Kingdom Patterns of Leadership - The requirement for maturity in leadership

God is calling us to a higher standard of leadership than that which exists in the current world system. In Matthew chapter 5 verse 20 Jesus says, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”  We must go beyond the requirements of the current system. We are called to model higher standards, that is, Kingdom standards of leadership, of behavior, of character, of ethics, and of propriety.

Like Jesus, we must manifest God’s Name and His character. The principle is one of representation and it is achieved as we, in the Kingdom, move towards unity and maturity. In Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11 to 13, Paul links unity with maturity when he says, “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

In Hebrews chapter 6 verse 1a the writer admonishes us to “… move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity,…” 

The path to maturity is a process of transformation over time. It is an active process of becoming, in which an individual must change and not remain in stasis. It is a process by which we move from occupying one position to occupying another.

When the leader lacks maturity

Ecclesiastes chapter 10 verses 6 to 7 says “Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, And your princes feast in the morning! Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, And your princes feast at the proper time—For strength and not for drunkenness! “

Feasting in the morning represents self-indulgence and a lack of purpose. These princes feast before the day’s work is done, only to reward themselves with drunkenness. They are not prepared for the day ahead and for what will be required of them. They display no sense of responsibility or propriety, they lack restraint, self-control, and emotional regulation. Their motivation is self-indulgence; the reward is drunkenness.

Feasting at the proper time speaks of self-control and preparation for purpose. They feast to obtain the strength they will need in order to do whatever circumstances will require of them. They are motivated by purpose, and the reward is strength and preparedness.

The process of maturing

1 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 11 identifies specific areas in which we must mature, namely in speech, in understanding and in thought. “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

 Maturing in speech addresses the development of our verbal communication skills and ability to express ourselves. Children do not have the vocabulary to express themselves properly in speech. They act out their feelings. They are unable to regulate their emotions and because they are unable to express their feelings verbally, they scream, shout, throw tantrums, and can sometimes manipulate others emotionally and verbally (e.g. by being deceitful) to get what they want.

Maturing in understanding address our abilities to comprehend, to perceive, to empathize and to sympathize with others. Children are self-absorbed. In their worlds, they are most important. Their needs take precedence, and their world consists of their needs being met. They cannot look outward; their gaze is continually focused on themselves. Hebrews 4:15 says ^“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Modelling Christ means that we develop the ability to empathize with others, so that we become compassionate.

Maturing in our thought process addresses the following areas:

1. Cognition – these are the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge and understanding. Laziness coupled with the failure to continue the learning process, leads to stagnation.

2. Reasoning – this entails having a structured and logical thought process versus being irrational.

3. Intellection – speaks of the act of using one’s intellect or mind to figure things out.

4. Reflection – this is the deliberate and thoughtful process of considering something.

5. Cogitation – entails deep thought or contemplation – it means that we are able to think deeply about things.

Signs of mature versus immature leaders

Mature Leader	Immature Leader
Team members grow in knowledge, proficiency, and capacity over time – they are transformed according to the spirit and vision of the leader. They grow in speech, understanding and their ways of thinking.	Team members stagnate; they do not increase in skill, knowledge, or capacity. They do not develop in thinking or manifest transformation. They follow the pattern of the leader, who is not transforming himself, and lack the capacity to think beyond what the leader tells them.
As team members mature, unity increases in the team. Team members gaze is focused outward. They are united in pursuing the fulfilment of the vision.	The team is divided. They are unable to pull together to achieve goals, due to a lack of complete leadership function. There is no communication of vision, no care for the welfare of the staff, no implementation of discipline or corrective structures, an oppressive, domineering leadership style wielding power and not serving the team members and a lack of transparency regarding the leaders own process.
The team is able to achieve higher levels of growth, development, and achievement of purpose, because their capacity is continually expanding.	The team exhibits a lack of capacity due to stunted development, leading to an inability to transition to the next level of growth required of them.

There is a direct correlation between the state of the people, and the maturity of the leader. Immature leaders are incapable of activating maturity in the people they are leading. A mature leader is able to lead others to maturity in the expression of his leadership function.

The link between poor leadership and high staff or community turnover

In organizations people are often stay out of loyalty to the leader and the organization. They will endure difficult circumstances for some time. However, when the damage they suffer due to poor leadership - whether it be a lack of progression financially, stagnation due to a lack of personal development and growth, or emotional damage due to harsh, toxic leadership patterns – when this outweighs the benefits of staying, people will inevitably separate themselves from the organization. When staying becomes detrimental to the individual and their family, they make the decision to leave. It often a difficult decision to make, especially in cases where people have invested years with an organization, however, the fact that they have done so, indicates the seriousness of the problem.

Immature, toxic leadership hurts people spiritually, emotionally, and even, at times, materially. Leadership is therefore the single most important factor in determining the success or failure of any organization or community.

A Kingdom leadership pattern

We must apply God’s pattern of shepherding to the people under our care. Leadership is about the person in leadership taking responsibility for the people whose destiny God has entrusted to him.

In Ezekiel chapter 34 verses 11 to 18 we see the role of the leader laid out by God who is the true Shepherd.

‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God. “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.”

The leader must take responsibility for the needs of the entire flock, including the lost, the weak and the vulnerable.

In Luke chapter 15 verses 3 to 7, we see that God cares about the individual.

^“Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does not he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it. And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep. I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

Too many times, people who cannot keep up are left behind. The leader has to care enough to actively seek out the one who is lost, to bring that person back and to re-integrate them with the rest. No one should feel excluded.

Psalm 23 tells us about the state of a person who is being guided and steered according to Kingdom patterns.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

In this environment people do not lack. They are free from fear and tension. They feel completely secure and safe under the leader. They are led in righteousness and are given a good example to follow. They experience transformative correction, which protects, guides, educates, cautions, and disciplines them, giving them a sense of comfort and safety. They experience intrinsic and extrinsic growth and increase. The leader protects them in the areas in which they are vulnerable and because they are taken care of in this manner, they have no desire to leave.

This brings us the end of this series in Kingdom Patterns of Leadership. My prayer is that God will continue to give you insight and wisdom in building and establishing Kingdom patterns of leadership in your life and in your business. Be blessed!

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