What did Jesus not do?

So often we use models of historic or current leaders to define leadership. That is useful, but it often ends up being anecdotal rather than principled.

A principled person has a clear sense of what to do and what they will not do. Thus, observing what Jesus did not do, may provide us with a more principled leadership model. Some of the things He did not do:

He refused to be His own man - now that is about as against the grain of contemporary leadership thinking as I dare go. He defined His entire life around His Father and that became His sole basis of authority. It is not a crazy idea either, for the modern CEO is a steward of shareholder value, answerable to his board and never to his whim. That said many CEO's are self-serving, but Jesus refused to serve His own interest.

He refused promotion - His identity lay not in what He did or in His pedigree, but in His obedience to His Father. He said, "I came to do your will Oh God". When they tried to make Him king, He shrugged it off and stuck with His original mandate. He came to offer a sacrifice not to secure a throne.

He did not treat every one the same - that is almost as controversial as earlier points. He treated Peter, James and John as His closest confidantes. He kept the 12 nearby and equipped them to be witnesses and accepted that their broader effectiveness was of secondary relevance - indeed few of the 12 really made an impact. He empowered the 72 to go out and preach the gospel, as the vanguard of the coming church age. He treated the downtrodden with compassion, but treated the religious leaders with disdain. He was discerning and discriminating, using His power and influence appropriately.

He did not abuse His power - charismatic leadership is so power-centric and built around personalities. Jesus could have done the same, using His power to gain prominence. Yet, He only did miracles to give credence to His cross. He never used power for power sake - He had only one mission, to die for the sins of the world, and He never diverted from that. His power was not an end in itself, it was merely a means to a far greater end.

... to be continued

(c) Peter Eleazar @ www.4u2live.net