“And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you into his Kingdom to share his glory.”
The first face of leadership that Paul mentioned in his letter to the Thessalonians was that of the mother. There are times that leaders need to have the personality of a mother: nurturing, nourishing, and gentle. This style of leadership is very important when dealing with new or weak Christians. It should not be a permanent leadership style. If this style of leadership is always used, the leader will never see their followers grow and become mature.
The second face of leadership that Paul discussed is that of the father. The father is often the one who brings discipline. Most of us have heard the words, “Just wait until your father gets home!” Discipline has negative connotations but in its purest form, discipline has to do with training. The word “disciple” comes from “discipline.” Discipline is a vital part of life. No athlete will ever become successful without discipline in their lives. When a father correctly provides discipline for their children, they are providing guidelines for the child to follow.
While dads can be gentle and nurturing, no one ever mistook their dad for their mom! Dads are probably going to be more direct with their children than mom is. Fathers usually have ways of motivating their kids that mothers just do not.
The “dad” face of leadership is the one that leaders will probably employ most of the time. This leadership style, done correctly, trains people, challenges people, motivates them, corrects them, and encourages them. Those whom we lead need both faces of leadership. Everyone can have a bad day when they need a mother to comfort and encourage them. Most of the time, though, we are going to set standards, implement guidelines, train, and encourage our followers to be the best that they can be.
Which face of leadership do you relate to the most?
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