Who is the Greatest Leader in the World? - Day 16: 100 Days of Leadership

You may not have deliberated much about this, but if you had to choose the greatest leader in the world, who would you choose? Actually, take a step back. By what criteria would you make that choice? I mean, is the greatest leader, the one with the most influence (however that is measured), the most followers, the one who caused the most significant social change, or someone who had the greatest impact on the global economy?

I may sound biased, but the best leader in the world is surely, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I mean let’s look at the resume:

He has billions of followers today and has had millions for the last two millennia.

He revolutionized how we thought about hate and love.

He expressed an upside down kind of leadership model, where titles, position and prestige were not the priority, but rather a servant style of leadership.

He has led many out of hurt, pain, brokenness to a life of peace, purpose and fulfilment.

His teachings were nothing less than transformational. He taught people about forgiveness and humility. He taught people about living a focused, prayer-centered life.

As a leader he empowered disciples to follow him, learn from him and take his message of the Kingdom of God to the surrounding towns and villages and finally, to the ends of the earth.    

Jesus exemplified leadership qualities. He was and is the greatest leader in the world. My leadership tip? Follow Jesus.

What does the Bible say?

Colossians 1:15-18 - The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

What will I do now?

If you could emulate Jesus as a leader, what would you do differently to what you’re doing now? How would you live differently? 

The Greatest Leader Who Ever Lived: You'll be Suprised

Who is the greatest leader in the world?

Let's consider some of the great leaders. The best leaders in the world, surely could be people like: Nelson Mandela, Aung Sung Su Chi or Mother Theresa. We could mention business heavyweights like Jack Welch or the political prowess of names like Abraham Lincoln. In the sporting fields we could mention Michael Jordan or in social activism the name Martin Luther King Jnr comes to mind.

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Though, let me say this: 

If the success or effectiveness of a leader relates to the transformative impact one has had on generations past and present, then Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the greatest leader to have ever walked the planet.

Let me start there. Let me iterate the credibility of the leadership capacity of Jesus Christ. Billions of people follow him today. Billions are impacted by the amazing bite-sized teachings that he communicated when he lived on earth. Many understand the extravagant grace he expressed to the poor and disadvantaged. No one has created so much controversy, and sparked the passionate response of movements the world over.

I must clarify, that Jesus did not walk through Samaria on his day off and speak about leadership. He didn't sit on the mount of olives and give us 21 Irrefutable Laws, speak about leadership influence, or articulate to his followers important aspects of teamwork in first century Palestine. He nonetheless sparked a religious revolution of his day, and had 200 million Christians or 'followers of the way' by the start of the fourth century.

So what is it about Jesus that makes him the greatest leader to have ever lived?

Servant Leadership

We could speak about his upside-down form of leadership. While Pharisees in his day and age held to power, authority and legalism, Jesus came and spoke about servanthood. While the religious leaders were straightening their beards, Jesus was washing people's feet. He spoke clearly about the first being last, and the last being first. He spoke about giving away a second coat if someone really needed it. Jesus served. He came not to be served, but to serve. He taught the world servant leadership.

Extravagant Grace

The story of the adulterous woman comes to mind:

John 8:1-11   ¹ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

² At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Leadership was not expressed in bitter judgment to the sinful woman, but expressed in extravagant grace. The character of the leader was clearly evident in this story. Jesus was a man who loved, showed love and generously exhibited grace to the people around him, namely the adulterous woman.

What makes Jesus the greatest leader to have lived?

We have mentioned briefly his servant leadership, his extravagant grace, but there is more. I could write about the ability he had to draw a crowd or purposefully lose a crowd, or his team-building techniques, his dissatisfaction with institutionalism and how he dealt with that, and more. Though it would be remiss of me not to finish this blog with one of the greatest reasons Jesus Christ was the greatest leader in the world.

He was God in person.


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