Why is the message of Jesus-style Servant Leadership still relevant today? The recent revelations from RZIM (Ravi Zacharias International Ministries) about the personal failures of founder and former leader Ravi Zacharias sadly illustrate why. It is because everything about following Jesus’ way of life and leadership runs counter to every human context – or culture – as well as our human nature.
All Christian leaders, especially those with high profile public ministries and winsome, gregarious personalities must ruthlessly guard their hearts and behaviors. But that alone is not enough. They have to wisely surround themselves not with ultimately loyal followers, but with others who are so committed to the values of the Kingdom of God that they will not let their leaders get away with anything less.
The Ravi Zacharias story is tragically too familiar to be shocking. When one of DAI’s founders sent me an email titled “Déjà Vu” with the link to David French’s story about the RZIM revelations (http://bit.ly/RZIMFrench), I was not surprised by the content. DAI’s 25-year-old ministry was born as a response to such stories of fallen Christian leaders in the 1980s and early 1990s. These stories all had the common ingredients of high-profile Christian leaders committing massive financial fraud and sexual misconduct, then lying to cover it up with the collusion of overly loyal employees.
The antidote is in many ways simple, yet it requires a consistent lifelong commitment to these key elements:
- Fostering genuine humility and fulfillment through ongoing spiritual formation to enable oneself to feel and live in the full knowledge of being God’s beloved.
- Surrounding oneself with a community of competent colleagues, who work together in a culture of love and mutual respect, fostering a work atmosphere marked by lively dialogue and healthy diversity of opinions.
- Cultivating better listening skills, to both God and to others.
- Always ensuring you have a board or similar structure that can hold you accountable, say “no” to you and enforce their decisions easily no matter how strongly you disagree.
The cost of anything less is just too high. The pain, damage, broken lives and disillusionment with God that results when a Christian leader falls is staggering. And the truth is, none of us can flawlessly stand up to the pressures of fame, power and access to wealth without help. Not one.
As a Christian leader, let me encourage you to reach out for help to grow in servant leadership today. Don’t let the story of Ravi Zacharias, a brilliant leader who helped thousands but whose legacy will be abuse and manipulation, be your story.
