The best leaders know their identity. Read John 1:1, 14.

What Jesus taught and what Jesus did are tied inseparably to who Jesus is, and the same is true for all leaders. John deliberately opened his Gospel with an allusion to the opening words of the creation account in Genesis 1. John shows Jesus as fully human and fully God. Although Jesus took upon Himself full humanity and lived as a man, He never ceased to be the eternal God who has always existed, creator of the universe, the binding force that holds creation together.

Effective leaders have compassion for their team even during the administration of justice for unacceptable attitudes or behavior. Read Luke 13:31-35.

As Jesus approached Jerusalem, some religious leaders warned Him that He would not be safe in Jerusalem and told Him He should not go there. Jesus already knew He would be killed while He was in Jerusalem and He knew that was part of God’s plan to redeem people to Himself. Jesus also knew that Jerusalem would be harshly judged by God for their actions in the past, for what they were about to do, and for their unbelief. The prophecies about Jerusalem were fulfilled in 70 AD when the Roman General Titus leveled Jerusalem. Jesus expressed deep sorrow as He thought about the future suffering of those living in Jerusalem.

Great leaders have great passion. Read Luke 3:2-22.

Many of the Old Testament prophets foretold of a man who would become a forerunner before Jesus, preparing the hearts of the people for Jesus’ life and message. John the Baptist, who was only about six months older than Jesus, effectively fulfilled that role for the nation of Israel preparing people for Jesus’ message. There are two words that may sound odd when juxtaposed against each other that both accurately describe the life of John the Baptist. Those two words are passion and humility. In this leadership study we will look at John’s passion and in the next study we will look at John’s humility.

A servant-leader’s rights will decrease as their responsibilities increase. Matthew 20:25-28.

In his notes in The Maxwell Leadership Bible, John Maxwell discusses something he calls the “leadership pyramid.”

When leaders understand their own identity they can resolve the issues related to arrogance, humility and service to others. Read Matthew 11:28-30.

As Jesus was instructing His disciples and others He talked about the topic of those who are weary, and needing rest. One of the great problems among leaders today is burnout. They take vacations and even sabbaticals but return from their time away from their job as weary as when they left. During their time off leaders don’t find their inner-rest because they simply change areas of activity. They don’t wrestle down the issue of who they are and why they were created or why they do what they do. Jesus was secure in who He was and His mission. He could be gentle, humble and even offer rest for weary souls who came to learn from Him because He was secure in His identity and His purpose for life on earth.