Leadership Square
Following Jesus in Reproduction
Introduction
When we hear the word, “reproduction,” the first words that come to mind are often, “babies and parents, and birth.” When we think about the Jesus command to, “Go, and make disciples...,” we’re actually talking about the same things in the Spiritual sense. Jesus is calling us to be spiritual mothers and fathers who will walk with him to coach and encourage others to be all that they can be.
This stands in contrast to our culture which emphasizes a form of individualized leadership where you should strive to be the hero and center of the story. We hear the catch phrase, “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” The narrative being written for us is, “Go get the glory. Be the hero.” The narrative Jesus modeled for us is, “Equip and empower others to lead out of their gifts and strengths and be the hero-maker.”
As disciples of Jesus, we can follow Jesus in reproduction by being servant leaders who raise up new leaders who are equipped to do the same. As we make disciples who make disciples, we will multiply a movement of the people of God.
Jesus’ Leadership Style
Let’s start with a clear understanding of Jesus’ leadership style. In Mark 10, Jesus told His disciples that there are some who are regarded as rulers who lord it over their subjects. In other words, they abuse their power and they constantly remind their followers about who is in charge. They don’t care about those they lead. Power means everything to them. Then Jesus uses an unambiguous and pointed statement to his disciples. He says, “Not so with you. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first, must be a slave to all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Not so with you! It’s a sharp contrast and Jesus was already modeling and would continue to model this leadership style with His disciples. Jesus’ leadership model is about serving and empowering others. It’s about considering other’s needs as more important.
If we follow the story of Jesus and the disciples in Scripture, we can see that Jesus has a clear pathway for reproducing leadership through disciple-making. It is a journey that the disciples followed and reproduced, and one we can follow and reproduce as well. We call this pathway the Leadership Square. The square is helpful in seeing the perspective and different stages of the leader and the disciple.
Invitation to discipleship (L1/D1)
At the beginning of the leadership square is an invitation. Jesus called the first disciples with a clear invitation, “Come, follow me.” What is interesting about this invitation is that he calls a diverse group of men to come learn His ways. We do not get a sense that Jesus spent a lengthy amount of time evaluating their skills and abilities, determining if they would be qualified candidates. He’s not looking for the best and the brightest. Jesus extends an invitation to those who are willing.
The leader and the disciple are both in phase one. (Draw an arrow towards the right. At the left end of the arrow write L1 above the line and D1 below the line). At this point, the leader must be directive, giving clear expectations and setting examples and pathway that the disciples can follow. The leader must take a posture in this phase that says, “I do, you watch.” (Write, “I do, you watch,” across the top of the arrow.) For many of us, we are wary when a person takes this sort of posture. It’s important to remember that in the beginning of His ministry, Jesus led this way. He was the one performing the miracles. He was the one healing the sick and preaching. Secondly, it’s important to remember that while Jesus was modeling this way for the disciples, He always led with humility, as should we. Thirdly, remember that we want to lead as spiritual mothers and fathers. We lead out of love and desire to help another follower of Jesus become all that they can be in Him. At the L1 phase, we have to lead clearly and consistently.
The disciple in phase one will most likely be excited about the relationship being formed. However, in truth, they will be at a place of unconscious incompetence. (Write unconscious incompetence below the line.) The word incompetent here is not designed to be negative, rather, it is used to identify the reality, “you don’t know what you
don’t know.” The disciple will have to learn tools and skills that can later be reproduced.
Because we should all be disciples as well as people who disciple others, we all have areas where we are at a D1. Remember to continually exercise humility in learning and in leadership.
Movement to L2/D2
Jesus doesn’t lead his disciples with this same style for all three years of His ministry. The disciples, likewise, do
not remain in the first phase. Jesus begins to involve them in different ways. We see in Luke 9 two stories where the disciples are now participating in the ministry, but they still need some instruction. In the first story, the disciples want to send the crowds away to get food, but Jesus has other plans. He includes the disciples in the distribution of food and in ministering to the people. Only a few verses later, the disciples are attempting to cast out a demon, but they are unable. We learn in Matthew that the disciples asked why they were unable to cast the demon out. Jesus instructs them that they had little faith. He’s inviting them deeper into ministry and when they struggle, Jesus instructs them further.
These accounts show us that some point the leadership style of the leader and the attitude of the learner begin to shift. (Draw an arrow down forming the right side of the square. At the formed corner, write L2 on the outside of the square and D2 on the inside of the square.) In this phase of the relationship, the leader has moved beyond a directive style of leadership and is now more of a coach. You could describe the style of leadership with this phrase, “I do, you help.” (Write “I do, you help” on the outside of the line.)
The leader is extending a deeper invitation by allowing the disciple to participate in more of a hands-on way. The process still leans towards the leader, but the learner is walking more shoulder to shoulder.
The leader will need to offer much grace in this phase. As a disciple is taking on more responsibility, you can be sure there will be mistakes. This is how we all learn. The leader
will also need to continue to offer high vision, or a continual reminder of the why, behind the what. This is important because the disciple will move into a place of conscious incompetence. (Write conscious incompetence inside the line.) The student is now more aware of what they don’t know, and they are constantly working to improve. As they make mistakes, as they grow, they need to be reminded of why they are giving so much of themselves to the process when they may feel more failure than success. Often times we get stuck in D2 because we want to grow but it requires time and great effort and we lose the patience or vision to keep pressing forward. This phase is necessary for every leader and disciple to experience.
(Insert a personal story. I’m personally terrible at details. As we build community in our neighborhood, I excel at inviting people and creating an environment of hospitality. However,
when it comes to actually having everything in place, like plates and silverware for everyone to eat, I don’t even think about those things. I’m aware of how bad I am at this, and my wife always has to remind me. That’s a small scale, sort of humorous example. Others might be inability to lead a gathering of people, how to pray or how to meet your neighbors.)
Once again, as disciples and disciplers, we all have areas where we function as L2 and D2. As one leading others, do you exhibit patience and continue to remind those you lead of the why? As a student, do you spend more time in despair or excitement? Do you need more vision, more grace, or more time from the person leading you?
Movement to L3/D3
Jesus always had a greater vision for the disciples than just helping Him do a few things. He wanted to raise them up as leaders who could reproduce other leaders. As Jesus spends more and more time with His disciples training them and coaching them, He begins to redefine their relationship and entrusts them to greater leadership. In John 15 Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this, that a man would lay down His life for His friends. You are my friends if you do what I have commanded. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business, but everything I that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” That’s a significant shift. They’re not just along for the ride anymore, they are an important part of the movement. Again, in Luke 9 we see that Jesus sends out the 12 on a mission. In Luke 10, they are surely a part of the 72 that go to the next towns and villages healing the sick and casting out demons.
They are now beginning to do the work on their own, but Jesus is not finished teaching them. Only a chapter later He is teaching them how to pray, and just a few chapters after that, Jesus is teaching them about the cost of discipleship. The disciples have a capacity to do, but there are still lessons to be learned.
The L3 and D3 phase is not much easier than the previous. (Draw an arrow forming the bottom of the square. At the formed corner, write L3 on the outside of the square and D3 on the inside of the square.) In this phase we must really begin to empower and release those that we lead. For an insecure leader, this can be difficult. The leader in this phase moves more into a pastoral posture. We characterize this phase as “You do, I help.” (Write “You do, I help,” on the outside of the square.) The leader now needs to coach and champion. The leader will spend less time directing and more time inviting feedback and asking questions. Jesus has given them one of the greatest leadership lessons by continuing on to this phase: Give yourself away, give leadership away. Reproduce. See how much more we accomplish as we do.
The disciples in this phase have moved to a place of conscious competence. (Write conscious competence on the inside of the square.) They’re now better in more areas than areas where they struggle. They are aware of what they are good at and what they are not good at. Even in areas where they are stronger or growing stronger, they may still have to focus their attention to accomplish the task. The disciple is often far more confident and comfortable in their own leadership style and rhythms because of the amount of time they have had to develop their skills. Insecurities are fading and ability to lead is increasing.
(Insert a personal story: I learned this recently as I was playing keys instead of guitar which is my primary instrument. I knew what chords I needed to play and what notes I was going to play. However, as I’m still learning to play piano, it doesn’t come naturally. I’m consciously competent at the piano. I know what
I need to do. On the guitar I wouldn’t have to think about it. On the piano I have to concentrate hard. Other examples might
be your knowledge of a discipleship tool, but you haven’t fully internalized the tool yet. You can teach it, but you have to work hard to remember all the pieces. The tool is important and beginning to shape your life, but not to the level that you can easily teach someone else.)
Movement to L4/D4
Jesus never leaves us where He finds us. As we read the gospels, we see a transformation of these fisherman and tax collectors to a group who began leading the greatest movement in all of history. It’s not what they had in mind in the beginning. In fact, they were probably quite shocked when Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” In truth, it’s what He had been setting them up for all along. Can you imagine how quickly that spark would have been put out if Jesus had seen Peter in the boat and started with, “Go into all the world,” before the invitation of “Come, follow me”? Peter would likely not have dropped his nets. The journey was necessary. The progression equipped the disciples to carry the gospel to the end of their known world and it’s still spreading.
In the final phase, the leader moves to L4 and the disciple moves to D4. (Draw the final arrow, closing in the square. In the bottom left corner, write L4 on the outside of the square and D4 on the inside of the square.) The secure and effective leader will hand off leadership to others, making a shift into a full-time role of champion. We use this phrase of the leader, “You do, I watch.” (Write “You do, I watch,” on the outside of the square.) This is more than just watching, however. The leader should celebrate and encourage this leader to continue on in reproducing disciples. The relationship is not over, but a new level of friendship is reached.
The disciple in this phase reaches a place of unconscious competence. (Write “unconscious competence” on the inside of the square.) They are no longer working hard to perform tasks that previously they struggled with. They have a level of confidence in who they are in Christ and they act out of that identity and in the strength of their personal calling. It does not mean they cease to learn. We will all continue to learn and grow in new areas. Rather, it means they are competent to repeat the process with another.
(Insert a personal story. Again, music is an easy example for me. When it comes to playing a song or leading a congregation, it comes very natural for me as I have years of experience. It doesn’t mean I don’t trust in Jesus to lead through me and rely on prayer and the Holy Spirit. It means in that arena of leadership, I have been taught, encouraged, and grown to a level of leadership that now I teach others how to do the same.)
As with any other discipleship tool. It is important that we first examine our own life and determine where we are in each of these phases. Can you think of where you are on the leadership continuum in all four areas? Can you think of where you are on the discipleship continuum in all four areas?
As we lead others, it’s important to continually make an assessment of where we are in our leadership, and where those that follow are in their discipleship. We do not need to rush the process. We should continue to make adjustments to help people move naturally through each phase, following Jesus in reproducing disciples who make disciples.
Discussion Questions
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What is your own personal narrative in light of the leadership square? Have you been driven to accomplish on your own, or do you see yourself as empowering and equipping others?
Knowing yourself, which phase looks like it will be the most challenging to you? Inviting people to follow you? Sharing leadership? Championing another? Releasing and sending leaders?
Does seeing yourself as a spiritual mother or father challenge you or encourage you? Why?
Can you identify examples from your own life where you can find yourself in D1/2/3/4 and L1/2/3/4?
What do you need in your discipleship to move to the next phase?
What leadership steps do you need to take to help those you are discipling move to the next phase?
Are there insecurities or fears that are a barrier to this movement?
KEY SCRIPTURES
Matthew 4:19
Mark 10:42
Luke 22
Luke 9
John 15
Matthew 28
Discovery Bible Studies
Luke 22:24-27 (L1/D1)
Mark 2:13-14
Luke 5:1-1
(L2/D2) Luke 9:10-17
1 Corinthians 4:14-16 (& 1 Cor 11:1)
(L3/D3)
Matthew 10:5-16
Titus 3:1-11
(L4/D4)
Matthew 28:16-20
Mark 16:14-20
1 Timothy 4:1-8
DBS Process (S.O.A.P.) Scripture
• Read the passage
• Have someone put it in their own words
Observe
• What stands out to you?
• What does this text say about God?
• What does this text say about people?
Apply
• How can you specifically live out this passage in the next few days? (Everyone creates an ‘I WILL’ STATEMENT)
Person
• Who are you going to tell about what you discovered this week?