What’s my motivation?

*This post is a part of the gabbingwithgrace.com Book Club, except we are one week behind.  Today, we discuss Chapter 4, Kneeling: Embracing Servant Love as our Primary Model.

The core truth starts off with a bang: the primary purpose of a Christian leader has everything to do with how the leader positions themselves with those they lead.

This is challenging. I am, most unfortunately, the type of leader that is motivated by control & power. I mean, geez, why be a leader if I can’t be in charge? Just being honest here. However, the book posits a leader like me should be happy to equip and advance others to help them be “all they can be,” just like in the Army. 😉 That type of motivation though takes freedom. It takes a deep understanding of your own self-worth & value.

I really appreciated the Bible passage from Mark 10:42-45 which essentially challenges us make service your goal in life, as was his. Jesus, who was willing to serve to the point of giving up his life asks us to do the same in our leadership. Sometimes, it seems easy to sacrifice for those I love and lead, but what about those I lead who I do not love? For example, what about President Obama, for example. (Or even, your local Pastor). I have had very few instances when I’ve been forced to lead the “un-lovely.” Not so, for all leader types!

Leave it to Jesus to raise the bar 1,000 times!

If you are a leader, consider the way you think about these two things: honor & power. From the “reading” section of the chapter, it spoke of how easy it is get lost in these two areas in particular. Wowzer.

My personal challenges:

1. The subtle gravitational pull of status. The ways I want my name to be known, the way I desire to build a comfortable environment around me because of who I am. The drug of privilege and power. I can’t even pretend these things don’t effect my blood thirst for accomplishing lots in my lifetime.

2. Power, oh power oh power, why so evil? I love a quote from C.S. Lewis here.

Peep this: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others…It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest.”

The point is, a great leader -not merely just a good one- is not solely focused on their own personal greatness, they are not ego-driven and don’t love to hog the spotlight.

C’mon! If there is anything in the world I’ll ever be tempted to do, it’s to hog the spotlight! I mean, I got a star tattoo on the back of my neck for crying out loud. Why? Because I’m a “star!” Hoping & praying I’ll attempt to shine for Jesus, but there is still a level of narcissistic ego there I probably should have considered pre-tattoo.

oops.

Finally, the reading ends with things to focus on. Things like empowering others through modeling behavior, motivating through an attractive leadership style and being committed to bringing out the best in those I lead. Thankfully, I can also see elements of those things in my leadership as well. Other than a few people, I’ve had great relationships with those who have sat under my leadership.

The big take-away? I was able to be honest with myself that I have fully enjoyed the perks of being of loved, affirmed and pursued for greater levels of leadership and responsibility especially in my work environment. And I can totally see how being accomplished could have the same effect on me as crack-cocaine! However, I also see in me a charismatic leader who has a strong desire & will to bring God’s Kingdom.  Charismatic leaders though have much to be cautious of.  This is why this book has been so good for me.  Even the other day when I spoke at Wayne State, I had the following question consistently on my mind.

My question to myself both now & onward should always be: “who is my audience?”

So, whats your motivation?