Leadership Jesus Style: The Master and His Mission

by Mark Ashton

Overview

The Reality Check series makes just one assumption: that you’re serious enough about your spiritual journey to investigate Christianity with an open mind. This isn’t about joining anyone’s religious club—it’s about being real with yourself and with the others in your group. Since no one has all the answers, there’s plenty of room for discussion. After all, if there is any truth to the Bible’s stories about Jesus, then one thing he’d welcome are questions and opinions that come from honest, earnest hearts.Whether you’re leading a corporation, a sports team, your family, or simply your own pursuits, issues such as mission, character, vision casting, and team building are critical to your success. Wouldn’t it be great to take lessons from a master leader? Here’s your opportunity. Nobody in history has surpassed Jesus of Nazareth in either methods or results. Find out his leadership secrets. They’re guaranteed to make you a better leader.Leadership Jesus Style includes these sessions: Upside-Down Leadership What’s Your Mission? Casting a Vision The Master Strategist Building a Team When Others FailFor the Group LeaderReality Check is for spiritual seekers of every persuasion. Uncompromisingly Christian in its perspective, it steers wide of pat answers and aims at honesty. This innovative and thought-provoking series will challenge you and those in your group to connect heart to heart as together you explore the interface between Jesus, the Bible, and the realities of this world in which we live.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310867852
Publisher:	Zondervan
Publication date:	02/23/2010
Series:	Reality Check
Sold by:	Zondervan Publishing
Format:	eBook
Pages:	80
File size:	515 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Mark Ashton is the director of seeker small groups at Willow Creek Community Church. In addition, he supervises the staff for more than 40 new believer groups, 80 seeker groups, and Willow's Internationals ministry. He is also the director of TruthQuest - Willow's ministry that answers tough questions about Jesus and Christianity. Mark is a frequent speaker at conferences and is the author of Absolute Truth?

Read an Excerpt

Leadership Jesus Style

The Master and His Mission

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By Mark Ashton

Zondervan

Copyright © 2002 Zondervan All right reserved. ISBN: 0-310-24526-5

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Chapter One

UPSIDE-DOWN LEADERSHIP

ICEBREAKER

Think for a minute about the best leader you've ever known personally. What characteristics made her or him a great leader?

In the following organizational chart, who is responsible-and who needs to be responsive?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of top-down leadership?

When Jesus spoke of establishing a kingdom on earth, his disciples quibbled about what position each would hold within this new kingdom. Consider the following story.

Read Luke 22:24-27

Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves."

DISCUSS!

1. What surprising qualities does Jesus say the "greatest" will have in his kingdom?

2. How does Jesus' leadership style contrast with the kings of the Gentiles-and how does he makethis crystal clear with his own followers?

3. Take a look at your own organization. In what ways are the leaders like Jesus-or like the Gentile kings?

4. Was the leadership style of the best leaders you listed during the Icebreaker discussion more like Jesus or like the Gentile kings? How?

In order for any organization to run well, there must be centralized decision making, directional focus, and great communication. Leaders can accomplish this purpose in different ways. In relating to their coworkers and subordinates, however, they can choose to either serve them or to boss them around, using power to get things done.

5. Discuss the pros and cons of servant leadership versus authoritarian leadership.

Imagine you're going to build a company. Not just any company, but a company that would turn the organizational chart we talked about at the beginning of this discussion upsidedown, like this:

Imagine what might happen if the leaders focused on serving those above them. If the subordinates owned and felt responsible for the goals of their bosses. If the supervisors responded by making it possible to get resources for their subordinates to do the job ...

6. Describe the type of theoretical company this would be, and the effects on not only coworkers, but on all those coming into contact with the company.

REALITY CHECK

I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man.
Between him and every other person in the world there is no
possible term of comparison. Alexander, Charlemagne, and I
founded our empires, but on what did we rest the creation of
our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon
love, and at this hour millions of men would die for him.

-Napoleon Bonaparte, French general and emperor

Why would an organization based on love (rather than on power, monetary incentives, or prestige) hold people to a higher commitment level and keep people involved longer?

Brainstorm ways to model servant leadership in your organization.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Leadership Jesus Style by Mark Ashton
Copyright © 2002 by Zondervan
Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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