Counsels on Self-Identity

Counsel #18 — Collective Leadership

Picture: Counsel #18 — Collective Leadership CI 147.1

Have you ever been on a team where one person made every decision? You may have offered suggestions, but they were always brushed aside. Eventually, you probably stopped speaking up. A team like this reflects autocratic leadership: the illusion of control at the expense of collaboration and trust. CI 147.2

It’s tempting for men in leadership to feel like they need to carry everything alone. Thankfully, God never intended for leadership to be a solo act. Even Moses, a man chosen to lead an entire nation, needed a team. God expects true leadership to look more like mutual submission than domination. A godly man will always seek wise counsel because he knows that decisions made in isolation often lead to blind spots and burnout. Leadership isn’t about being the boss. It’s about making decisions that reflect God’s desires and not just your own ambition. When you invite others into the process, you not only lighten your load, but you reflect the very nature of the body of Christ.^[162] CI 147.3

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22 NIV CI 147.4

“God never designed that one man should rule and plan and devise without the careful and prayer consideration of the whole body…” Ellen White in Principles for Christian Leaders, p. 108 CI 147.5

Reflect: Do you invite others into leadership decisions, or just inform them after the decisions are made? CI 147.6