Piper goes on to elaborate the uniqueness of spiritual leadership in contrast
to what we might call secular leadership:
The answer to where God wants people to be is in a spiritual
condition and in a lifestyle that displays His glory and honors His
name. Therefore, the goal of spiritual leadership is that people
come to know God and to glorify Him in all that they do. Spiritual
leadership is aimed not so much at directing people as it is at
changing people...if they don’t change in their heart you have not
led them spiritually. You have not taken them to where God wants
them to be.^5Piper reminds us that there is a world of difference – and an eternity
of difference – between spiritual leadership and secular leadership. All true
spiritual leadership is Spirit-led leadership, while the flesh dominates all
secular leadership. Only Spirit-filled leaders can exercise spiritual leadership!
Oswald Sanders makes the same crucial point about the need of truly
spiritual leadership in the Church:
...if the world is to hear the church’s voice today, leaders are needed who
are authoritative, spiritual, and sacrificial. Authoritative, because people
desire leaders who know where they are going and are confident of
getting there. Spiritual, because without a strong relationship to God,
even the most attractive and competent person cannot lead people to God.
Sacrificial, because this follows the model of Jesus. Churches grow
in every way when they are guided by strong, spiritual leaders with
the touch of the supernatural radiating in their service...Today
those who preach with majesty and spiritual power are few, and
the booming voice of the church has become a pathetic whisper.^6- Another very thoughtful and insightful definition of leadership
is the one by John Haggai from his excellent book, Lead On:
Leadership is the discipline of deliberately exerting special
influence within a group to move it toward goals of beneficial
permanence that fulfills the group’s real needs.^7
There are several carefully chosen words or phases in his definition that
I want to highlight, just as Haggai does in his book:
“Leadership is the discipline...”: This phrase reminds
us that leadership is as much a learned discipline as it is