JESUS THE ENCOURAGER

Jesus is a leader who encourages His followers. When He spoke to the disciples about what they would do after He left, He told them they would do even greater things because of their Helper, the Holy Ghost (John 14:12). Part of our job as leaders is to acknowledge that what we sow into others will guide them into greater works than what we ourselves have accomplished.

Jesus uses a different example in 2 Cor. 12:14 when he discusses it is parents who lay up for their children and not vice versa. A danger in ministry is thinking what we do should always be greater than those we teach, but Jesus shows us that the cry of His heart is always for the next generation to succeed even more than the one before. Competition is death, but encouragement is life.

Transformation, of course, is nothing new. 2 Cor. 3:18, tells us, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." The leadership of the Holy Ghost guides us and encourages us into transformation. The fruit of our obedience to God's will is the renewal of our minds. We no longer do what we want, but instead we do what Jesus wants. We submit to His leadership and in the process we are changed and become more like Him. Our desires change and we learn for ourselves that the bigger kingdom picture is what matters most. This is our example, and it works.

Transactional leadership rewards a job well done and starts over with a new transaction (This is the need, will you successfully fulfill this need? If so, you have value.), but transformational leadership engages the whole person and considers their needs as a catalyst for exponential growth. Transactional leadership will only accomplish what the leader has in mind, transformational will leave the door open for whatever is possible. Boseman states it this way, "The transactional leader behaviors build a solid foundation for trust between the leader and follower. But the follower will deliver only performance that is expected and rewarded by the leader and no more." To-do list leadership limits growth potential of the individual and stifles vision sharing.

Creates and articulates a vision- identifies new opportunities for the group and talks positively about what it means to all concerned.

Provides a role model- sets an example for followers to imitate that is consistent with the values that the leader espouses.

Provides individualized support- demonstrates that the leader is concerned about the personal needs and feelings of the individual.

Communicates high-performance expectations- shows that the leader expects high performance, quality, and excellence.

Encourages the acceptance of group goals- promotes cooperation among followers so that they work together to accomplish stated goals.

provides intellectual stimulation- challenges followers to examine their assumptions about their decision-making and work and asks them to rethink alternative decision solutions and how work can be achieved at a higher level.

This type of leadership produces followers who are:

More satisfied

More optimistic

Less likely to quit

More likely to trust their leader

More likely to produce at a high level

If we use these elements and use them as lens to view scripture, we can glean a better understanding of how the Spirit of the Lord transforms His people.

For example, when the prophet Ezekiel is taken to stand before dry bones and prophesy, the Lord specifically describes His plan to bring back His people into fellowship and transform them into a people who demonstrate God's heart.

Transformational leaders change the individual to reach limitless outcomes for the whole:

1. Creates and articulates a vision- identifies new opportunities for the group and talks positively about what it means to all concerned.

"Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD." Ezekiel 37:5-6

2. Provides a role model- sets an example for followers to imitate that is consistent with the values that the leader espouses.

"And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever." Ezekiel 37: 24-25

3. Provides individualized support- demonstrates that the leader is concerned about the personal needs and feelings of the individual.

"Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD." Ezekiel 37:12-14

4. Communicates high-performance expectationsshows that the leader expects high performance, quality, and excellence.

"Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God." Ezekiel 37:23

5 Encourages the acceptance of group goals- promotes cooperation among followers so that they work together to accomplish stated goals

"And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:" Ezekiel 37:22

6 Provides intellectual stimulation- challenges followers to examine their assumptions about their decision-making and work and asks them to rethink alternative decision solutions and how work can be achieved at a higher level

"Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:" Ezekiel 37:16-21

How would you describe your leadership style? More than likely it is a combination of transactional and transformational. When the Lord spoke to Ezekiel, He was transactional, he was told to prophesy and he spoke what he was told to say The message of the prophecy, however, was transformational, taking what was there and making it better through vision and ability.

Now it's your turn. Use the following steps to outline a change you would like to see in your sphere of influence. How will you encourage your followers to maximize potential?

1. Create and articulates a vision- identify new opportunities for the group and talk positively about what it means to all concerned.

2. Provides a role model- set an example for followers to imitate that is consistent with the values that the leader espouses.

3. Provides individualized support- demonstrate that you are concerned about their personal needs and feelings of the individual.

4. Communicate high-performance expectations- show you expect high performance, quality, and excellence.

5. Encourage the acceptance of group goals- promotes cooperation among followers so that they work together to accomplish stated goals.

6. Provide intellectual stimulation- challenge followers to examine their assumptions about their decisionmaking and work and ask them to rethink alternative decision solutions and how work can be achieved at a higher level.