Jesus’ leadership is spiritual leadership. His spiritual leadership is relational leadership: to the Father and to his sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father” (Jn. 10:14-15a). Jesus leads his sheep in relationship. It involves trust and vulnerability. The sheep “won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t recognize his voice” (Jn. 10:5). The disciples recognize Jesus’ pastoral voice because Jesus spends time with them. John 10 delineates a beautiful picture of pastoral ministry: the Shepherd and the Sheep.
“Spiritual leadership is the leadership of the Good Shepherd. As Jesus says, good shepherds know their sheep, and their sheep know him (see John 10:14). These must be a true mutuality between shepherds and sheep. God leaders know their own, and their own know them. Between them is mutual trust, mutual openness, mutual care, and mutual love. To follow our leaders we cannot be afraid of them, and to lead our followers we need their encouragement and support.”
“Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd to show the great intimacy that must exist between leaders and those entrusted to them. Without such intimacy, leadership easily becomes oppressive.” [Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith (New York: HarperOne, 1997), April 13.]
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