What does Napoleon have to do with spiritual leadership? Bear with me.
Napoleon said that leadership is to define reality and then give hope. He was someone who understood the harsh realities of war — fatigue, defeat and death. His men respected him because they trusted that he addressed their realities and had a compelling vision.
Jesus was someone who lived in the real world, yet gave hope. He never shied away from reality, no matter how dark it was, but also held on to hope and offered it to others. Let’s have a brief look at two aspects of leading with reality. Next time, we will explore the issue of hope.
Reality 1: Human Leadership
Jesus understood the limits of human leadership — that’s why He chose to lead in human flesh. He modelled a way of leading that others could follow. He grew tired and hungry (John 4). He felt frustration, though without sin:
“O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” (Mark 9:19)
He grieved under the weight of sin, sickness, and death:
“He groaned in the spirit and was troubled… Jesus wept.” (John 11:33–35)
When leaders like Peter, Paul, and Timothy needed guidance, they could draw from their knowledge of Jesus’ very human leadership. His humanity made Him not just divine, but relatable.
We might lament that our leaders are “too human.” We want them flawless — sinless yet still approachable. When they inevitably fail, the temptation is to say, “Forget human leadership, let’s have Jesus Himself lead us.” But we forget: the only leadership Jesus has given His church is human leadership. Spirit-filled, guided by Scripture, but still fallible.
If Jesus chose to entrust His church to imperfect people, then weakness and limitation are not defects in leadership to escape, but realities to accept.
Reality 2: Patient leadership
One defining quality of leadership that deals in reality, rather than fantasy, is that it is patient.
Wasn’t Jesus amazingly patient in the way that he led? Why did Jesus spend three years training his followers? One reason was that it took a long time for the heart of Jesus to penetrate the sometimes thick skulls and hearts of his disciples.
Patience in leadership is a key quality. While it is true that leaders need to be urgent in times of danger or crisis, or when capitalising on an open door, it is also true that haste is not a positive spiritual quality.
A patient leader (and that is the only healthy kind of leader there is) is somebody who deals with reality and doesn’t rush to escape it. That kind of leader can come alongside, sympathise and empathise with anyone who needs it. In that way, they are then able to offer hope. Not a shallow hope, but one born out of and through times of suffering, difficulty, and lament.
What kind of leadership does the church need? Human leadership, characterised by patience. Next time, we will explore how Christlike leaders offer a healthy hope.
God bless, Malcolm
