The Leader Needed Today (Part Four)

Part Four (Today): Reward

This will be the last post in this short series on the type of leader we need today. A lot of conferences and books focus on the type of leader people want to see today, but what we need is something far different. Those differences are what I’ve been outlining throughout the series.

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Lastly, and maybe most importantly, we need leaders today who have a focus on eternal reward instead of earthly reward.

A biblical leader seeks an eternal reward from God, while a non-biblical leader seeks an earthly reward that benefits self in forms of money, promotion, power, and stature.

Reward has been greatly ingrained into today’s culture. I believe it was William Penn who said that those who do “good” without seeking a reward, will in the end, receive a reward.

This to me is a great example of Biblical leadership. Paul had this in mind all throughout his ministry. By calling himself names such as the “chief among all sinners” he had it clear in his mind that his ministry was from God and for God.

There was nothing he was doing that deserved a reward.

Non-biblical leaders may seek and receive many earthly rewards, but in the end they have no value.

We need leaders who have enough of an eternal focus that they sacrifice much of who they are for the greater good of the community.

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I thought I’d end this series with a quote that is one of my favorites on leadership. We get caught up in models and strategies for leadership all the time. But really leadership is just influence over people, and influence that matters is rooted in love.

“Needless to say, you can love people without leading them, but you cannot lead people without loving them.” Andy Stanley