What Good Leadership Looks Like
“Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying, ‘When leaders lead in Israel, when the people willingly offer themselves, bless the Lord!’” Judges 5:1-2
These verses refer to a historic battle that the children of Israel fought and won during the time when the judges guided the young nation of Israel. Judges chapter four records this battle in which the prophetess and judge named Deborah, along with the commander of Israel’s army Barak, acted in obedience and faith that God would give them victory against a fierce enemy and great odds (900 chariots of iron to be exact). He did.
Luca Giordano, Victory of the Israelites and Deborah's Canticle, 1634-1705
In Judges chapter five, Deborah and Barak sing a song of gratitude, and the first thing they’re thankful for is leadership: “when leaders lead.” This is a powerful statement. A leader is a noun. To lead is a verb. When leaders lead insinuates that you can be a leader and fail to actually do the work of leading. When leaders lead insinuates that when people who are placed in positions of leadership choose to lead with strength and integrity, blessing and prosperity reign.
The second thing Deborah and Barak are thankful for is when the people willingly offer themselves. This also speaks to leadership. When leaders lead, they can lead by influencing their people rather than controlling them. Good leadership—when leaders lead—creates a culture where sacrifice, willingly offering themselves, is commonplace. People need not be manipulated, coerced, or compelled. When leaders lead, people become their best, people rise to their full potential, people will in fact willingly offer themselves.
All throughout the Bible, we see examples of good leadership, when leaders lead, and we see examples of poor leadership, when leaders fail to lead. One thing is clear: blessing comes when leaders lead, and God is glorified by it.
Leaders in all walks of life have great responsibility. Christian leaders especially, regardless of what vocation they choose, what stage of life they find themselves in, or what their past may look like, are positioned to be conduits of heavenly blessing here on earth.
It starts us as leaders. Let us not wear the title of a leader without doing the work, let our example be what motivates the people around us to be willing to give of themselves, and let us remember that every success and victory our leadership brings us to is ultimately meant to glorify God and inspire a heartfelt “bless the Lord” from our lips to his ears.