When I was conducting the research for The Humility Factor, I asked churchgoers to state the things that they most wanted in a pastor. Though not at the top, one of the things that came up a number of times was the desire for one’s pastor to be a shepherd. People wanted to have a pastor with a personal touch. Below is a little more about this. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that some people also complained that their pastor was too much of a shepherd and they wished that they had a more dynamic and decisive leader. I guess you can’t please everyone all of the time!
A shepherd leader is highly relational and prefers to spend the majority of their time with the people they serve, rather than doing administrative tasks. Just as the name implies, they are happiest when they are hanging out with their sheep! They are caring and empathetic, and good counselors who will help others through their challenges and make them feel loved. They understand that sometimes sheep go astray, and they will go out of their way to bring them back to the flock with grace and care, and when necessary, correct the behavior of a member of the flock with a loving swat with their shepherd’s staff. The shepherd leader is generally a positive style, but they must be careful of the influence which they will develop as people are drawn to them. In the book In the Name of Jesus, Nouwen warned pastors that “shepherding quickly becomes a subtle way of exercising power over others and begins to show authoritarian and dictatorial traits.” The key to a shepherd avoiding the lure of this level of influence is to remain self-aware, grateful, and open to the input of others.
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IMPACT: When the humility factor is added to the leadership style of Shepherd, the humble pastor outcome is that every quality of the humility factor already within the shepherd will be enhanced, benefiting both the shepherd and the members of the flock. People will follow this leader because of the care they receive from them; however, sometimes caution must be observed so that people are not following blindly. Assessment and accountability must be ongoing as to the intentions and objectives of this leader.
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