A tale of two leaders

Empowering Leadership lessons from Dickens and Christ

By Paul Duncan

It seems appropriate on this 212 th anniversary of Charles Dickens’s birth that we look at a tale not of two cities but of two leaders!

In our leader-obsessed culture, perhaps we should focus not on the person of the leader but on their leadership and what it reveals. These two pictures portray leaders in action.

The leader in the first picture serves the other person, enabling them to reach their level. As you can see, they are giving them a hand up to overcome the obstacle and reach their level. Many leaders today exercise their leadership by helping their staff overcome obstacles. We should, however be aware that there are two inherent dangers in this approach; firstly, the one being helped can become dependent on the leader, expecting them to solve all their problems; secondly, that warm feeling inside of helping another person can impact our ego which can easily become addictive, and then we end up solving problems for them that they should solve themselves.

The leader in the second picture is also serving the other person by enabling them to climb over the obstacle, but as you can see, there are several key differences; firstly, It is personally a great deal more costly; just look at his facial expression; secondly, they know that they don’t need to solve a problem to be of service to their people and thirdly they are enabling the other person to go far beyond where they themselves have been. This is the essence of great leaders: creating a lasting leadership legacy that will go on to do greater things

These pictures take us to the very heart of the issue, which is an issue of our heart.

Where does the leader find their sense of identity? Is the leader secure in who they are in Christ and willing to enable others to press on to higher things?

In the life of Jesus, we see this second picture of leadership lived out.

“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so, he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”John 13 v 3-5

We read that Jesus was tempted in every way, so the temptations that we face as leaders, Jesus experienced. In the above verses, I notice the link between Jesus knowing who he was, where he was from, and where he was going enables him to serve in any way that the situation demanded; no service was below the King of Kings, not the washing feet nor dying for an ungrateful world to bring redemption.

Unless we as leaders are secure in our position. In our identity, we will be unable to resist the temptation to solve other people’s problems (because it makes us feel good and massages our ego) instead of coaching our people/team to solve their own issues and grow in their leadership capacity.

Thought questions.

• Where do you currently find your identity? From your work? from others?

• What does it look like for you to have your identity in Christ as a leader?

• How does this show up in your leadership?

Guest post by Paul Duncan

He lives in the UK and has been on Agape staff since 1985. He currently is on the regional VP Team. He holds a Masters in Coaching and Mentoring from Oxford Brookes University; he is married with two daughters.