Judah Praise Picar
Rev. M. Calhoun
Leadership and Ethics
April 19, 2019
Jesus on Leadership
I will be writing my personal insights about Jesus' leadership through this book. I will use the seven principles of Gene Wilkes in his book called "Jesus on Leadership. There is greatly to applaud in Wilkes re-examination of “Jesus on leadership.” The refocusing on Christian leadership as essential service seeks to obtain the heart of Jesus’ message and example as the Suffering Servant. Wilkes presses the key aspects of Jesus’ leadership style in seven principles: one is "Humble Your Heart," two "First Be a Follower," three "Find Greatness in Service," four "Take Risks," five "Take up the Towel," six "Share Responsibility and Authority," seven "Build a Team."
As I was reading this book, I found out that this book had its ups and downs. I liked the introductory section and the seven principles. He started some exciting ideas on how to understand servant leadership from a Christian view. However, when he began writing two chapters on each principle, I found that some of the parts were quite long without really explaining anything more about the principle. In particular, I was disappointed that he did not draw more from the Biblical parable of Jesus washing the disciples' feet (since this is his Biblical focus example).
Still, it had some new thoughts, and it's an easy read (which some leadership books are not easy to read). It's an excellent place to start, as well, and since it has a lot of sources, it's also suitable for providing suggestions for what to read next.
I have read many books on leadership, but this one is now near the top of my most favorite list. It is very understandable, yet profound. The author summarizes a wealth of timeless principles around 200 pages. Most readers nowadays are accustomed to the concept of servant leadership, so Gene Wilkes' principles are not new. What is refreshing is the new way he describes those principles. One of my favorites aspect of this work is the servant-sayings spread throughout the pages. For example, the author mentions, "You will never become a servant leader until you first become a servant to the Leader." Another quotation says, "You are not the leader until the group you are leading says so." A third quote states, "Servant leaders humble themselves and wait for God to exalt them."
Much like Jesus was sending the seventy out with only the essentials they would need, Wilkes gathers the basics you need for leadership in one volume. Wilkes begins with the most fundamental issue - the heart. The obligation of every leader must first be followers of Jesus Christ. Then he deals with what looks like an oxymoron--servant leadership. "How is one both a servant and a leader at the same time?" He answers that a servant leader is someone who serves the missions and leads by serving those on a mission with him. Following Jesus on Leadership, Gene Wilkes then explains how leaders develop teams who together ...
