I was reflecting this morning as I was writing this blog about Leadership and the values that I consider to be a Great Leader, and noticed how closely aligned they are to Jesus. Please if I can share my thoughts with you on this? <Disclaimer, blog not written to offend, but to tell a story about leadership>
I’ve grown up a Catholic and went to Catholic School my whole educational life. We were taught many things about our faith, “Do unto others as you would do unto you” and “follow the 10 commandments or you’ll go to Hell” I know there’s more to it, but hey I’m just blogging….however, I never heard throughout the course of my spiritual education how Jesus was a Leader! So I decided to explore the similarities.
A Leader in my opinion, is someone who leads by example, who inspires us to be better versions of ourselves through their actions, who will stand up for what they believe in no matter what the consequences, who can see the bigger picture and create a vision of the future, and also someone who is not perfect and stays humble. These traits are what typically sets apart Great Leadership and this is what I believe Jesus displayed.
Jesus came from a humble beginning, he wasn’t rich he got the same amount of education as the rest of the people of his time, his father was a tradie and mother a homemaker. He was an “ordinary man” who did “extraordinary things”.
Jesus’ calling was to make a difference in the world, create an IMPACT. He knew the consequences of his actions, as those before him who stepped out of societies framework, were isolated, persecuted and even executed. None-the-less, he was a man on a mission and didn’t let society, the past, or others dissuade him from his end goal, to “SAVE US – through unconditional love and forgiveness”.
Sure he had his challenges, after all he was human, and fought his internal demons (doubt, insecurity and fears), heck he even spent 40 days and nights in the desert to hash it out, but in the end his “WHY” was bigger than any fear or doubt that he had within him.
So, at the age of 30 he started off on his mission to change the world. Albeit, he was trying to create a better life for those that were suffering persecution at the hands of the Romans, those suffering personal afflictions, and helping people to literally and metaphorically see the error in their ways. He was trying to create a growth mindset, to plant the seed so people could start to become more flexible in their thinking and smashing limiting beliefs.
He started off small, chatting to individuals, within the village, he even stretched the boundaries of current judgement and perceptions by interacting with those snubbed by society called “eg. tax collectors” although, perhaps things haven’t changed so much, which reminds me I need to do my tax!! None-the-less, he wanted to get his message out and change the world.
As people got to know him and learned about his “Why”, his popularity grew. His brand was becoming stronger. He then was invited to speak in Synagogues and temples and destroyed a few due to “unethical behaviour”. He wasn’t afraid to show others a better way, an alternative way. He was consistent in his delivery and his end goal was clear and on purpose. People flocked from near and far to listen to his message.
Jesus also had his fair share of skeptic’s who would taunt him in front of his flock. None-the-less, that just fueled Jesus’ desire to convince them even more about his message by creating miracles wherever he went. He was a Game Changer and an authentic leader! He walked the walk and didn’t let fear and criticism stop him.
Jesus received mixed messages from People, they either loved him (Raving Fan), mocked him (Fixed Mindset) or feared him (Perceived Threat). Jesus was the first Leadership coach of his time. He banded together a group of men that shared a common vision and mission so that his conviction would be stronger, messages louder and would last well beyond his lifetime, this was his Legacy. Jesus was a forward thinker; modern day term a futurist. Jesus showed people that life didn’t have to be how it’s always been, that you can look inside yourself to be better, aim higher, smashing victim/rescuer/persecutor mindset no matter what status you were in society.
In the 3 short years that Jesus was Called to Action, he turned society of his day upside down, he challenged beliefs and challenged behaviours and all through educating others. Even when he was “trialed and crucified” he held true to his beliefs. I see Jesus and the Symbol of the Cross as a constant reminder of the brutality of humanity and realising that we are better than that! It was a reflection of how fear can create Persecution in our lives. The bible tells us that he came to save “his chosen people” from slavery, but in reality, he saved the Romans instead, thereby creating a new Global Movement called “Christianity”. Out of one man’s death he created new beliefs! He shifted those from a Fixed Mindset to a Growth Mindset! He changed beliefs, he changed behaviour.
Jesus was very emotionally intelligent, he saw that if he was to make any everlasting impact that he needed to convince the powers at be, the Industry Leaders (“The Roman Empire and their citizens”) they were the decision makers, the influencers. So long as they held their beliefs of Hierarchical Power and suppression any impact he would make on the ground level would not stick beyond his death.
Looking at Jesus through this lens has made me feel so very proud to have taken up my own vocation as a Leadership Coach and Mentor. I’ve dedicated my life to always fighting worthy causes such as working within Medical Research. I’ve held many positions such as a Scientist, a Project Manager and a Leader in Industry, working on Projects to bring humanity closer to eradicating diseases such as Cancer, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease. Now, I’m transitioning into a new worthy cause that’s worth fighting for…..Leadership! I’ve seen the good, the bad and they very ugly and I can no longer sit on the sidelines not being able to make an impact.
So here I am, in unknown territory, have I been mocked? Yes, I have! Do I care? No, I don’t. Do I have my people around me that share my Vision and Mission, yes I do. Plus I am building my connections and those that share a common Vision every day. Am I scared? Yeah Sh*t scared! Will this stop me? ”Hell No!”. Why? Because my “Conviction is stronger than my Fear”.
I am here to make a difference in the world, like Jesus, I want to leave a positive legacy, develop our future leaders with the necessary life-skills to empower them to be great! When a leader can stand in their own presence and feel good about themselves there will be no need to mock or fear others, to behave in ways that are limiting to ones’ own success and those in which they have been privileged to lead. Be a Limited Edition Leader! Stand out, be unique, make a difference, impact positively and above all, Live a Life with No Limits. If you can achieve this, you will never have to fake it till you make it ever again. Lastly, If you like this article please “click like and share or leave a comment”.
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