1. Learn that leadership is servanthood. Servanthood begins with security. Jesus knew His position and was willing to not flaunt it. Jesus knew His calling and was willing to be faithful to it. Jesus knew His future and was willing to submit to it.
2. Let your purpose prioritize your life. Because Jesus developed priorities based upon His purpose:
- He successfully dealt with distractions.
- He wisely responded to personal rejection.
- He willingly suffered pain.
3. Live the life before you lead others. Jesus never begged anyone to believe in Him. He knew that integrity cannot be proven; it must be discerned. He never wasted time with critics. He kept His attention on His goal. He stayed focused.
4. Walk slowly through the crowd. Leadership impact is drawn not from official position, but from authentic relationships. (John 4:5-30, 8:1-11) “You will never possess what you are unwilling to pursue.” Jesus knew this.
5. Replenish yourself. Life is demanding. People are demanding. The more you succeed, the more you lead, the more people will demand of you. Replenishing yourself requires your attention. Faith walks out when fatigue walks in.
6. Call for great commitment. Jesus had the greatest product on earth – Salvation. He offered the human race an opportunity to have a relationship with God. He spoke of heaven and angels. “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you” (John 14:2).
7. Show security and strength when handling the tough issues. Jesus rose early. He who masters his time, masters his life. Jesus:
- Remained calm during difficult times.
- Agreed with his adversaries quickly.
- Handled wrong doing immediately.
- Finished what He started.
8. Lead on a higher level. Jesus lived on a higher level. Stop looking at where you have been and start looking at where you are going. Jesus loved on a higher level. God never consults your past to determine your future. Jesus led on a higher level.
9. Choose your key people.
10. Remember, there is no success without a successor.
