Mark Zuckerberg, founder, CEO, guiding light, god of FB:

"Simply put: we don't build services to make money; we make money to build better services and we think this is a good way to build something. These days I think more and more people want to use services from companies that believe in something beyond simply maximizing profits."

Even though Wall street is a bit twisted around Facebook’s initial offering and The Daily Beast is skeptical,  Zuckerberg expresses a worthy hope for business in America: “something beyond simply maximizing profits.” 

So do  you think people want to live beyond maximizing profits?  What might that be?  Health?  Family?  Community?  Love?

In the cool light of day we say “Amen!” to all of that.  However, when the pressure’s on, when we’re jonesin’ for a fix, when we’re distracted by endless flavors and varieties, “maximizing profits” seems like the obvious solution. 

We need something more than Zuckerberg’s  “something beyond.”  We need a very particular something.  We call that, Vision.

What’s your vision?  What has the Lord laid on your heart to give your life shape, purpose, meaning, direction?  What kingdom need has God created you to fill?  Figure that out and you’ll be well on your way toward living “beyond simply maximizing profits.”  No vision?  Maximizing profits will probably be the best you can do.

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