EMQ » July–September 2023 » Volume 59 Issue 4
Learning to Lead at the Feet of Jesus: Encounters with Grace and Truth
By Todd Poulter
William Carey Publishing, 2022
179 pages
US$15.99
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Reviewed by Dolores King-St. George, board member at South Florida Bible College & Theological Seminary, president of King Communications, a leadership, marketing, and media agency, and president of GraceNetMedia, a media non-profit for Bible teaching and missions.
Leadership conferences and books are rampant today. Todd Poulter writes from a perspective that requires a reset in how we think and act as ministry leaders. Jesus didn’t do things the way we do. The forward says boldly, “Something has gone very wrong in the house of God” (xiii).
Part 1 (chapters 1–3) describes Jesus as the Son who submits to the will of his Father. As the Shepherd, he is more than a “servant leader;” a theme in many books and conferences. Jesus seeks out his sheep, loves them, feeds them, and protects them against lies and trickery. As King, Jesus disrupted man-made systems and traditions to speak boldly for the Father’s truth.
Parts 1 and 4 (chapters 4–5; 10–13) build on a Jesus-like environment, where leaders remain close enough in proximity to know people. All members of a team must feel safe to express their advice, anger, or grievances without fear of retribution. Jesus entrusted His message to people initially unqualified to understand or teach others. He patiently trained them, “giving them challenges beyond their capacity” (91) without condemnation for failures and mistakes. This freedom to learn is essential, especially if one leads a young team or in a different culture.
Shaking up conventional views, part 3 (chapters 6–9) examines what power and authority are and are not, and the abuse of the same. Demanding loyalty and respect is challenged when compared to Jesus’ leadership style. Poulter also addresses celebrity leaders and the titles we use in ministry for various roles. Part 5 (chapters 14–17) looks at Christ-like authority versus our human view of authority. Too often, leaders think they are entitled to being the only voice that matters while diminishing others and incorrectly “assume divine authorization for their actions” (130). They may also give themselves “privileges and permissions that they would never tolerate in their staff” (128). “What would it take to prevent today’s younger leaders from becoming tomorrow’s ministry casualties?” (141). Part 6 (chapters 18–20) states that older leaders can be “unaware of younger leaders in their midst … or actually withhold growth opportunities from them” (143). Jesus behaved differently. We let down the next generation when we do not help to develop their leadership skills as Jesus did. This work inspires self-examination and retraining of our reflexes, as one chapter states. All those called to Christian leadership, whether in American or international missions and churches, will benefit by Learning to Lead at the Feet of Jesus, the only perspective needed for success
For Further Reading
Lead Like Jesus by Ken Blanchard and Pil Hodges (Thomas Nelson, 2005).
Mentor Like Jesus by Regi Campbell and Richard Clancy (B&H Publishing Group, 2009).
EMQ, Volume 59, Issue 4. Copyright © 2023 by Missio Nexus. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from Missio Nexus. Email: EMQ@MissioNexus.org.
