I’ve often asked myself what it is, exactly, that differentiates a good leader from a great one. Are people born with certain leadership abilities, or are they developed over time? Are great leaders always the smartest in the room? Rarely. Are they the loudest or the most vocal? Sometimes, but that’s more of a personality trait than a leadership skill. Are they the most attractive? I suppose it depends on how you define “attractive” (Consider King Saul – ref: 1 Samuel 16:7).

I’ve learned that an indispensable asset of a great leader is empathy. I think this is why it’s so difficult for the highest performers to become great leaders – good, maybe, but seldom great. Why is that? My hunch is that people who have spent their lives hyper focused on developing their own skills haven’t had much time to think about others – it’s always been about them, so their ability to inspire others has atrophied. Understanding this helps us with unlocking the puzzle regarding great leadership.

Good leaders aren’t that uncommon because, in most cases, just being smarter and/or more experienced will get the job done. This type of leader can just say, “Let me show you how to do it. After all, I’m the expert here.” Subordinates who wish to keep their jobs will typically step aside, listen, and then mimic their boss’s actions. “Someday,” the worker thinks, “I aspire to be like my boss.” There’s a churn that typifies this type of work environment. But is that as good as it gets??? I hope not.

Pointing fingers in the direction of work to be done isn’t great leadership, it’s adequate at best. Understanding others and then investing in helping them get to where they need to be is when the best leaders shine.

Great leaders are rare, in my experience. They often march to the beat of their own drum, internally driven by different principles than mere good leaders. While they value excellence, modeling it themselves alongside their peers, their end goal isn’t necessarily self-advancement, it’s to help others succeed. That seems awfully un-American, doesn’t it? In this country, it’s help yourself first, then help others if/when you have the time. I mean, how else are people to “get ahead”?

You might argue that if a person doesn’t help themselves, they may not “make it” to the top! I ask you, who said anything about making it to the top? Those are worldly aspirations based on a human scale of values.

The greatest leader who ever walked this Earth was Jesus Christ. Here’s what the Bible has to say about Him.

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
- Isaiah 53:2-5

Jesus, the greatest leader in human history, was despised, especially by those in positions of worldly power, by those who had made it to the top of the heap. Was He tempted, the way we often are, to make this world His conquest? Sure, by Satan, himself (Matthew 4:8-9). He overcame temptation because He was focused on others – He loved those He came to save.

Jesus had quite a bit to say about the so-called leaders of His time.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.

The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
- Matthew 23:1-12

Great leaders are servants first. A servant’s first order of business is to tend to others. They are thrilled when others succeed and pained by their failures (ala Romans 12:15). We call this empathy.

And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
- Luke 23:33-34

While enduring excruciating pain and suffering, Jesus’ heart was with others. He knew their infirmities and prayed for His Father’s mercy. He didn’t scream, “What’s wrong with you people?” He wept over those who rejected Him as Lord (John 11:35). As a leader, He agonized over His commission, sweating blood the night before He was murdered (Luke 22:44). His commitment to, and empathy for, His sheep was so great that He was willing to die for them (Romans 5:6-11). He wasn’t set on judging those weaker than Him; rather, He was set on saving them (John 12:47).

True empathy implies sacrificial love. Great leaders put the welfare of others over their own. Personal advancement is not their objective. Love doesn’t motivate that way (1 Corinthians 13).

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
- Philippians 2:3-11

Contrary to popular belief, great leaders aren’t born. They are followers first. As Christians we must go to the Word of God in humility for guidance. Since we are all leaders in some aspect of our lives, our aspirations must be excellence. It’s a privilege and honor to lead others.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
- Romans 12:3-8

If we aspire to be great leaders, shedding any worldly notions of what that means (e.g., you must lead vast numbers of people to worldly success), then let us start with Jesus as our prototype. He left Heaven to show us what true greatness looks like and has since ascended to the right hand of our Father. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. No human being has ever been a greater leader nor has any leader ever possessed more empathy.

Love in Christ,

Ed Collins