Ministry Resources

Leaders Appreciate People

Mr. Loi was late for dinner again. He was tired, and he frowned as his small son pulled at his coat

“I suppose you’ve been at the church all afternoon,” said his wife in a tone of disapproval.

“Of course,” he replied crossly, “you should be glad the church is growing like this. We’re starting six more Bible classes. That makes ten new ones since I’ve been in charge of our Christian education program. I had to see that the literature was ready for all the classes. Then, two teachers came asking for help with their lessons. And there was a dispute because no one wants his class in the back room, and I had to go by the carpenter shop to explain about the chairs we ordered, and . . . ”

“Why don’t you get someone to help you?” his wife asked.

“People don’t have enough interest in the Lord’s work. They come late and upset the schedule. Nobody takes any responsibility,” he declared, “or else they argue about who is in charge. They stand around wasting time. They make too many mistakes, and I have to do it all over. I have to keep everything under very close supervision.”

Mr. Loi has an important position in his church. He believes that he is a good leader, and in some ways, he is. He is dedicated to his work, as we can see from his conversation. What else do we learn about him from this same conversation? Do we learn something about the way he feels toward other people? How will this affect his success as a leader?

In this lesson, we will study some principles of human relations and discover that how we feel about people is important to good leadership. Our biblical model is Moses, to whom God gave one of the greatest leadership assignments ever known.

Moses – A Leader Relates to People

The story of Moses is a story of leadership. In all literature, there is no account so complete and clear in its application to a study of how God relates to leaders and how leaders relate to people.

Moses, like many great servants of the Lord, began early in life to have feelings of empathy. That is, he was interested in people. He cared about their condition and wanted to do something to help them. His first effort was impulsive, and undoubtedly he failed to seek the guidance of the Lord. He tried in his own way to fight against injustice. This, of course, led him to kill a man (Exodus 2:11–15). We see, though, that when he ran away to hide he still had his sense of justice with him, and his desire to help people was expressed again as he drove away some shepherds who were harassing a group of women (2:16–19).

This act of kindness brought about his association with Jethro, whose daughter he married. One day, while he tended the flocks of his father-in-law, he saw the strangely burning bush and went near to examine it. His act was one of a stable man with an inquiring mind, not afraid to approach an unknown situation.

“Moses, Moses!” God called to him from within the bush.

Moses answered, “Here I am.” with a quiet confidence, and stood ready to listen. But he hid his face in respectful fear as God announced himself.

The Lord said, “I have seen the misery of my people. I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them and to bring them up out of that land. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt.”

We notice the pattern of God’s method again. He had a purpose for His people, so He called a leader and gave him a task to do. By this time, however, Moses had become less impulsive and less sure of his own strength. The purpose of God was very great, and the task must have seemed almost impossible for a lone shepherd to accomplish.

“Who am I, to be able to do this?” Moses asked, “What if the people won’t listen? How shall I make them understand that the Lord has sent me?”

Moses knew that a leader must act from a position of authority. God gave him that authority in the form of signs and wonders which he could perform in the name of the Lord. God promised to be with Moses and help him in the task. He made no promise of personal honor or reward for Moses, but He promised to help him accomplish the greatest purpose on earth. Still, Moses hesitated.

“I can’t speak very well,” he declared, “Please send someone else to do this work.”

At this point, God became angry with Moses. It is good to be humble, but humility must be balanced with faith in God and confidence that He will keep His promises. God told Moses that Aaron would speak for him and that the two of them should assemble the elders of Israel and explain the plan of God. In this way, everyone in a position of leadership would understand and accept his own responsibility as God gave the directions to Moses. Now Moses committed himself fully to the will of God, and the Bible tells us several times that he “did just as the Lord commanded.”

“What Am I to Do with These People?”

As he followed the commandments and guidance of the Lord, Moses was able to organize the elders and prepare the people for the moment of their exodus from the slavery of Egypt. God worked in the heart of Pharaoh and sent the plagues upon the land. At last the order went forth, “Up! Leave. . . . Take your flocks and herds . . . and go” (Exodus 12:31–32).

Can you imagine 600,000 men plus all the women, children, herds, and flocks beginning in the dark to abandon their houses and rush out into the open country (Exodus 12:37)? If you have ever had the duty of organizing a conference or retreat, or even an evening of evangelism visitation, then you know what a task it was for Moses and his helping leaders to organize that exodus.

In the first enthusiasm of the escape, according to the Bible account, everyone did just what the Lord commanded Moses. It is a principle of human behavior that when an activity is new and exciting people will follow their leader without question. But soon enthusiasm dies and problems are faced. Then people may question and grumble and even turn against the leader and blame him. This is what happened to Moses.

Finally, when the people complained because there was no water, Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What am I to do with these people?”

This time, as before, God answered with a miracle to provide for His people. But in this case the Bible account gives us another indication of God’s system of working with people.

Moses struck the rock “in the sight of the elders of Israel” and water came out for everyone to drink (Exodus 17:6). The elders were witnesses. They had an opportunity to share closely in the ministry experience of Moses. They must have learned from him and gained new faith and inspiration for their own service among the people. Frequently in the Bible records we find this pattern of leaders sharing their ministry experiences. The Lord Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul are examples in the New Testament.

In the next recorded event we see again an illustration of the relationships among leaders and followers. Moses directed Joshua, and Joshua selected men to fight against enemies who attacked the Israelites. During the battle, Moses held up his hands to the Lord. When his hands became tired he lowered them, and the enemy began to win the battle. So two of the men stood (one on each side of Moses as he sat on a rock) and held up his hands. The battle was won, and the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered” (Exodus 17:14). It is a good thing for every leader to remember, as well, the importance of the middle leaders who go out to battle and the quiet followers who stand near and hold up his or her hands.

Like all good leaders, Moses was intensely interested in goal achievement. He was dedicated and diligent in his work, and since his success required the cooperation of the people, he was painfully disappointed when they failed to be as dedicated as he was. He loved the people so much that he was willing to give his life for them, but he had to learn that leadership requires another type of love. Leadership love is that which trusts others, even
when they seem weak, to share the vision and contribute toward the achievement of the goal. Moses learned this truth from his father-in-law, Jethro.

When Jethro came to visit Moses, the two discussed the marvels God had performed and the experiences of the journey. Probably Moses expressed some of his distress because the people grumbled and failed both him and God. Maybe he repeated to Jethro the words he had spoken to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people?”

Jethro observed Moses in his daily relationships with the people. He saw the dedication, concern, and endless hours of hard work as Moses gave himself completely in the Lord’s service. All day, the people came to Moses. He acted as judge, counselor, minister, and helper to each of them.

“The work is too heavy for you,” declared Jethro, “You cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice.”

Read again from your Bible the account in

Exodus 18:13–26. You will find in the advice of Jethro the following ways of working with people:

1. Teach them the rules and regulations or policies.

2. Show them how to do each task.

3. Give them specific duties to perform.

4. Appoint middle leaders and organize the work with them.

This was Jethro’s answer to Moses’ question. Jethro declared that if Moses would do this there would be two results. First, Moses would be able to stand the strain of the work. Second, the people would go home satisfied. Remember these two statements. Later we will find that they represent the ideal results of successful leadership: the goal accomplished and the needs of the workers met at the same time!

The People of God and the People of Moses

One of Moses’ greatest assets as a leader was that he continued to see the potential for good in the people of God. He knew God would work through human beings to bring glory to His name and accomplish His purposes. Moses’ actions and words show that he intended to work with and through the people God had given him to lead. His love for God and his determination to work for God’s purpose resulted in love and loyalty toward the people.

Let’s look again at Exodus 18:15. When Jethro asked Moses why he spent so much time with the people, what was the reply? “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.” We see, then, that although the people were rebellious at times, blamed Moses unfairly, and failed to put their trust in the Lord, they still had in their hearts a desire to know God and serve Him. They wanted to learn. They came for advice and help when they were in trouble. They accepted the judgment of the Lord in their disputes. They fought bravely against the enemies of Israel. In spite of the weaknesses he saw in them, Moses recognized all these strengths.

Once, in weakness and fear, when Moses was engaged in a highlight experience of all history—receiving the Word of God on Mt. Sinai—the people fell into the awful sin of idolatry (chap. 32). Our hearts ache with Moses when we read of his return to the camp and his burning frustration as he slammed the precious tablets of stone to the earth.

But in this same chapter (vv. 7–11) we read the most remarkable conversation between God and Moses:

“Your people,” said God, “whom you brought out of Egypt, have become corrupt. . . . Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

But Moses answered, “Why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? . . . Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people.”

“Then the Lord relented.”

The people had sinned. They were weak. They needed more teaching and guidance. But they were the people of God, and they were the people of Moses. God made Moses responsible for them, and Moses, in reliance on God, accepted the responsibility. He committed himself to God and to the people, to prepare and develop them as much as he could, with the Lord’s help. After the disaster of the golden calf he organized them once again
into a productive body. He called forth their best talents and most generous gifts, as we shall see, in the construction of the tabernacle. He taught them the Word of God, assigned them tasks, and, finally, trusted to them the perpetuation of the work he had to leave unfinished.

What Leaders Believe about People

We have considered the good advice that Jethro gave to Moses. We stated this advice in terms of four ways of working with people. We might summarize it by saying simply that Jethro told Moses to expect more from his followers.

Some experts in the field of leadership studies say that how we act as leaders is a direct result of what we believe about people. Our beliefs about people are called assumptions by some of the writers. What we expect from people and how we treat them, that is, our leadership actions, are based upon these assumptions. For example, we may assume that young people are physically stronger than older people. Therefore, if we were directing a moving project, we would require the younger ones to carry the heavy loads. We would expect them to accept these instructions without complaint.

Think how the words of a preacher could show what he believes about people. Suppose he says to the congregation, “You should be willing to sacrifice some of the time you spend for your own pleasure and use it for winning souls.”

What assumptions are made by this preacher? Do you notice these? He assumes that:

1. The people spend time in pleasure.

2. They are selfish with their time.

3. They do not like to do soul-winning—it is a sacrifice.

4. They could do soul-winning if they were willing.

This preacher shows low expectations of the people, since he expects them to love pleasure and dislike soul-winning. On the other hand, he expects them to know how to do soul-winning. He believes that if they would be willing to make the sacrifice, they could win souls.

But suppose the preacher were to say this: “You will be happy to know we are starting a class in soul-winning. Now you can learn more about how to share the Good News with your neighbors.” His assumptions are more like this:

1. The people would like to win souls, but they do not know how to go about it. They need training.

2. They are willing to spend time in training and in soul-winning.

3. They are concerned about their neighbors.

In this case the preacher shows high expectations of the people, but he believes they are unable to act without some help. He wants to help them develop their potential.

How Leadership Style is Developed

The most notable study of how assumptions about people affect the development of leadership style is that of Douglas McGreggor. He says that the behaviors of many leaders are based upon what he calls Theory X Assumptions. These assumptions are: People do not like work and will avoid it if they can. People wish to avoid responsibility. People have little interest in the achievement of broad goals (such as the goals of an organization or a gospel ministry—often called institutional goals).

Mr. McGreggor rejects this set of assumptions and offers another, which he calls Theory Y Assumptions. These include the following: Work is natural to people; they do not tend to avoid it. People will work willingly toward the achievement of objectives to which they are committed. People not only accept, but seek, responsibility. Most people (not just a few in high positions) can make important contributions to the achievement of institutional
goals. Most people have unused potential. People will commit themselves to work toward those objectives to which they attach value.

Now we will be able to see how assumptions about people can lead to the development of a style of leadership. Style may be defined as a combination of behaviors, or a tendency to act in a certain way. Most books on leadership mention several styles that have been observed and described by researchers. Two styles which are mentioned by most writers are the autocratic style and the democratic style.

Leaders who use the autocratic style are in almost complete control of a group. They make all significant decisions. They make rules and enforce them. They give detailed instructions to those who work under them. They supervise the work closely and personally.

Leaders who use the democratic style work more from within the group. They lead the group in making rules. They allow the group to participate significantly in decision-making. They ask for suggestions and contributions from the group. They assign some important responsibilities to group members.

Leaders who accept the Theory X Assumptions believe that most people are passive and lazy or resistant to work. They need to be “motivated” and given strong control. They must be directed, supervised, pushed, persuaded, and scolded. Leaders who believes this may feel that it is necessary to manipulate people, make promises, or threaten them with punishments in order to get them to work toward achieving the institutional goals. They will tend to develop an autocratic style of leadership.

Leaders who accepts the Theory Y Assumptions believe that most people are already somewhat motivated to work toward a goal and that they desire some responsibility. These leaders will try to arrange conditions in ways to make possible the best use of talents and abilities. They will give people opportunities to make choices and offer suggestions. They will help them understand for themselves the value of the goal and make their commitment
in a voluntary manner. If such a leader is competent he or she will develop a democratic style of leadership.

Some people need more direction and control than others. There are situations in which the leader must be very firm with his or her people, give them detailed instructions, and enforce rules that are necessary for the accomplishment of certain purposes. Good leaders learn how to be flexible and use methods that are appropriate with various people in various situations. We will study more about this in later lessons.

The main point to remember right now is that the leadership style you develop and the degree of success you will have as a leader depend to a great extent upon the assumptions you make about people. For the Christian leader, it is interesting and important to notice that McGreggor’s Theory Y Assumptions are descriptive of dedicated and practicing Christians. That is, Christians are already committed to a goal to which they attach great value. Like the people who came to inquire of Moses, most Christians do seek the will of God. They want to share in the work of the body of Christ. They have gifts, talents, and potential placed within them by the Lord. They tend to feel honor and pleasure when they are making some contribution to the Lord’s work. Therefore, they need, in most cases, a leader who sees these qualities in them and tries to arrange conditions favorable for their development. This is what Moses did when he called the people together and inspired them to build the tabernacle according to God’s plan.

Most of the scholars who write about leadership say that people are willing to work best when they feel they are making the most of their capacities. They give more of themselves when they are asked to do something that seems worthwhile, and they like to receive some recognition for what they do.

Certainly Moses’ experience in the building of the tabernacle shows that these principles are true in the Lord’s work. You will notice, even, that Moses gave special recognition to individuals. He gave the credit for their abilities to God, but, at the same time, he mentioned in public the names of those, made in God’s image, through whom was sent the knowledge and the skill (Exodus 35:30–35).

Do we not believe that the Lord who created the wondrous beauty of the universe could have sent down from heaven a glorious priestly garment for Aaron? But that was not God’s method. It pleased Him to tell Moses to enlist and guide the work of those who had the abilities necessary, who were willing, whose own hearts moved them toward a worthy goal.

When we assume that most Christians wish to do God’s will and are willing to work, we can see what the basic duty of the leader is. It is to guide people in putting their general commitment to Christ into meaningful action in order to accomplish God’s purposes. As we have seen in this lesson, the leadership principles that will help us do this are those which emphasize trust in people and genuine desire to lead them for the Lord.

Some Practical Applications

When we work as leaders with Christian groups we have the joy of seeing the combined strength, ability, and spiritual power of all the individuals operating together. Leaders who have not learned how to make the most of this marvelous situation create problems for themselves and fail to accomplish Christian goals.

Now that we have reviewed Moses’ experiences, we can go back to look with new insights at Mr. Loi’s plight and see his greatest flaw as a leader. We can see that his low expectation of the people results in his failure to lead them in a productive way. He sees all their weaknesses but not their strengths. He fails to claim them as his people and God’s people in the manner we learned from Moses. Therefore, he cannot develop their potential as individuals nor as a group. The difference between what they do and what they might do is a loss to the work of the Lord. Certainly this calls to our attention the importance of Christian leadership.

There are four principles of human relations in leadership that would help Mr. Loi with his problems.

1. Let people know how you feel about the situation. Sometimes leaders complain to others outside the group but do not tell the group members that there are problems. Mr. Loi might say to his people, “We are so happy for the growth God has given us. It means we all must work harder and get better organized. I really need your help and cooperation. We can do great things together, as God leads us.”

2. Give people opportunities to talk things over and help one another. Mr. Loi could ask some of the more experienced teachers to help the new ones.

3. Give people opportunities to make suggestions and be creative. Mr. Loi could ask the workers for ideas for making the back room more attractive. He could appoint a small group to work on this and give them full responsibility.

4. Recognize the achievements and abilities of people and express honest appreciation. Mr. Loi could express his appreciation for teachers who show interest in learning more, for example, and for those interested in the condition of a classroom.