Leadership must be able to convince people to follow them. In the Body of Christ this can't be accomplished with threats, manipulation or fear.
Who wants to follow someone whose down on his knees washing someone's feet? It's a different way of thinking.

Leadership in the body of Christ must follow the example Jesus gave us. In Matthew 20:25-26 Jesus says, "You know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise authority or dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority upon them but it shall not be so among you. But, whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister."

The word minister is translated "servant." Verse 27 says, "Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant, even as the son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His life for ransom for many." It tells us that Jesus said that the way we operate in the world is not the way it's going to be in the church.

Being an effective leader in the church is different from the military or business world. In the military, a private has many people telling him what to do. As he's promoted, he gains rank and soon begins to tell the ones below him what to do. Jesus says, "It shall not be so among you."

He explains that in the world Gentile leaders exercise dominion over those who are in the ranks. In today's world the boss tells their staff what to do. He says if you don't like it you can leave. God doesn't operate this way. The main emphasis of leadership in the Body of Christ, such as greatness, authority and respect will be determined by the measure in which we fulfill the assignment of being a minister or servant to those we have been assigned to serve (lead).

In the church, leaders are not assigned to tell people what to do. We don't have authority over the individuals. We must encourage one another. If I see you are lacking or in need I must approach you in such a way as to help you or serve you. I must help release you from where you are and direct you to a higher place. That's the leader's assignment. Jesus is the greatest authority in the church. We are His servants. The more we follow the role of the servant the greater our leadership will become.

According to Webster the word leader means "one who leads." Leadership must be able to convince people to follow them. In the Body of Christ this can't be accomplished with threats, manipulation or fear. We must learn from the spirit how to do these things. We will then learn how to influence without being overbearing or exercising dominion over them, which hasn't been given to us by the Lord Jesus.

At times in the body of Christ leaders can get pretty harsh. They can abuse their position. They can put down others and claim it's all in the name of Jesus. But Jesus asked, "Who among you wants to be the chief, the greatest, let him be your servant." Jesus tells us if you want to be a great leader you must serve the ones you're assigned to serve.

God's idea of serving people is illustrated by the life of Jesus. No one had greater authority than He. When you have plaguing situations such as sickness or disease attacking your body you have authority to command it to leave you in the name of Jesus Christ. The scripture says we are to do our ministry even as Jesus.

We are to have qualities of Jesus' life here as He was serving. He was on a determined course of action. When He experienced difficulties along the way He didn't give up. He didn't leave. He didn't complain that it was too tough and that they didn't want him around. They rejected him but he didn't waiver. He didn't say forget that salvation stuff.

He came to fulfill the Father's commission, to walk out the earthly walk, to resist sin, to go the cross and be the savior, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, rather than to be served and see how many praises he could get.

He kept that focus. A spiritual leader has to keep focus. If we lose focus on what we're doing it's easy to lose heart over the issue and stop fulfilling the commission and run from the responsibilities of leadership that God has placed before us.

God may be calling us to a leadership position but we shouldn't forget we have needs ourselves. In Matthew 20:28 it says, "He came not to be ministered unto." This didn't mean Jesus never had needs that needed to be ministered to. A leader isn't self-sufficient. Even Jesus, who came not for the purpose of being served, was ministered unto a number of times.

When Jesus went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John, the heavens were opened unto Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove upon Him. A voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Jesus received encouragement from the Father in heaven that day. We can be very real, very vulnerable and still be an effective leader.

When Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted by the devil Matthew 4:11 says, "Then the devil leaveth Him and behold angels came and strengthened Him." Leaders need ministry to themselves, but it doesn't need to come from the ones who we are called to serve. God won't forget you. He will assign people in the body of Christ to minister unto you and fill your voids.

Every leadership position has its anointing, but the anointing God gives you isn't for you. It's for someone else. The anointing God gives to you is to benefit the Body of Christ.

Anointed ministry starts in heaven and comes to the heart of man. It has to be received here and then released. Leadership puts us in position where the anointing we have received is released to the ones that we've been assigned to serve. Anointed leadership ministry is taking dominion and authority over the spiritual atmosphere, not over flesh and blood, and letting what God put inside of you come out and change circumstances.

Luke 4:18 says, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them who are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

God is able to move in the middle of your chaos and confusion if you keep your heart steadfastly on the purpose He has given to you to fulfill. He has called you to serve. We are to serve the Body of Christ, serving one another, in our homes, in our workplaces, changing our environments.

We must keep ourselves focused on what God wants from us rather than demanding our circumstances be favorable before we are willing to step out and serve God. God has called His leaders to serve people. We serve God by serving people. It's a different, yet wonderful, way of thinking and living. We are sons of God and servants of men.

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