Lead like Jesus. Principal 1: Lead Through Stories

On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.-Revelation 19:16

Jesus taught truth through simple relatable stories.

Picture is from The Chosen series

Jesus Christ was, is, and forevermore is the king of the universe. That title alone gives Him the authority backed up by His divine powers as God, in which He can command what He wills, and we should obey it. In His infinite wisdom, Jesus knew that He needed to come and model the life He wants us to live because we, His people, are like sheep, stubborn, and, unfortunately, often stupid.

Jesus understood that leadership flows from example and not just mere titles.

Jesus took off His divine nature and stepped into time and space onto the earth to lead His people and, ultimately, all people back into a relationship with the Father. What were some of the tools that Jesus used to lead and influence the people around Him? One of those tools was to illustrate His points and truth through short stories.

Stories are Powerful

I’m not sure why, but stories hold power. People gravitate toward good stories. Everyone’s favorite relative is the funny storyteller, right? The entertainment industry spends billions annually producing movies- stories to entertain and teach their morals. The printed word is far from dead, as e-books and physical books are still in high demand. Young and older people love to see, hear, and read stories. Abraham Lincoln was an exceptional storyteller, which was instrumental to his rise in power. People were drawn to his charm, wit, and stories.

People love to learn but they don’t like to be taught.

Everyone loves to learn new things. Universities across the globe are filled with learners. Every prominent speaker now has a masterclass or book on how they succeeded. People spend copious amounts of money on advancing their degrees. People love to learn, but they don’t want to feel like children back in school. They like to learn on their own time and steam. I’m sure this is why Jesus preached only one sermon in his ministry, and the rest was communicated through stories, i.e., examples. His number one phrase was “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…”

Matthew 13:3 “He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds…”

Common Ground

Jesus is connecting to his audience through common ground. His audience was familiar with farming, fishing, and shepherding. Jesus connected them with stories they could relate to and easily remember and repeat to others. His parables are an effective means of teaching and remembering the simple truths of the Kingdom of God.

Connecting Through Vulnerability

Jesus didn’t have any sin therefore He told about other people’s failures and sins to help relate to and connect with the crowds. Everyone can relate to how they sinned, messed up, owed money, were betrayed, suffered injustice, and so forth. Vulnerability gives you credibility with your audience, and Jesus reached out to people by sharing such stories that gave Him credibility. This gave Him built-in high ground to command them to “go and sin no more.” The 10 Commandments and the Sermon on the Mound are the precedents of the moral high ground, but through stories, Jesus broke down the barriers and communicated God’s truth to all men, from the powerful to the lowly.

The Wise and Foolish Builders are just such an example. It is a short story, easy to remember and repeat to others, and delivers one of the most powerful truths about the Kingdom in just a few sentences. The truth is that having faith in Jesus is like building your life on a solid rock.

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”-Matthew 7:24-29NKJV

To be an effective leader, share vulnerable and interesting stories that illustrate your point.