Marketplace leaders sometimes use the term “unfair advantage” to acknowledge a skill, attribute, or discipline a company has that others do not. For example, entrepreneur Jason Cohen defined an unfair advantage as “something that cannot be easily copied or bought.”
Christian leaders have the ultimate unfair advantage because we never lead alone. Our God is wise and promises to give us His wisdom when we ask. He is powerful and fills us with His strength and energy when we’re weary. He is compassionate and gives us hearts that genuinely care for the people we lead. He is sovereign and works all things together for good, even our leadership mistakes and failures. We don’t rely on ourselves, and the God we rely on guides us and refreshes us. The advantage is unfair because we did not earn Him with our grit. By His grace, when we placed our faith in Christ, God graciously gave us His Spirit.
Being a follower of Jesus turns us into better leaders than we would be if we were not following Jesus. I do not believe and am not suggesting that all Christians are great leaders or that all great leaders are Christians. Rather, I am declaring that a follower of Jesus becomes a better leader of people because Jesus continually transforms His followers. Leaders who follow Jesus are more visionary, convictional, servant-oriented, persevering, credible, familiar with transformation, and filled with resolve than they would be without Jesus at the center of their lives.
I am also not suggesting that someone should follow Jesus so that they will be a better leader. If that is their motivation, it is not really Jesus they are following. Instead, Jesus is treated as a means for some other end, namely being a better leader. Jesus is not interested in being a tool for one of our goals. He is the King over everything.
It is fascinating that research continually uncovers “groundbreaking and new leadership truths” that Christians have held to for centuries:
- Jim Collins, in his famous book Good to Great, uncovered that “level five leaders” are the best leaders and they are filled with…humility. Hmmm. Christians have always believed we are to be humble and honor others above ourselves. We are motivated to serve others because our hearts are melted by the reality that our King served us by embracing a crown of thorns and absorbing our sin and shame on the cross.
- In his popular books, Emotional Intelligence and Primal Leadership, researcher and author Daniel Goleman wrote that the most effective leaders manage their emotions, genuinely connect with people, offer kindness and empathy, lead with joy and inspiration, and display the master skill of patience. Several of the attributes Goleman uncovered are what Christians call “the fruit of the Spirit.” In other words, the Spirit of God enables the Jesus follower to display what research says makes a leader more effective.
- In the research-based leadership book, Return on Character, Fred Kiel argued that just as there is a “return on investment,” there is a “return on character,” and better-performing companies are led by leaders who are filled with integrity, compassion, and forgiveness. Christians are compassionate because we have received compassion, forgive because we have been forgiven, and seek to walk in integrity because our Savior invites us to follow after Him.
Marketplace leadership research keeps “discovering” that humility works, emotional intelligence matters, and character impacts results. Christians have known this for 2,000 years. Leaders who are being transformed by Christ have the unfair advantage (because of Him) to be growing in all these attributes.
I share more about the unfair advantages Christian leaders have and how to maximize them to steward our roles effectively in my new book The Rooted Leader. You can find a copy at bookstores across the U.S. Find one here.
