Jesus Defines Leadership
As Jesus was winding down his earthly ministry and dropping hints of it, here and there, his followers for three-and-half-years, began to pick up on it.
But instead of displaying a great understanding of what the master teacher was saying for three-and-half-years, they showed both immaturity and wordly thinking: they were fighting for positions in the kingdom, which they thought Jesus was about to restore to Israel.
Jesus had to issue a gentle rebuke:
41 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.42 So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:41-45, New Living Translation, emphasis added)
Jesus defines leadership as service to others. It's the ability to put others before yourself, in an effort to bring about the greatest good. For Jesus, this meant going to the Cross for sinners.
Jesus, the leader of leaders, teaches us that if we're not ready to humbly and lovingly serve others, then we're not ready to be leaders.
In a word, Leadership is Service.
TCR
