Have you ever wondered what makes biblical leadership distinct from corporate leadership? It is a question that people who are looking to advance the gospel must answer.
Anyone can teach principles for leading people; look at all the material on leading companies and corporations! Sadly, many pastors and church leaders do not understand that Biblical leadership and corporate leadership are miles apart; they are two different paradigms for leading people. Here are two ways they are distinct.
Biblical leadership is distinct because it is ultimately under the authority of Christ’s leadership.
In corporate leadership, you and you alone are the leader. You have no one to report to, you have no one to keep you accountable—besides maybe an accountant or two—and everyone is following your lead. Contrast that with Biblical leaders, which know that they report to God for the people that He has entrusted to them. They know that one day they will have to stand before God and make an account for every person within their domain (Hebrews 13:17). Admittedly, people do follow the Biblical leader; however, the leader knows that as they are following him, as he is following Christ.
Biblical leadership is distinct because the end goal is distinct.
Some of the biggest goals in corporate leadership are to make a lot of money, to be successful and to make a name for yourself. This is a stark contrast to the Biblical leadership which wants to make the name of Jesus lifted high. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he begins by laying the foundation Christians have in Christ. His continued mantra in the beginning of this letter is the phrase, “to the praise of His glory” (Eph 1:14). Biblical leaders join with the Apostle Paul as those who “put our hope in the Messiah” so that they “might bring praise to His glory” (1:12). It is the desire of the Biblical leader to push others on to this end.
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