Spiritual Leadership in times of turbulence
Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of spiritual leadership. When most people think of leadership, they picture a military setting with someone “barking” orders and expecting people to carry them out without hesitation. Although this may be a form of leadership it is not the essence of spiritual leadership. True spiritual leadership involves humbling yourself, In Jesus’ time the act of washing feet was to be assigned to the lowest of servants. However, at the last supper, Jesus humbled Himself and washed the disciples’ feet. Afterwards he declared, “Do you understand what I have done for you?... You call me ‘Teacher ‘ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13: 12-17). ( Bob Briner, 1997 )
Corey, I'm glad to see that you introduced the idea of "humility" with regards to leadership. Those are two terms that we rarely hear used in the same sentence.
ReplyDeleteTiny
Schools shouldn’t be structured to resemble military setting compromised of Theory X leadership, top-down leadership. When it becomes common practice for school leaders to “bark” demands at the teachers and the teachers “bark” instruction at the students, there is a lack of authentic collaboration and loyalty. Through the top-down structure, teachers and students don’t have the opportunity to express themselves or share their opinions towards school improvement. It is more valuable to have many minds thinking about teaching and learning than simply the few that are at the top of the hierarchy. I think it would be much more productive to create a forum for teachers and students to share their opinions.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought that came to mind was the idea of being willing to do what you ask others to do. Jesus washed the disciples’ feet despite that it was a task assigned to the lowest of servants. It is important to experience the responsibilities of others within your school building. It will help you begin to understand them further, as well as demonstrate humility.