Leaders may have great power at their disposal but are still expected to act as servants to those on their team. Read Luke 22:24-30.

Jesus was having His final meal with His disciples just prior to His arrest, mock trial and execution. The Bible tells us He was eager to eat this meal with His friends so He could enjoy some close fellowship and help them understand His immediate future and some of what was in store for them over the next few days. But, during the meal “…a dispute arose among them to which of them was considered to be the greatest” (v. 24). Jesus used this discussion to shape their perspective. He helped them to understand that the power structure in the kingdom of God is radically different from what the world perceives as power.

Every leader will have some teammates that fail regardless of the leader’s mentoring or interpersonal skills. Read Luke 22:1-6.

The Bible tells us that at times there were hundreds of people that followed Jesus all over Judea and called themselves His disciples. From His many dedicated followers Jesus chose an inner circle of 12 that He mentored and gave significant amount of personal time. Yet, even though Jesus is the one perfect leader to walk the face of the earth, one from His inner circle betrayed Him. If in leadership very long, every leader will have a similar experience.

A leader’s character is obvious even to those who may not agree with their values, leadership style or philosophy. Read Luke 20:19-26.

As Jesus became more widely known among the people of Judea He drew the attention of some of the religious leaders who felt threatened by His popularity with the people. Much like what happens in an election year in America, the first order of business by Jesus’ opponents was to discredit Him before the crowds. Individuals were sent with specific questions that were designed to entrap Jesus. Interesting that they prefaced their questions with “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth…” God-honoring leaders demonstrate such integrity with their character that even those seeking to do them harm can’t discredit their example.

Leaders are simply stewards of the resources God has given them. Read Luke 19:11-26.

During His public ministry Jesus often told stories that illustrated a principles for life. In one of these stories Jesus told about a landowner who, just prior to leaving on an extended trip, gave three men some funds to spend, save, or invest. Each had the freedom to use the money as they saw fit but each would be asked for an account of how they handled the money when the landowner returned. The landowner’s expectation was that these men would be stewards of the money he had given them and, in Jesus’ story, those who had been faithful stewards of the funds were rewarded for their efforts and those who did not steward the funds would be held accountable.

The effective leader must pass the “Commitment Test.” Read Luke 18:18-23.

During the three years of Jesus’ public ministry, as His popularity grew, many people desired to be close to Him, join His team, seek affirmation for their life decisions, and get His answers to spiritual questions. It is refreshing that Jesus always went straight to the central issues in their life that would keep them from finding the answers they sought and achieving their potential.