Leadership models come and go. Business managers and supervisors find themselves constantly learning the latest “secret” about how to lead and motivate people.
But Ken Blanchard, co-founder of the Center for FaithWalk Leadership, believes leadership is really quite simple and centers around one basic concept — lead like Jesus.
“We have a practical and effective leadership model for all organizations, for all people, for all situations,” Blanchard writes in his latest book, “The Servant Leader: Transforming Your Hearts, Head, Hands and Habits.”
Best known for co- writing the best-selling book, “The One-Minute Manager,” in 1967, Blanchard said he was humbled in 1982 to discover Jesus taught those same concepts and practiced them with perfection.
It was in the early 1980s that Blanchard launched his personal relationship with Christ and focused all of his leadership expertise into studying Jesus’ efforts.
“All that I’ve written about, Jesus did perfectly,” Blanchard explained in an interview with The Alabama Baptist. “My energy is tapped into the Lord,” he said, noting servant leadership by itself is “just another concept.”
“You can’t talk about servant leadership without talking about Jesus,” Blanchard explained. “As powerful as ‘The One-Minute Manager’ has been (still tops the best-seller list 35 years later), people want a different kind of leader. We are fortunate we have Jesus as a model.”
Noting that some managers have avoided the servant leader mentality because they are afraid it is an “inmates-running-the-prison” type of concept, Blanchard said this is not true. “It is a new style of leadership with two words. Leadership is about going somewhere — What is the vision? Servant is to serve the vision and the direction. The vision and values become the boss. You turn the traditional hierarchy upside down.”
Basically, “how do you serve the greatest good for the greatest number?”
Believing that “the whole nation is ready for this model,” Blanchard is co-hosting — with Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. — a “Lead Like Jesus” celebration Nov. 20 in Birmingham.
This first-ever nationwide simulcast seminar on what it means to “lead like Jesus” will take place at The Church at Brook Hills from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Other speakers include Laurie Beth Jones, author of “Jesus, CEO;” William Pollard, chairman and CEO of the ServiceMaster Company; Dan Cathy, president and CEO of Chick-Fil-A, Inc.; and football legend Rosey Grier of Impact Urban America.
For those attending on site, the celebration includes praise and worship music, interviews, speakers, conference materials, lunch and two breaks.
Blanchard said everyone can benefit from this conference — pastors, youth leaders, parents, teachers, coaches, CEOs. “For a follower of Jesus, being a servant leader isn’t just an option, it’s a mandate.
“This (conference) is all about Jesus,” Blanchard said. “If we take Him in our heart and study Him, we can really make a difference in the world.”
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