Leading for transformation

Brad Delaughter June 24, 2023

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One of the fulfilling aspects of leading others is the opportunity God allows us to play in the discipleship process of their lives.

By God's grace we have the privilege of leading for transformation in the lives of others. While leaders are charged with directing their respective organizations into the future, part of this change in not merely external, but internal. Geiger and Peck (Designed to Lead, 139) observe how leaders who fail to plant external behaviors with an internal "why" see fragile commitments and change which does not last long-term. If leaders see themselves as merely change agents or CEOs, whether for an organization or a church, they will miss the essence of leadership—leading change within others.

Part of being a believer is changing from what we are to what Christ desires for us. Lasting outward change comes from genuine inward change. The reason this is important for leaders to understand is God has not just called us to lead a church or organization, but to lead people, his people.

Paul commends all believers to embrace transformation. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom. 12:2). Malphurs (Being Leaders, 117) demonstrates the importance of transformational leadership for the church, by noting that healthy church ministry and even revitalization will not happen if spiritual transformation is not taking place in the lives of the members.

Practicing transformational leadership is grounded in the concept of servant leadership. The servant leader does not lord his position over others but views the position as an opportunity to serve others in the example of Christ.

Servant leadership is based on the love of Christ. Jesus loved his church enough to give himself wholly for it, so in turn leaders are to follow his example by loving the church enough to fully give of themselves for the transformation of the church. Blanchard, Hodges, and Hendry (Lead Like Jesus Revisted, 14) state that to be a servant leader is to live as who we are in Jesus and this identity is displayed in how we treat others in our circle and outside our circle.

The servant leader does not lord his position over others but views the position as an opportunity to serve others in the example of Christ.

One such example of the power of transformational leadership comes from Paul:

"And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:11-13).

God has supplied his church with leaders who can lead others in the transformation process called discipleship. As leaders, we have the privilege of engaging in transformational leadership as we serve Christ in the areas he called us. We are not in the position for self-aggrandizement, but God has, by his sovereign will and for his good pleasure, placed each of us in our position for his glory so we may build up his church and reach the nations for his kingdom.

As we lead others, let us lead them with the goal of helping them to transform into the likeness of Jesus.

Eric Geiger and Kevin Peck, Designed to Lead(Nashville: B&H, 2016).
Aubrey Malphurs, Being Leaders(Grand Rapids: BakerBooks, 2003).

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Brad Delaughter serves as Lead Pastor of First Baptist Church De Soto, MO. Brad is married to his bride, Kristin, and together they have 4 crazy kids (Jackson, Michaela, Jase, and Jacob). In addition to serving as Lead Pastor, Brad also serves as a hospital chaplain, is the Director for National Sustainability and Missouri Team Lead for Prison Seminaries Foundation and is an adjunct professor for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Learn More »

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