Jesus taught that you did not have to be a hero to be a leader. He taught just the opposite; that to be leader you must be a servant. He taught that there is no need for Christians to pull rank on each other, whether in pulpit or pew, and "the greatest among you will be your servant" (Matthew 23:8ff).

Jesus was willing to "walk the talk" when he demonstrated his commitment to this principle by washing his disciples feet (John 13:5).

Perhaps the most relevant example of what Jesus thought about Corporate leadership versus Servant leadership is found in Matthew 20. The mother of James and John came to Jesus and asked that her sons be permitted to sit at the right and left of Jesus in the Kingdom. Obviously, the mother of these two men had a very corporate view of the kingdom. She wanted her sons to be at high points on the executive ladder, Executive Vice-presidents of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus did not agree with this management style. He pointed to the Gentiles as a bad example of those who "lord it over" people, and wanted no part of this plan. Instead he pronounced a dictum he repeated on many occasions: "Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant."

And the model of this management style of Jesus himself? As he said,"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:21ff).

This biblical passage gives us a great deal of insight about how Jesus expects us to lead.

1. He expects that servant leaders be relational. We are to be among people, not over them.

2. The servant does not bark orders, but instead simply goes to work and demonstrates how others may join in.

3. The servant leader is a catalyst for behavioral change in the lives of those he or she leads.

It is not enough that followers obey commands in the Christian realm, but that they experience a sense of community and divine purpose in the process.