The Disappointing Leader

I am re-reading Dan Allender's fairly recent book on leadership, Leading with a Limp. As the leader of a church plant in its most fledgling stages (support raising), I need all the help in that area that I can get. And while many books on leadership talk about being effective, Allender takes a counter-intuitive approach—more of a gospel approach, I think. He says, "A good leader will, in time, disappoint everyone." Notice that he said a "good" leader, not a bad leader. Why is this? Because, to the degree that a leader acknowledges his inability, personal weakness and need for the grace of the Great Leader, the better a leader he will be. If I were to become a Jesus-substitute for those in the church (and I've already tried that before- ugh!), they would be disappoited and possibly become disillusioned. Thankfully, my job is not to be a savior—that job is for Jesus only. And so, I am learning that the ultimate goal for the pastor-leader is not so much to lead, but to follow. And in following the Great Leader, who laid down his life for the sheep, the lesser leader learns what it means to lead as a wounded healer in need of the same grace that the rest of the sheep need. In this next leadership gig, I plan to tell the folks up front, "I will, in time (and it will not take long!), disappoint you. So do not put your hope in me. Put your hope in Jesus."

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