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Jesus was a great leader because. . . There are many characteristics that made Jesus the most outstanding leader who has ever lived. We’ve been looking at just a few of those this week. For example, Jesus was a great leader because he always had time for little people.
His disciples wanted him to speak to a great crowd that had gathered on one occasion, but he said he had planned to preach in the nearby villages. He took time from a hectic schedule to walk a long way and heal Jairus’s little daughter; he stopped in a crowd to find one woman who had touched him and heal her blood disease; he saw a short little man in a tree and asked to have dinner with him. Jesus focused on individuals, and it didn’t matter who they were. They were all important to him.
Don’t you think sometimes we are caught up in the “star” mentality? Or do we only want to be involved in something with lots of people and big numbers? I have often said of all the wonderful opportunities God has given me to minister, my favorite was Sunday mornings with my small class of women, Sisters in Christ, who are still such a wonderful support group for me. It can become an ego trip to focus only on the numbers in the crowd; often the greatest blessing comes in the small groups.
The same principle holds true on our jobs. A successful sales person is one who spends time with the small clients as well as the large ones. Those small sales can grow into big ones later on, and they’ll stay with you if you pay attention to them when they’re small. But many sales people only want to deal with the large ticket customers.
I think of one of our board members who was a very successful lawyer. One of Steve’s most outstanding attributes—and I’m sure one of the reasons for his success—is his attention to the little people. They aren’t little to him and he always has time to talk and care about their needs.
It is a mistake to put people into “big” and “small” categories. Jesus never did, and that’s one reason we are all so attracted to him. I’m still amazed and grateful to think in the midst of this huge universe, he knows my name, he talks to me, and he always has time to spend with me. Shouldn’t we have the same attitude toward others?