Learning to Lead at the Feet of Jesus: Encounters with Grace and Truth

By Todd Poulter

Redefining the Posture of Leadership 

 

Despite our best intentions, many of us struggle to consistently reflect Jesus in our leadership. We look for answers in current Christian best-sellers, the latest business trends, or the newest leadership theories. But the Gospels suggest a very different starting point: a new posture. No matter how lofty our title, status, or renown as leaders, we can never rise higher in the kingdom than to the feet of Jesus.   

  

Building on Jesus’s intimacy with the Father, Learning to Lead at the Feet of Jesus highlights the rich relational setting in which Jesus exercised leadership and developed his followers into leaders. In the context of his intentional “with-ness,” Jesus generously shared his life and authority with the Twelve.  

  

Poulter draws on a wide variety of cross-cultural experiences and invites leaders to a refreshing

• Language: English
• Publisher: William Carey Publishing
• Release date: Jul 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781645084167

Todd Poulter

Todd Poulter has served for four decades with Wycliffe Bible Translators in a variety of leadership roles in Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia, and globally. He has also been associated with International Partnering Associates for fifteen years, helping ministries work together well, especially in ministry to least-reached peoples. He earned a doctorate in Transformational Leadership from Bakke Graduate University, exploring how to build intercultural, intergenerational communities of leaders. He and his wife Karla have two adult sons, and love to befriend and invest in younger men and women. They make their home in Hawaii. 

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Endorsements

Learning to Lead at the Feet of Jesus has been Todd Poulter’s consistent desire and pursuit for the nearly two decades I have known him and worked with him. I am glad he has made what he has learned available through this book. Christians leaders around the world can do no better than to live out the attitudes and practices that exemplify leading at Jesus’ feet.

ALEX ARAUJO (Brazil/United States)

Cross-Cultural Partnership Consultant First Executive Director of COMIBAM

I have been waiting expectantly to read this book and share it with others. Todd has been the most impactful person I have known on modeling and teaching Jesus’ leadership. He integrates character, knowledge, experience, and practical ways of applying learning. This book contains his reflections and experiences as a leader and teacher for many years in missional contexts around the world. Todd carefully expresses what today's leaders from all cultures and generations need to build a life and ministry on the best possible platform—at the feet of Jesus. Our world is crying out for such leaders.

PASTOR DAVID CARDENAS, DMin (Colombia)

Americas Area Director, Wycliffe Global Alliance

Former President, COMIBAM International

Todd has been my leadership mentor for many years. He took the time to get to know me, asked me good questions, listened to my stories, and created a safe space for me to share openly about how much pain I was carrying. He did not give me a lecture on leadership or direct advice about how I could solve my problems. He simply talked about Jesus’ example, prayed with me, and waited silently before the Lord with me. After that, I knew something inside me had changed and that I had learned something very important. That conversation with Todd would be the first of many that would help shape the way I serve the people I lead and work with.

This book captures Todd’s experience in working with leaders from many cultures, the values he has lived by, and the spiritual insights he has gained from his meditations on the life of Jesus as a leader. It is an essential guide for leaders who want to grow personally and have a godly, transforming influence on the people they serve in a variety of contexts.

BAMBI CATALUNA (Philippines)

Mission Consultant and Trainer

Developer of the Youth Kairos Course

Todd Poulter brings us a book that I wish I had read decades ago as a young emerging leader. I’ve known Todd for almost two decades, as a co-worker and special friend, and I cannot think of anyone more qualified to gift us with such a precious treasure. This is a book written by someone with a vast and deep experience in multicultural ministries and leadership, with a unique ability to discern the greatest needs in Christian leadership today. Todd has led, trained, coached, and personally interacted with senior and emerging leaders from all parts of the world for over four decades. Throughout his life, he has been a leader who actively listens, reflects, and deeply treasures the lessons of a lifetime of ministry. And now, for our benefit and for generations to come, Todd shares his heart with us. After you read this book, you will understand what is at the heart of true and transformative Christian leadership.

ROBERTO LAVER (Argentina/United States)

Founder/Director, FIDES (Anti-Corruption NGO)

I heard Todd’s teachings on biblical leadership at a recent international conference. Since then, God gave me the privilege, along with other leaders, to learn from him about the leadership of Jesus. Todd's teachings gathered throughout his years of service and interaction with leaders of all ages and nationalities, along with the biblical and counter-cultural perspective contained in Learning to Lead at the Feet of Jesus, have revolutionized my life and profoundly transformed the way I lead. This is not just another book about how to be a successful leader; it is a journey into the heart of God and into his eternal principles to lead others.

DEINIS MALL (Panama)

Sending Team Director, Panamanians Reaching the World

I was fortunate to have been discipled by leaders who sat at the feet of Jesus. Leaders who not only taught me the whole counsel of God but imparted their own lives as well. And when the time was right, they freely stepped off the stage, so that those they had trained could step into the limelight. It’s a wonderful thing when leaders believe and inspire you long before you believe in yourself.

I have known Todd for forty years, as he and Karla served as Wycliffe missionaries on behalf of our church. Like the generation of leaders before us, he exemplifies everything he has written in this book. I have never met a man more unassuming, welcoming, and human than Todd. Todd reminds me of Eugene Peterson in message and presence. Though he is a first-rate scholar, you’d never know it: when you first meet him, his humility and gentleness disarm you, making you utterly attentive to anything he has to say. Such leaders do not seek to impress, intimidate, or coerce. They ask questions and listen, gently uncovering the hidden motives and longings beneath our words. It is rare to find Jesus’ model of leadership in our world today, but it has been captured and lived by the author of this book.

BRIAN MORGAN (United States)

Pastor, Peninsula Bible Church Cupertino

We were thrilled when we learned that Todd Poulter was writing this book. We have learned a lot from Todd as we have discussed biblical leadership. Insights from those discussions have made their way into our leadership practice and leadership training. This book, engaging deeply with the life and teachings of Jesus, will enable leaders to further integrate their faith with their leadership. A leader must never stop sitting at the feet of Jesus, gaining insights, and putting them into practice. This book will enrich leaders from any background in that quest.

RICHARD & MARILYN SCHLITT (Canada)

Director, OMF Canada; Leadership Development Trainer

God has used Todd to impact leadership around the world. He has been a coach, mentor, and friend to me for the better part of a decade. I know him best through our own personal interaction and observing his work with our organization.

I met him not long after joining Beyond as their China Director. Todd was consulting with the leadership of Beyond as we were going through a major change of vision and direction. Such changes are never easy, so I was surprised how relatively smoothly ours went. Todd's input, I'm convinced, played a significant role in this successful transition.

During that time, Todd approached me due to his deep regard for intergenerational leadership and his desire to help me navigate this odd world of Christian leadership. The leadership books of John Maxwell, Patrick Lencioni, Spencer Johnson, and James Collins apply to Christian ministry, and yet somehow, they don't. Their application in Christian mission always seemed to fall short at best, and all too often ended up leading me astray. Coming from a corporate world, the popular leadership principles left me stumbling and tripping over myself.

In this way, Todd and I have shared countless phone calls, emails, and lately, video chats, exploring what it means to be a Christian leader. Todd has been a person I continuously return to because there's always something to be gained. Most recently, I was on a conference call where someone from the Global South (Majority World) quoted Todd, saying, God, from the moment he created people, has been about sharing his power and authority with them. I rushed for a pen and paper to capture the words before they evaporated. As so many times before, these were the exact words I needed for a multi-cultural, intergenerational, thorny Christian mission leadership issue. In short, I look forward to Todd's book being published.

DEREK SEIPP (United States)

Author, Innovation in Mission; East Asia Director, Beyond Global Church Planting Coordinator, KRIN North Korea Network

If ever there was a need for a book like Learning to Lead at the Feet of Jesus, it is today, when it seems that leaders around the world crave celebrity status and where principled, sacrificial leadership has taken a backseat to leadership driven by personality and power. Faithfully applying the principles taught by Jesus and the example lived out by him can stand all of us, but especially the next generation of leaders, in good stead. The book is a great tool to assist us on our own leadership journey.

I have worked with Todd Poulter on various projects and have often encountered him at global events. Todd’s commitment to developing the next generation of leaders has always been a stand-out feature of his ministry. His deep passion for Jesus is evident and he doesn’t just talk about shepherd leadership, he lives it! The book that he has just written will be a welcome contribution to the global church in a world crying out for authentic leadership!

PETER TARANTAL (South Africa)

Associate International Director, OM International

Chair of the Global Leadership Council, World Evangelical Alliance

Mission Commission

A book on the leadership of Jesus is not only much needed, but I can think of very few leaders who could write such a book with authenticity and Todd is one of them. In all my encounters with Todd in diverse situations and cultures around the world, the primacy of Christ has always been evident in his own leadership and interaction with others.

We have a Zulu greeting Sawubona translated I see you. Jesus always noticed people as he went about life, and it is one of the traits I have noticed about Todd—his ability, like Jesus, to notice people and to minister to them in applicable ways. In a busy and broken world, now more than ever, leaders need to be reminded to see, live, and lead like Jesus, and I believe Todd has the insights to help us do so.

REINHOLD TITUS (Namibia)

Director of Strategy and Inclusion, OM Ships

Todd Poulter brings something special to the field of leadership literature. I’ve worked with Todd on various teams and a wide range of projects over the past couple of decades. In every context, during good times and difficult times, I’ve seen Todd’s creativity and intelligence, and his sincere interest in and love for people. He listens! He has a deep commitment to the God he serves and truly seeks his direction. I’ve read more leadership books than I can count and have served with a number of exemplary leaders. But Todd, and what he has to share, stands out because of his willingness to be vulnerable, his eagerness to make every experience a learning experience, the integration of his faith with his leadership, and his constant efforts to contribute to the growth of new leaders and younger leaders from all across the globe. So many of those he’s mentored not only appreciate his leadership but also speak of desiring to lead like him, because they see Christ in him.

SUSAN VAN WYNEN (United States)

Strategy Consultant, Wycliffe Global Alliance

Learning to Lead at the Feet of Jesus: Encounters with Grace and Truth

© 2022 by Todd Poulter. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission from the publisher, except brief quotations used in connection with reviews in magazines or newspapers.

For permission, email [e-mail]. For corrections, email [e-mail].

Scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Published by William Carey Publishing

10 W. Dry Creek Cir

Littleton, CO 80120 | www.missionbooks.org

William Carey Publishing is a ministry of Frontier Ventures

Pasadena, CA | www.frontierventures.org

Cover and Interior Designer: Mike Riester

Cover Painting: New Jerusalem by Dirk Walker, https://www.dirkwalkerfineart.com/

ISBNs: 978-1-64508-414-3 (paperback)

978-1-64508-416-7 (epub)

Library of Congress data on file with publishers.

To the men and women of this and future generations

who desire their leadership to be imprinted

with the unmistakable image of Jesus.

Whatever else is true, it is emphatically not true that the ideas of Jesus of Nazareth were suitable to his time, but are no longer suitable to our time.

Exactly how suitable they were to his time is perhaps suggested in the end of his story.

—G. K. CHESTERTON, The Everlasting Man

Contents

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

Before Starting the Journey

Part I: Jesus: Son, Shepherd, and King

Chapter 1: A Submissive Son: Pleasing the Father

Chapter 2: A Long-Awaited Shepherd: Revealing the Father’s Heart

Chapter 3: An Unexpected King: Redefining Reality from the Father’s Perspective

Part II: Jesus Created a Kingdom-Shaped Community and Culture

Chapter 4: What Was the Weather Like around Jesus?

Chapter 5: Purposeful Proximity

Part III: Power and Authority in the Hands of Jesus

Chapter 6: Positive, Purposeful Power and Authority

Chapter 7: Protecting the Powerless, Provoking the Powerful

Chapter 8: Whoever Would Be Great

Chapter 9: Reflections on Power and Authority

Part IV: Emerging Leaders under the Influence of Jesus

Chapter 10: Jesus: God’s Primary Instrument

Chapter 11: What Was Jesus Thinking?

Chapter 12: Jesus Retrains Our Reflexes

Chapter 13: Jesus Shares the Keys

Part V: Leading in the Image and Authority of Jesus

Chapter 14: The Transforming Posture

Chapter 15: Learning to Lead at the Feet of Jesus

Chapter 16: Exercising Our Power and Authority at the Feet of Jesus

Chapter 17: Shepherds After God’s Own Heart

Part VI: Leaders Journeying Together

Chapter 18: Senior Leaders Hold the Keys

Chapter 19: Sustainable Leadership Development: Leader to Leader to Leader

Chapter 20: Running a Marathon—Together

Continuing the Journey

Afterword

Acknowledgments

Bibliography

Foreword

I grew up under the abusive rule of a stepfather and encountered plenty of power-wielding organizational leaders. For my entire Christ-following life, I have watched big-name leaders use their influence like a weapon and eventually fall. At the time of writing, Christian leader exposés seem to be the stuff of entertainment for the world. Something has gone very wrong in the house of God.

I was appointed to lead a missionary deployment organization at thirty-two years of age with just five years of missions service under my belt. I carried that international responsibility for fifteen years until I moved on to lead missions alliances, as I am now. During those fifteen years, I had to deal pastorally with fallout from the dark side of human nature and abuse of positional power. In all the stories of brokenness, I heard Jesus’ voice echoing through the centuries, almost like an unfulfilled longing, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened (Matt 11:28).

There is something in the biographies of exploitative Christian leaders that strongly suggests they persisted in refusing Jesus’ invitation. But that is not just an indictment on those who are exposed. We all do well to consider how we are responding to that perpetual call, Come to me. Yes, yes. Okay Jesus, just let me take care of this first. As he did with the rich young man, a disappointed Jesus graciously lets us go our own way. Come what may.

There, but by the grace of God, go I is among the many extra-biblical tropes that I intensely dislike. Aside from being little more than self-righteousness clothed in false humility, it is patently untrue. Disgraceful behaviour has nothing to do with the power of God’s Spirit to stop us from obeying sin (and committing evil). We make the choice to separate ourselves from God’s grace and choose to work against the Spirit’s promptings to align with God’s right ways. If we have not (yet) acted as exposed leaders have acted, it is because we have chosen not to, but we are all still one choice away from doing something similar if given the opportunity. Being equipped to make the God-honouring choice, given the opportunity, is why this book exists—learning to lead, as the title invites us, at the feet of Jesus.

For more than two decades, many people, both men and women, have helped me fulfill my leadership responsibilities as best as I could. They have advised, chastised, supported, and suffered while I found my way like a child in the dark. They amplified that voice behind [me] saying, this is the way (Isa 30:21). Some did not live up to their own standards. Others passed away, having finished well. All of them showed me what gentle and humble(d) leadership looks like. They were Jesus incarnate to me at significant moments. Todd is one of those leaders in my life right now, and it is a great honour to be able to write this foreword as a token of my gratitude for his investment in my life and leadership.

While carrying out my senior leadership responsibilities, I look around me and I do not yet see many agemates (as my African brothers and sisters like to say). There are not many leaders in their late forties or early fifties serving in senior positions of international missions. What I do see is a younger cohort eager to serve. I recognise their enthusiasm and desire for change, but I have also seen forerunners of their age cohort leave quickly once they are appointed to positions of responsibility in established Christian organizations. Too often they are not given resources, room, and encouragement to spread their wings and soar in their best gifts.

I share Todd’s concern for younger men and women eager to follow God’s call to ministry leadership, especially in international ministries. I, too, want to be an amplifier of God’s Spirit that continues to say, This is the way, and calls, Come to me. Every chance I get, I love to encourage young people with, Two words will take you on the wildest ride of your life. Those words? Yes, Lord! Jesus’ easy burden is a yoke of obedience. Following his way is to walk the way of love. It can be a very bumpy ride, but loving others is not, as they say, rocket science. Just obediently cling to Jesus as you hurtle along.

My wife, Pauline, and I visited Disneyland once. We are both introverts, and definitely not adrenaline junkies. Nevertheless, we didn’t think we would have an opportunity to return, so we vowed to make the most of it. We loved all the rides, starting with the most sedate and working our way up. But there was one ride we weren’t sure about: Space Mountain. As we watched people exit the ride safely with ecstatic looks on their faces, we built up enough courage to get in line. Anticipation grew and we were eventually locked into our rocket pod with the shoulder harness checked. My knuckles were already white as we left the dock and entered the dark arena. Not being able to see where we were going meant that our bodies were jostled around quite a bit by the twists and turns, and we sensed we were climbing. Then suddenly, without warning, the ground dropped away, and we plummeted into the darkness. My eyes were tightening, and my jaw started locking up as my fingers dug into the harness, when I heard loudly and clearly, above the ear-splitting space music, Pauline’s voice yelling, I love you Jesus!!!! I knew right then that we would be just fine.

Follow Todd’s encouragement in this book, to watch Jesus intently, listen carefully to his voice, and respond to his invitation: Come to me … take my yoke … learn from me. And as you continue the wild ride ahead, you will be just fine.

JAY MĀTENGA

March 2022

World Evangelical Alliance Director of Global Witness;

Executive Director, WEA’s Mission Commission

Preface

The seeds for this book were planted in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2006. Several hundred church and mission leaders from around the world came together for a Global Issues Summit sponsored by the World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission (WEA-MC). One morning, a panel of five younger leaders from Brazil, India, Ireland, Kenya, and the United States described their mission experience and the challenges they had faced. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, and the fact that none of them knew what the others were going to say, they all told a similar story: We feel a deep and painful disconnection from older leaders. We are all hungry—hungry to find open-hearted older leaders who are willing to befriend us and invest in us, to be vulnerable about their own lives, and to create safe spaces for unsafe conversations about difficult subjects.

When the