[I’m starting a new “Vintage Wednesday” series that revisits some of my writing from years ago, though with some revision. This one comes from a longer post written back in November, 2010 and has been broken down into three parts. The allusion to “control freak” will only make sense in the last of these three posts.]

I’ll never forget that meeting. We sat in a circle to discuss strategy, or perhaps better stated—my strategy. The tension was palpable; in fact, you could have cut it with a knife. Surrounding me in the room that day were five new members of my team and I was running point. But there was one slight problem. You see, from my leadership point of view, I believed that they were there to carry out my vision according to my plan.

Years later, my leadership mentor and friend—Jim—would invite me to a Lead Like Jesus Encounter with a group of Wycliffe associates. Assembled at the conference table were linguists and experts in the world of Bible translation, and then this young inexperienced kid who was trying to lead a budding organization. That day I was introduced to a new paradigm of leadership based on Jesus as servant of all.

Jesus as Savior and Jesus as Lord—both categories I had checked off years before, but Jesus as serving leader—the greatest leadership role model ever? This was new territory for me. In fact, I’m not sure that Jesus as leader had ever crossed my mind. And perhaps for some simple reasoning. Just consider one of his greatest moments—when the reason for his earthly existence culminated at the cross: The twelve guys he had led for three years all turned tail and ran. One from his inner circle “cussed Him out” (Mark 14:71) denying three times even the slightest acquaintance to Him. Yet it was this motley crew, minus one, that went out just a short time later and turned the world upside down, starting the greatest organization in the world.