Leaders Reproduce, Period!

“To lead people, walk beside them . . .
As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence.
The next best, the people honor and praise.
The next, the people fear;
and the next, the people hate . . . .
When the best leader’s work is done the people say,
‘We did it ourselves!’”

~ Lao-tzu

Simply put, I’m convinced the best leaders are those who create opportunities for others to lead. A leader in God’s Kingdom should not be interested in securing a position of leadership for him or herself, but always seeking to empower others to lead. This means stepping aside – all that we try to harness and control in others – only to help them reach their potential in Christ. Jesus did the same with his newly formed leaders. John’s Gospel (16:7) tells us that Jesus told his disciples, “It is for your good that I am going away.” Why is it good for Jesus to leave them?

Besides the obvious fact that Jesus knew his fate (i.e. sacrificial death), he also knew that his mentoring had reach a limit. Jesus taught his disciples about the Kingdom in both word and deed, gave them on-the-job training, and then disappeared. What’s up with the disappearing part? Again, Jesus knew his mentoring limitations and simply suspended his efforts to allow the Spirit who could do far more to help them live-out their potential (read chapter 16 and compare this with John 14:12 where Jesus said they will do greater things than him as a result of going away). After Jesus leaves his newly formed leaders, we read in the Book of Acts how his leaders emulated Jesus’ leadership in both word and deed, even reproducing leaders who changed the world without Jesus being physically present (of course Jesus was present via the Spirit). Greater things can happen if leaders just reproduce themselves and step aside; that’s what Jesus did and that’s what we must do. Leaders reproduce, period!

Why don’t we see more reproduction in the Church? It seems to me, from my experience in churches, that co-dependency (on leadership) is bread instead, why? Without getting too theological about John’s Gospel, why is it good for leaders to step aside? How do greater things happen as a result of reproduction?

I’ll conclude with thoughts from George Barna:

"Leaders of growing churches concentrate on empowering other Christians for ministry. They do not use lay workers as helpers in attaining their own goals and fulfilling their own visions. Rather, they invert the pyramid of authority so that the leader assists Christians to attain the spiritual potential God has for them. These pastors equip, support, motivate and mentor individuals, enabling them to become all that God wants them to be."