The concept of “submissive leadership” may seem quite foreign — perhaps an oxymoron of sorts.
Well, my preference is to follow a submissive leader, if possible — one who follows a moral compass.
Like many, you may consider submissiveness to be a terrible weakness. In my opinion, it can actually be an immense asset for any leader depending upon where the person’s allegiance lies.
When our allegiance lies at the feet of the greatest man who ever lived, we can find a certain strength that is not of this world.
Of course, I’m referring to my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, He can become that secret sauce, that special ingredient, needed to bring about success and significance.
As a young Army officer, I found myself placed in positions of significant responsibility in leading others. Eighteen months of that conditioning took place in Vietnam.
As a 24-year-old, I was placed in the role of acting operations officer for the 3rd Battalion 6th Artillery for three months.
And later, as a 26-year-old, I commanded a Mobile High Frequency Signal Company stateside as my last military assignment.
Then, after a dozen years of corporate life taking on a half-dozen managerial roles with a handful of companies, I wound up in the demanding life insurance sales industry.
Forty years later, I’m amazed how He perfectly placed me in this challenging lifetime career while orchestrating a much greater purpose than simply a lucrative profession.
You see, I now understand He has been molding me into a “submissive leader” and I look forward to each and every day anticipating what He has in store for me.
It’s not about how many others we are tasked with leading, but how we lead. We all can have a great influence on the lives of others.
Tell me, do you consider yourself a leader?
In essence, we are all leaders to some extent. We may not have a great influence on a large organization, but potentially we all have others who may well follow our actions.
Perhaps it’s but a handful or just one other person. Your impact on any one person may be immense and greatly influence many others downstream!
Thank you for patiently waiting for me to once again mention the Secret Sauce that I alluded to earlier in this essay. That Secret Sauce is the Holy Spirit — my Comforter and my Guide as I navigate through life.
Do you know Him? Stay tuned as we delve deeply into just how He desires to intimately work in the life of His creation in the discussions that will certainly follow.