradigm the leader is the one who is being served by the people, as though they are a King. The leader’s goals are the ones being worked towards.
I call this form of leadership “disempowering” because the people are restricted to do what the leader wants them to do and thus have less power. Unfortunately, this form of leadership is common in both politics and churches as they exist today.
But there is another form of leadership, ultimately demonstrated by Jesus himself. (who else?)
Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete power; he knew that he had come from God and was going to God. So he rose from the table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel around his waist. Then he poured some water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. … After Jesus had washed their feet, he put his outer garment back on and returned to his place at the table.
“Do you understand what I have just done to you?” he asked. “You call me Teacher and Lord, and it is right that you do so, because that is what I am. I, your Lord and Teacher, have just washed your feet. You, then, should wash one another’s feet. I have set an example for you, so that you will do just what I have done for you.
(John 13:3-5;12-15)
Jesus demonstrated his leadership through service. This type of leader does not take from the people, but rather gives to the people. They offer their abilities as a service to the people so that they can achieve more than they otherwise would.
This type of leadership is empowering. The people can do more with this leader than they can without him. Rather than limiting the actions of the people to fulfil the leader’s own goals the leader using their abilities to enable the people to reach their own goals.
| Disempowering Leadership | Empowering Leadership |
| The people serve the leader | The leader serves the people |
| The people have less power, because what they can do is restricted by the will of the leader | The people have more power, because they can do things they would otherwise be unable to do |
| The whole is less than the sum of its parts | The whole is more than the sum of its parts |
| Creates a new program or project and asks the people to participate in it | Find out what the people are all ready doing and participates in that (adds their leadership ability to the people’s current endeavours) |
| Avoids accountability | Seeks accountability |
| Demands authority | Is rewarded authority |
| Is artificially made leader by being given that ‘office’ | Naturally becomes leader as the people recognise what he/she is already doing |
| Makes people work through threats of fear or offers of reward | Makes people work by encouraging them to do what they already want to do |
| Draws attention to themselves | Gives attention to the people who have work or tried hard |
| Doesn’t want to be questioned | Wants to be questioned |
| Leader seeks to reach his own goals | Leader seeks to reach the goals of the people |
| Emotionally distant | Emphatic |
| Stubborn | Willing to acknowledge mistakes (and wants to know their mistakes) |
| Does not think about their successor | Mentors a successor |
| Wants the people to remain ‘below’ the leader | Wants the people to surpass the leader |
| Tells people how to do things | Shows people how to do things |
| Seen as being ‘finished’ (put on a pedestal) | Seen as just another one of the group on a journey |
| Leadership is a right | Leadership is a privilege (because trust is a privilege) |
| Threatens | Inspires |
| Slave Master | Lead Climber |
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This post is part of a Synchroblog on Leadership. The following blogs took part in the experiment:
Jonathan Brink - Letter To The President
Adam Gonnerman - Aspiring to the Episcopate
Kai - Leadership – Is Servant Leadership a Broken Model?
Sally Coleman - In the world but not of it- servant leadership for the 21st Century Church
Alan Knox - Submission is given not taken
Joe Miller - Elders Lead a Healthy Family: The Future
Cobus van Wyngaard - Empowering leadership
Steve Hayes - Servant leadership
Geoff Matheson - Leadership
John Smulo - Australian Leadership Lessons
Helen Mildenhall - Leadership
Tyler Savage - Moral Leadership – Is it what we need?
Bryan Riley - Leading is to Listen and Obey
Susan Barnes - Give someone else a turn!
Liz Dyer - A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Polls…
Lionel Woods - Why Diverse Leadership is Good for America
Julie Clawson - Leadership Expectations
Ellen Haroutunian - A New Kind Of Leadership
Matt Stone - Converting Leadership
Steve Bradley - Lording or Leading?
Adam Myers - Two types of Leadership
Bethany Stedman - A Leadership Mosaic
Kathy Escobar - I’m Pretty Sure This Book Won’t Make It On The Bestseller List
Fuzzy Orthodoxy - Self Leadership
Sonja Andrews - Leadership In An Age of Cholera
Tara Hull - Leadership & Being A Single Mom
Love the lists. True leadership gives away power.
Love the contrasts you highlight here — great leaders really do see power as a gift to be passed on, not a possession to be hoarded.
Great post! I have actually known a few leaders like this…but they do seem to be few and far between. Maybe some of the early leaders of the USA were like this.
When I say like this I mean the good kind:>)
great list. what a contrast, eh?
kathyescobar, it is a huge contrast indeed.
gracerules, I can’t say I have known too many good leaders. One or two, but not many. I think I know many who have good motives but still end up disempowering people – often without realising.