Leadership Lessons from The CEO

Regardless of one’s religious and spiritual commitments, it must be recognized that Jesus of Nazareth is the single most influential leader the world has ever known. With only “carpenter’s apprentice” on his resume, he fostered a global movement and founded one of the world’s longest-running and most influential organizations. No person in history is more widely followed or intensely scrutinized. 

What’s more, he accomplished these things in the face of great challenges, without any of the resources that one might expect. He was opposed by powerful competitors, operated on a slim budget, and had no marketing department. Yet, despite these challenges, he had the one characteristic necessary for great leadership: he formed deep connections with people through which he transformed them and brought out their hidden potential. 

What did Jesus do to build such deep connections, by which he transformed the world around him? He followed a three-fold pattern, which you and I can imitate in our leadership positions: he was intentional, available, and empathetic.

Intentional

If we want to understand precisely how Jesus rose to great heights of leadership, we must go back to the beginning of his movement. How did it all start? It began with Jesus being intentional. 

You see, his closest associates—the twelve disciples—didn’t have great resumes and didn’t approach Jesus asking to be mentored. It was the other way around. Jesus saw the hidden potential in each of these men. So, he approached them, offered to take them under his wing, and mentored them through thick and thin. Soon enough, his once-raggedy band of blue-collar followers became transformational leaders in their own right. 

It’s the same for you. Whether you are a CEO, a high school teacher, or a pastor, you are surrounded by people in whom you can invest. If you seize the initiative and invest in them, you’ll be pleased by the results. If we want to make a real impact in our corner of the world, we can’t sit around and wait for it to happen. We must seek it out, commit to it, and embrace the grind.

Available

Once Jesus had identified the people in whom he would invest, how did he prioritize his time? Well, if we break down Jesus’ calendar, based on the information provided in the accounts of his life, we arrive at a counter-intuitive conclusion. He didn’t spend most of his time preaching or healing people, the activities for which he is best known. Instead, he spent the vast majority of time mentoring the disciples, his junior associates. 

Jesus didn’t cordon himself off in a corner-suite office. Instead, he gave his disciples the green light to come to him with their problems, to talk with him, and learn from him on a regular basis.  He chose this relational method because he wanted to transform them into future leaders, and leadership is more easily “caught” than “taught.” 

It’s the same for you. As a leader, if you want to move from good to great, open the door of your office, take down the “I’m very busy” sign that metaphorically adorns your desk, and invite your associates in. Let them know you’re available, and then, when they need you, be there for them.

Empathetic

One of my favorite characteristics of Jesus’ leadership is his boundless empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s feelings or emotional state, and Jesus had this trait in droves. He had compassion for the crowds and individuals, men and women, sinners and saints.  

It wasn’t like he was a pushover who couldn’t bring himself to say what needed to be said or do what needed to be done. He was a strong leader. However, he drew upon his empathy when he needed to make difficult decisions, give critical feedback, or rally his team to collaborate during a challenging situation. By doing so, he created a supportive environment, built trust among his followers, and turned a raggedy bunch of disciples into world-changing leaders.

It’s the same for you. As I outline in Think Globally, Lead Strategically, one of the keys to your own transformation is cultivating the ability to empathize with the people around you. If you empathize with direct reports to whom you provide critical feedback, they will likely respond positively. If you treat each person in an office dispute with dignity, you are more likely to defuse tensions and help all parties move forward with a collaborative mindset. 

It All Starts with People

Many leaders fall into the trap of taking relationships for granted. Jesus did not. He understood the critical significance of building and maintaining healthy relationships and acted accordingly. By being intentional, available, and empathetic, he transformed a small and shabby group of associates into a collaborative team of resolute leaders who fostered a global movement that altered history and transformed continents. 

So, leaders, if you want to lead well from your corner of the world, there is one thing you can do: connect with people. Be intentional. Make yourself available. Practice empathy. You’ll soon see the fruit of your efforts and you can sleep well at night, knowing you’re on the path from good to great.