Much has been written on leadership but I would like to offer three very basic ways we often see leadership in the life of the church- the razor blade, the pillow and the rod.

Razor blade leadership slices those it attempts to lead. With sharp words, cutting remarks, sarcasm or other passive aggressive techniques, this style uses force instead of love. Razor blade leadership is often disguised as visionary leadership when it is really self-kingdom building leadership that leads others to follow the leader and not the leader of leaders-Christ. Razor blade leadership cuts staff instead of coaching staff. Razor blade leadership pushes others towards a goal instead of persuading others towards Christ. Razor blade leadership is not relational leadership but task-oriented leadership. Yes goals and tasks are important but they must be a means to an end and not an end in themselves. They must point others to the Gospel. The goal is always the Gospel. The goal is never bigger, better or even excellence as much as we try to equate that with godliness. We can be excellent and be excellently wrong.  Excellence is great but the goal is the Gospel.  Razor blade leadership may even mention the Gospel but it does not bleed the gospel. It bleeds self-promotion and ego-driven ministry, not Gospel-driven ministry.

We can also lead with a pillow.  We can lead very softly.  We can avoid conflict, cower under difficult choices and never firmly challenge others to pursue the cross. We can avoid consequences for sin, run from church-discipline when one is caught in sin and pretend things aren’t as bad as they really are. We can lower expectations and put up with others leading out of comfort and not calling. We can be soft. The pillow leader attracts soft, emasculated men—men who want to hide in the soft comfort of their sin and past. Pillow leadership is just as bad as razor blade leadership. Instead of killing others it lets others kill themselves.

But Jesus came to show us another way to lead. We lead with a shepherd’s rod or staff. The rod is not sharp like a razor blade and not soft like a pillow, but it is firm. No cutting will happen with the staff but the staff is hard enough to strike blows to the ravaging wolves seeking to kill the sheep with false doctrine. The rod is firm enough to reign in sheep headed towards a perilous cliff. Would I ward you off from danger with a pillow or staff?  The pillow would only encourage you to move toward the comfort of the pillow and thus fall off the cliff. Perhaps even taking me with you. The razor blade could kill you. However, the rod would firmly shove you away from the cliff. The rod restores by pointing others to God’s Kingdom, to His Gospel. The rod builds others, coaches others, and courageously confronts others. The rod shepherds others.

I’ve found myself leading in all three ways.  With the razor I’ve damaged others with words, or moved way too fast, being obsessed with goals and using people instead of building into people. With the pillow I’ve avoided conflict out of fear of rejection, which is pride. But only one is truly shepherding. Only one tenderly, yet firmly leads with strength. The rod. No wonder John 10 describes Jesus as the Good Shepherd, not the Good Butcher or the Cotton King. Jesus as the good shepherd protected and loved the sheep and lead with great strength and compassion. What do you lead with? Ask others you have lead. Maybe they’ll tell you the truth.