Follow forward in vulnerability
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ChatGPTVulnerability isn't something most of us naturally run toward. It probably would not feature in your top five characteristics of great leaders.
However, in my recent conversation with South African artist and storyteller Jabulani Majola (stage name–Jabulile Majola), it became clear that vulnerability has been one of the key tools God has used to shape his life and his music.
The music industry can be a particularly difficult place to express vulnerability.
However, Jabulani is determined to stay true to his conviction that he is called to express himself through music honestly and transparently.
"My vulnerability… is honesty. Honesty will always make people respond."
A story formed in beauty and struggle
Jabulani's upbringing included both beauty and struggle. Adopted into a large family with parents committed to serving Jesus, he nonetheless wrestled with deep questions about belonging and identity.
"You start to have questions… about where you actually come from… It was very difficult to feel loved… even though I had people in my life that were affirming me."
These early wounds became the soil God later used to shape his compassion—expressed through storytelling and his emerging voice as an artist.
Music as a place of healing
For Jabulani, music wasn't an escape from pain—it was a way to process it with God. He described it as
"a soundtrack that helps you create that song of hope."
What began as rap and spoken word slowly transformed into the Zulu folk sound he now carries. That shift, he explained, required faith and courage:
"Everything felt out of reach… but every step was a step of faith."
Embracing his heritage, language, and identity unlocked a depth in his music that resonates even with those who don't understand isiZulu.
Leading out of vulnerability
Repeatedly, Jabulani connects vulnerability as the means to discovering purpose.
"The closer you get to God, the more He breaks you… and everything that you do is from that humble place."
This is why his performances often feel like ministry moments. He doesn't force anything. He simply lays his story before the room, trusting the Holy Spirit to use honesty as an invitation. His vulnerability becomes a doorway for creating an environment where the grace of Jesus becomes tangible. And, in this way, he leads people into God's presence.
Consistency beyond the stage
What struck me most was how intentionally he seeks to align his off‑stage life with his on‑stage message. His integrity, more than his talent or rising platform, is what makes his life such a compelling witness.
In this, he is seeking to follow the example of Jesus, who expressed deep vulnerability in the Garden of Gethsemane before surrendering fully to the Father: "May your will be done." (see Matthew 26:36-50)
Vulnerability may not be the first quality we look for in great leaders, but as Jabulani is discovering, it is a critical pathway to influence. So perhaps it's important to pause and reflect:
Where might God be inviting you to practice greater vulnerability as a means of encountering more of His grace?
How could sharing part of your story create space for someone else to encounter Jesus?
Rather than striving to project extreme self‑confidence, we may discover that God has gentler, wiser ways to mold us into Christ‑centered servant leaders.
 | Dr. Tim Tucker is the Africa Development Director on the global leadership team of The Message Trust. He has a PhD in Practical Theology from North-West University (South Africa) and has written four books, including Grab a Towel: Christ-centered Servant Leadership for the 21st Century (Message Books 2018), Grief and Grace: Facing the Future I Didn’t Choose (Message Books 2019), and The Pace Setter: Paul, Timothy and the Art of Multiplying Leaders(Message Books 2014). Learn More » |
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