You are rewarded not according to your work or your time but according to the measure of your love.
St. Catherine of Siena
Before he was crowned king, or even anointed to become king, David was a shepherd. His leadership training was tending to others, ensuring the flock was nourished and protected. When it came time to lead a vast nation, the sure mercies that guided David in the fields flowed through his heart and hands to be responsive to people’s needs and steady against threats.
Rank and titles are often associated with leadership, yet the real work of leading is both a duty and honor. Leadership is the intention of a servant’s heart and action of a shepherd’s spirit.
“Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge,” said author and organizational optimist Simon Sinek.
Shepherds trudge through quiet places and dark nights, strengthened and warmed by the responsibility entrusted to them. Shepherds guide with justice and regard for total quality of life. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd;” shepherds make sacrifices to preserve the flock, Jesus explained, whereas a “hired hand” sees a threat coming and, full of self-concern, abandons their duty, and runs away.
“Then the wolf pounces and scatters the flock,” Jesus said.
Sinek helpfully extends the example into a different field: “Great leaders are willing to sacrifice the numbers to save the people. Poor leaders sacrifice the people to save the numbers.”
God’s guidance is distinct, and the expectations for how to care for and tend to the flock are clear: strengthen the weak, heal the hurting, bind up the injured, search for and bring back the lost. In this way, leading from the heart translates to any environment or setting.
Empower others.
Prioritize people, their safety, and well-being.
Listen to hear feelings and attend to what is hurting.
Understand others’ needs and fears, goals and ambitions. Help them see how they fit in the organization and why their work matters.
“We become leaders the day we decide to help people grow,” Sinek says.
