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Christian Life

Richard Dannatt on Leadership

Ruth Gledhill has a superb post with the transcript of a talk on leadership by Sir Richard Dannat, the head of the British Army. It’s truly excellent. I linked to a shorter version of his talk here.

… if we’re looking for a spiritual role model, which I suggest we are, then you know where I’m going. There’s one obvious person to look for as far as I’m concerned and that is to look for the person and example of Jesus Christ himself. Christians quite rightly put great emphasis on the death and resurrection of Christ, but his life also provides the model that we will do well to try emulate. The motto of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst is ‘Serve to lead’. Christ in his life time I think is a very clear example of that maxim. When Christ washed his disciples’ feet he was doing the most menial and humble task, and by serving his disciples in this way I think he was earning the right to lead them. He would ask of others nothing that he would not do for himself, he would not do himself. And his style of leadership? Well it was quite simply to say follow me. It was not said in a macho way. But it was said in a way that gave people the opportunity to look at him, to look at what he stood for, to look at what he promised, and to decide for themselves whether or not to follow him. Follow me.