LEADERSHIP

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Mark 10:35-45

October 20, 2024

When I sold my business, I soon after took a job as a manager overseeing about a dozen people. In many ways, I was doing exactly the same things I had done for my business, but now I did it for an organization. But… I was no longer the boss. I had someone I had to report to. And, yes, that took some getting used to. Fortunately, my boss was patient and gave me enough time to learn how this particular organization worked.

If you have even been in a similar situation, you know how frustrating that can be. I saw things that needed to be changed (in my mind) but was denied the permission to make the changes. I was used to having the final say on things when it was my business. But in this situation, I had to take into consideration the opinions of several people. I’ll just say that it didn’t always go smoothly. For me or them.

Dealing with groups of people is difficult. There’s always somebody who has a different opinion and many who want to be in charge. Even if we are just trying to get a group together for a dinner, it can be frustrating just to get everyone to agree on a date or time. Thankfully, there is usually at least one person who is good at getting people to compromise and make a final decision.

Our world teaches that we have to be aggressive and to “take control.” It doesn’t matter if it is our family, government, business, the military, or even the church, we all expect “someone” to be in charge. In our world, is it just me, or do the most aggressive ones usually end up in control?

Jesus tries to impress on his twelve apostles that the kind of leadership he prefers is not one that is aggressive, ambitious, or controlling. Quite the contrary, Jesus calls the apostles, and he calls me, to be the servant and to take care of others. That's not what I usually consider when looking for a leader.

Society in the time of Jesus was not all that much different than it is now. There were those who were greedy, domineering and controlling. People were conditioned then, as we are now, that “good leaders” are the ones who take charge and elevate themselves over others. The problem then, as it is now, is that the people being dominated don’t want to be dominated. They want to have a voice in their own life and not be told what to do all the time. Domination is not leadership.

I want to be the kind of leader that Jesus was. I want to be considerate of those I am working with. Even as a business owner, I worked hard to be open-minded and fair when it came to my employees’ needs and desires. As a manager I had to learn to consult with other people in our organization about how a path was to be chosen. I never want to be domineering or overly aggressive towards anyone. I don’t always live up to that, but that's my goal.

In whatever role I take in my life, I try to remember that it is my choice to be either a servant leader or a domineering leader. Jesus has his opinion of what I should do. If I do the former, I tend to put smiles on people’s faces. If I chose the latter, I do not. Domination is not leadership.

I’m not the brightest bulb in the box, but I’ve learned that if I ever hope to make anyone feel God’s love, I have to be sure they have a smile on their face.

Every Day.

© 2024 by Timothy J. Doppel

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