Tribes – Leading from the Bottom
There is a problem with leadership that Seth Godin in his book Tribes. Check out previous posts here, here, here and here.The problem with leadership is that people feel inadequate or lacking authority to lead. Even those who are “ordained” to lead feel it. Without the sense of authority, people don’t lead. Ask anyone in the church if the are discipling anyone and you will most likely see our fear of leadership and authority.
There is a style of leadership that leads without any formal authority though. Godin calls this Leading from the Bottom. Much like Jesus, leading from the bottom is using ideas and truth to lead without any status or rank. What Jesus did and Godin suggests is that people will follow the idea that follows their own desire to change and the passion that flows from it.
Of course, Jesus did have authority to lead, as some who read this will probably think. He was given all authority in fact and displayed it in miracles and works. But that doesn’t let us off the hook either. Jesus left us with his authority as well.
So why don’t we lead? Why is it limited to pastors and then limited again to what we are comfortable with?
