Answer
To help others “lead like Jesus” is the goal of a training organization called Lead Like Jesus. Resources offered by Lead Like Jesus are designed to equip leaders to follow Jesus’ example of leadership, recognizing that “Jesus is the greatest leadership role model of all time” (from the official website).
Founders Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges recognized that the leadership principles demonstrated by Jesus offer a radical departure from those of conventional, power-based leadership. Blanchard and Hodges’ vision for the Lead Like Jesus program is to create leaders who embody servant leadership, humility, compassion, and love—transforming organizations, communities, schools, and individuals worldwide.
The Lead Like Jesus program looks to Jesus Christ as the one who revolutionized the concept of leadership. The resulting leadership model is not based on dominance, control, and self-promotion but on service and humility. This perspective aligns with Jesus’ teaching in Mark 10:43–45, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The Lead Like Jesus program is based on the belief that, when leaders embody the principles Jesus taught, they honor God and build more trusting and compassionate relationships with those they lead. Traditional leadership often focuses on results, power, and authority, while leading like Jesus shifts the focus to the well-being and growth of others. It is a “heart-centered” and service-based approach, one that seeks to transform individuals, entire cultures, and organizations.
Ken Blanchard, a leadership expert and author of the best-selling book The One Minute Manager, co-founded Lead Like Jesus after realizing the profound need for spiritual principles in leadership. Despite his success in leadership theory, Blanchard found that secular leadership models lacked the depth and lasting impact of Jesus’ leadership. His friend and co-founder, Phil Hodges, brought a background in corporate leadership. Both men realized that Jesus’ leadership model was unique and desperately needed in today’s world.
The Lead Like Jesus organization began as a response to the growing recognition that true leadership transformation starts from within. The founders wanted to create a model that aligned the “four domains of leadership”—hearts, heads, hands, and habits—with Jesus’ teachings. The goal is sustainable personal and organizational transformation. Today, Lead Like Jesus offers workshops, training, and coaching that empower leaders to reflect Christ in their everyday actions and decision-making.
Lead Like Jesus envisions a future where servant leadership becomes the global norm. Their vision is to see leaders worldwide embrace Jesus’ leadership principles, transforming their communities, workplaces, and homes. Leaders must focus on serving rather than being served, aligning with the values of God’s kingdom where “the first shall be last” and “the greatest shall be the servant of all” (Matthew 23:11–12).
Scripture is at the foundation of Lead Like Jesus. The program often references the New Testament to illustrate Jesus’ leadership style. For instance, Philippians 2:6–7 is frequently cited to highlight Jesus’ humility: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Jesus’ example of humility is central to the program’s teachings, as it calls on leaders to lower themselves in service to others rather than seeking personal advancement.
The philosophy behind Lead Like Jesus includes a broad definition of what it means to lead: “Leadership happens anytime we influence the thinking, behavior, or development of another person.” Other important principles are that “effective leadership starts on the inside with our hearts” and “serving is the only approach to leadership Jesus validates for his followers” (from their website.).
Also related to Jesus’ leadership model is John 13:34–35, where Jesus commands His disciples to love one another: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Sacrificial love is at the root of what it means to lead like Jesus. Love is the highest form of leadership and the most significant impact a leader can have on those he or she serves.
Lead Like Jesus exists to redefine leadership in a way that mirrors Jesus’ heart. Its vision is to see leaders around the world adopt a servant-leadership model that transforms their families, workplaces, schools, and communities. Through a biblically based, heart-centered approach, Lead Like Jesus empowers leaders to align their heads, hearts, hands, and habits with the teachings of Christ, creating a ripple effect of gospel change.
