Needed: Humble Leaders
Without a doubt, 2020 has been one of the most challenging years our country has faced. A pandemic with over 100,000 dead in just 10 weeks. Economic upheaval leaving millions jobless. And now protests in the streets decrying racism and police brutality against African Americans.
These are days when leadership is desperately needed. From the highest office in the land to our cities, our churches, our businesses, and our homes, we need leaders. Men and women who will help us navigate these dark days and pilot us into the future.
But what kind of leadership do we need?
To be sure we need leaders that exhibit boldness and courage, passion, and wisdom. We need vision and clarity, patience and determination. We need encouragers, unifiers, truth-tellers, justice-seekers, and hope-givers.
But there’s one other quality I believe we need in our leadership that, sadly, does not typically make our list.
Humility.
Humble leadership? It almost sounds like an oxymoron, yet as we read the Bible, we discover that this is exactly the kind of leadership Jesus exemplified and the kind of leadership He calls His disciples to.
In the gospel of Matthew, we read: Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant… just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…“
Matthew 20:25-28
Humble leadership. It almost sounds like an oxymoron, yet as we read the Bible, we discover that this is exactly the kind of leadership Jesus exemplified and the kind of leadership He calls His disciples to.
Servant leadership is characterized by humility.
An Underrated Virtue
Humility is perhaps the most underrated of virtues. It seems to smack of being a doormat or having a low opinion of yourself. Some equate it with indecision or even cowardice.
These definitions make humility sound like a very negative quality, but it’s far from that. Among other things, to demonstrate humility is…
to exercise restraint instead of powering up.
to offer graciousness rather than demanding recognition.
to listen to the marginalized rather than catering to the mighty.
to defer to the wisdom of others rather than dismissing counsel out of hand.
Great Leaders are Humble Leaders
Some of the greatest leaders of history were the humblest.
Take, for example, Moses. He ranks among the “Who’s Who” of historic leaders.
He stood up to the Egyptian ruler, Pharaoh, and bravely demanded that his people, the Israelites, be released from slavery. He called down the plagues which eventually freed millions.
He wisely and patiently led the Israelites through the wilderness. In so doing, he reassured the faint of heart and provided wise counsel.
Above all, he had a relationship with God that was unparalleled. Exodus 33:11 says that the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.
There is so much that Scripture could say regarding this man’s leadership. However, the Bible praises him not for his courage, determination, or wisdom, but for his humility. “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” Numbers 12:3
Could the same be said for your leadership?
Humility in leadership is no small thing. Indeed, a 2014 study in the Harvard Business Review offered this conclusion: “The best leaders are humble leaders.”
The best leaders are humble leaders.
But let’s go farther. The Bible says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:6 ESV)
Leaders, do you want God’s opposition or His grace in your life?
So, what does humility look like?
Humility starts at the heart level with a sense of subordination to God.
Peter wrote in his first epistle, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. I Peter 5:6 (NKJV)
By placing God in His rightful position as King and ourselves under His loving authority, we open the conduit through which His power can flow. We get out of His way so He can be glorified in and through us.
Humility moves outward through submission to others.
Peter makes it clear that this is a necessary part of servant leadership. “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility…” 1 Peter 5:5 (NKJV)
Submission is a much-maligned word these days, but it is actually an elevating concept. To submit to another is to voluntarily lift them above ourselves. When we are submissive, “clothing ourselves with humility,” we create an environment where peace and unity can grow.
We put aside the notion that our thoughts or opinions are better than others’. We are willing to be wrong, to receive correction, and learn from others. And we move a little closer to fulfilling Jesus’ prayer that we would be one as He and the Father are one. (John 17:11)
When we “clothe ourselves with humility,” we create an environment where peace and unity can grow.
Humility is not passive.
Micah 6:8 says: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Humble leadership does not sit by and let others carry the burden. It is not silent when righteousness and justice are on the line. Rather, confident in their identity in Christ and clear on their Kingdom authority, humble leaders step out in obedience to the Word of God and the prompting of the Spirit, using the gifts God has given them to defend the weak, uphold the truth, and expose the works of darkness.
So, in light of the ongoing battle against racism, I have to ask (specifically to my fellow white pastors/leaders): What does it mean to demonstrate humility in leadership with the people of color in your world?
What does it mean to demonstrate humility in leadership with the people of color in your world?
As important as other issues are, this one might be the most urgent at this point in history.
Allow me to offer a few suggestions:
Listen more.
Talk less.
Own your ignorance.
Confess your personal failure.
Ask for forgiveness.
Repent not only of your actions but for your inaction.
If ever there was a time to see this humility in our leaders, it’s now. Indeed, it is the key to a better future.
If ever there was a time to see humility in our leaders, it’s now. Indeed, it is the key to a better future.
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