“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep”. – John 10:11-13.

The Standard of Leadership: Jesus the Good Shepherd

Jesus Christ, the greatest leader who ever walked the earth, while teaching in the tenth chapter of the book of John, draws a sharp contrast between a shepherd and a hireling. We can glean a few leadership lessons from this teaching.

Jesus…was revealing Himself as the good shepherd. He is the standard by which the quality of every shepherd or leader would ultimately be measured.

The first thing that jumps out from our text is the opening statement, “I am the good shepherd,” period. The finality of this statement demands our further reflection. Before arriving at this point in His teaching, Jesus had earlier referred to Himself in the ninth verse of the same chapter as the door, period. In both instances, Jesus did not leave much room for debate. He knew who He was and He boldly declared it – take His statement seriously or leave it. The choice is yours, but be ready to live with the consequences of your decision. He went on to say that if anyone enters through me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. To remain outside the door is to be at the mercy of the thief, the devil.

Jesus: The Good Shepherd, Not One of Many

Back to Jesus’s opening statement in our text, “I am the good shepherd.” He wasn’t claiming to be one of the good shepherds. Jesus, by this statement, was revealing Himself as the good shepherd. He is the standard by which the quality of every shepherd or leader would ultimately be measured. After all, how many leaders in history have had the kind of impact that Jesus has had on humanity, and for as long as His influence has endured?

The Hireling vs. The True Shepherd

Jesus continues:

“The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.”

While the good shepherd is willing to lay down his or her life for the sheep, the hireling…does not really care about the sheep

While the good shepherd is willing to lay down his or her life for the sheep, the hireling or hired hand is only in it for the money; the hired hand does not really care about the sheep, hence he flees at the slightest sign of danger.

Leadership Lessons for Today

If we apply Christ’s teaching to leadership today, the lesson is clear:

A true leader is one who is willing to make the required sacrifices for his or her followers to be safe, secure, and comfortable. Such a leader is neither selfish nor self-centered. This is the kind of leadership that Jesus Christ exemplified during His three-and-a-half-year ministry on the earth. He was willing to endure the shame and ridicule of men, and even pay the ultimate price on the cross for our sins, even though He knew no sin. He did this to rescue humanity from certain destruction. The good shepherd, Jesus Christ, should indeed be our standard when it comes to leadership. The hireling, on the other hand, gives us a picture of what a leader should not be – the hireling doesn’t care about the flock or followers. For the hireling, what is most important is what he or she can get and not what to give. Sacrifice is alien to the hireling; don’t even mention empathy around the hireling. Our text above sums up the attitude of the hireling by saying, “he does not care”.

A true leader is one who is willing to make the required sacrifices for his or her followers to be safe, secure, and comfortable

The Heart of the Matter

There are so many people in leadership who are simply hirelings, they are only interested in what they can acquire and how they can advance their personal goals and interests at the expense of the sheep, they don’t really care about those they are privileged to lead. They may pretend to be caring just to create an impression, but leadership is never about words or mere acts of seeming kindness.

Leadership is essentially a matter of the heart, and that is the heart of the matter.

Leadership is essentially a matter of the heart, and that is the heart of the matter

What moves or drives a genuine leader emanates from his or her heart. A genuine Leader or shepherd truly loves the flock. He or she is ready to coach, guide, protect, instruct, discipline, and lead the flock and if need be, at a personal cost. This they do until those they are privileged to lead become the best possible versions of themselves and realize their fullest potential.

A Personal Reflection

Please take a moment to reflect: In your family, neighborhood, office, or church, are you leading like a shepherd or like a hireling? Is Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, your pattern or model for leadership? If not, kindly ask Him today to transform your heart and help you lead like He leads.

May you reflect the heart of the Good Shepherd in all things. Be blessed.