The purpose of this book is to encourage you—through the sharing of experiences, insights, and reflections—to become like a shepherd in your business and personal life settings. While inspired by my spiritual heritage of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the principles and practices are intended to benefit Christian, Jew and Muslim alike. As a matter of fact, the message is all-inclusive, extending to people of all faiths in all societies. My heart’s desire—and the intent of this book—is for you to receive spiritual nourishment while developing the head, heart, hands and habits of a shepherd.
A series of key questions will arise in the process of encouraging you to recognize and respond to your high calling to lead like Jesus and be a good shepherd. If Jesus, as a shepherd, is the ultimate leadership model for all purposes, how did he really lead? What wisdom did he impart to those closest to him? Why is shepherd leadership a more relevant model than traditional business school teaching and conventional wisdom?
Management theories and practices abound. Some have proven valuable, a few extraordinarily so. Several have been passing fancies. In any event, the list of possibilities is endless. Bookshelves in stores, libraries and personal collections sag under the weight of the subject. From the early days of 1920s experiments regarding organizational development, focusing on human relations and motivation, through Drucker’s impressive body of work, to the latest leading edge research efforts, every conceivable approach to management has been considered.
In the midst of it all, what difference could shepherd leadership possibly make, and why does it matter? Who is called to be a shepherd, and what does any of this have to do with you or me? Finally, how does a leader answer the universal call to be a shepherd? What is the true character and nature of the leader as shepherd, and how does it apply in business and other arenas of life?
To help fulfill the purpose and intent of this guide, each issue will be considered in turn. Yet a simple and straightforward question appears at the threshold. Why look to the shepherd?
Jesus called himself one. He saw others as shepherds as well. God the Father spoke of both himself and his Son as shepherds. He also saw his chosen leaders as shepherds. From Abraham to Zephaniah, throughout the Old and New Testaments alike, the shepherd is present and prominent. In Islamic faith and culture, before becoming a prophet Muhammad grew up as a shepherd. In terms both literal and figurative, the shepherd is on the scene, whether caring for a modest flock near the smallest village or presiding as head of state for a vast nation.
In summary, the Bible reveals the shepherd as a leadership calling, role and responsibility with equal force for men and women. When reading about a “shepherd” in a leadership context, please remember that it applies to any person who has any power or influence over another person. The key precept is that this influence is to be used to glorify God, whether in the home, church, schools, business or government. The shepherd transcends time and place, eclipses economic and social status, and bridges the political spectrum. If Jesus, the ultimate role model for leadership, saw himself as and was seen as a shepherd, how did he in turn teach and train those closest to him?
Thank you, Jesus, for your unmerited favor in calling me to be a shepherd to your flock that you entrusted to my care.
Reflection: A Shepherd’s Staff
Shepherds use a variety of equipment and aids while tending their flocks. Items commonly or occasionally used include a rod, staff (also referred to as a scepter), sling (like the one used by David to slay Goliath), bag or pouch, garments, a tent, dogs, and a watchtower.
In the Bible and throughout literature, the staff appears as a source of comfort, concern and compassion, often symbolizing the Spirit of God. In Moses’ hand, it was a sign of God’s miracles and deliverance. Of course, the staff was mainly of practical use by shepherds to draw sheep together, guide them, rescue them and set them free from entanglement.
A staff holds special significance for me. In our company, I try to move through the facilities on twice daily “walkabouts,” a way to keep a finger on the pulse of the workplace and show concern for our people. Far from rote, it has become a special time to connect with others each day, and I cherish the moments.
One day, in the midst of a room filled with a few dozen workers, I noticed an employee whose demeanor seemed downcast. I found out that she had contemplated suicide over the previous weekend and began acting in an unusual fashion. After careful consideration, the human resources manager and I conducted an intervention and took her to an emergency room. Our intent was to leave her in the care of medical professionals.
It was not to be. With a crowd in the ER and a waiting time sure to stretch for several hours, we sat alongside her, not wanting to leave her alone. The time together gave us a chance for a dialogue. As we talked, the floodgates opened. We heard one story after another of physical and verbal abuse she had experienced, which combined to shatter any sense of worth and to instill a sense of utter desperation in her. We listened and, with compassion, shared the unconditional nature of God’s love for each of us.
After returning home from the hospital that night, she grew convinced that God loved her and would not forsake her, because, even though she was hiding her face, we had seen her in a crowded setting. The next day, she was back at work with a smile on her face, ready to begin the long road to recovery. She shared how her burden was lifting and thanked and hugged us for caring enough about her to reach out.
A few days later, my wife and I were on a trip on our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. We happened upon an antique shop. I entered and quickly moved to the back of the store, but my wife lingered near the entrance. Inside the front door, she spotted a shepherd’s staff, the first either of us had ever seen. She knew it was for me, representing a tangible confirmation of my role as a shepherd in the workplace. With God’s hand in all things, we returned home with the staff in hand.
The next morning during my daily devotion, I opened my journal to record our experience. As I glanced down, I noticed the last Scripture verse I noted before leaving on our trip: “Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance” (Mic. 7:14).
The shepherd’s staff now hangs in my office. It serves as a daily reminder to be a leader like Jesus, whose righteousness is the scepter of his kingdom (Ps. 45:6; Heb. 1:8).
The Original Peter Principle
The Peter Principle is a theory that originated in a 1969 book by the same name (Peter is the author’s last name). The principle is based on the notion that every employee in a hierarchy tends to rise to the level of his own incompetence. It addresses in a lighthearted but pointed way why things seem to go wrong in the workplace.
The Peter Principle has demonstrated some utility over the years. But there’s another version infinitely more important. It’s one that dates back 2,000 years or so, and it was coined by Jesus himself in his final instructions to Peter the Apostle.
The inner circle of women and men who followed Jesus was an amazingly diverse group despite shared circumstances. His disciples all had vastly different personalities. They also spanned the political spectrum. One was from a radical group determined to overthrow the existing civil government. But another was a tax collector in collusion with the existing government and essentially a traitor to his own people.
Professionally, at least four of the twelve disciples, and possibly seven, were fishermen and close friends from the same town. They probably knew each other since childhood. The others were likely tradesmen or craftsmen, but we are not told what they did before leaving everything to become followers of Christ. Most of them were from Galilee, an agricultural region at the intersection of trade routes. Jesus himself was a carpenter from a family of carpenters.
Many women were on the scene as part of Jesus’ core group as well. They were with him all the way from Galilee to Jerusalem. They were close by when he was crucified. In the end, women were the first people