Jesus And Courageous Leadership

19th November, 2009 by Rich Dixon No Comments

Courage is the single most decisive trait in a leader. Gus Lee

Welcome to part four of our discussion about courage, inspired by Gus Lee’s wonderful book titled Courage: The Backbone Of Leadership.

I’ve been thinking about Gus’s analysis of courageous leadership in light of Jesus’ model for us. Entire books have been written about Jesus’ leadership. My goal is to list a few attributes of courageous leadership that are apparent in His life.

  • Courageous leaders act for what’s right, regardless of risk.
  • Courageous leaders resist short-term temptation. They make decisions from a long-term perspective.
  • Courageous leaders demonstrate integrity. Their actions and decisions match their words.
  • Courageous leaders confront problems. They don’t take the easy path.
  • Courageous leaders stand firm in their principles under pressure.
  • Courageous leaders motivate “by ethically modeling, and inspiring others to be, their best selves and to act courageously for what is right.” (Gus Lee)

As a follower of Jesus, I want to lead in my circles of influence according to His example. These seem like a good start.

What did I miss? What other attributes of courageous leadership do you see in Jesus?

Leadership is character and competence.  If you can have only one, opt for character. H. Norman Schwarzkopf

I just released a new free ebook. I hope you’ll download your copy and pass it along if it seems worthwhile: (just click on the image to download)

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