C. Gene Wilkes, Jesus on Leadership: Discovering the Secrets of Servant Leadership. Tyndale House Publishers, 1998.
Referenced in: Servant Leadership
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
Wilkes reflects keen awareness of good literature on leadership (e.g. Robert Greenleaf, Max De Pree, Warren Bennis), but the real value of his work arises out of his own experience of being humbled into leading like Jesus. He combines this experience with learnings from scripture and leadership theory to derive seven principles of servant leadership:
- Humble your heart – servant leaders humble their heart and wait for God to exalt them.
- First be a follower – servant leaders follow Jesus instead of seek a position.
- Find greatness in service – servant leaders give up personal rights to find greatness in service to others.
- Take risks – servant leaders can risk serving others because they trust that God is in control of their lives.
- Take up the towel – servant leaders take up the towel of servanthood to meet the needs of others.
- Share responsibility and authority – servant leaders share their responsibility and authority with others to meet a great need.
- Build a team – servant leaders create a sense of togetherness, empower with authority and presence, account for the mission and the team’s actions, and mentor.
Wilkes’ writes in a very confessional style, and the book is interspersed with several helpful bullet lists and reflection pieces. A series of questions appears at the end of each chapter. This is a good integration of actual leadership experience, biblical scholarship, and leadership theory.
Publisher’s Product Description
Seven principles to assist leaders with everything from humbling their hearts to building a team for Christ.
About the Author
C. Gene Wilkes is married to Kim (McHan) Wilkes (1975) and is the father of two daughters, Storey (21) and Summer (17). He is the pastor of Legacy Church in Plano, Texas, where he has served since 1987. The church has transitioned during Gene’s ministry to more effectively carry out its mission to make disciples in the North Dallas/Plano mission field.
Gene is the author of Jesus on Leadership: Discovering the Secrets of Servant Leadership from the Life of Christ. The workbook has been translated into Spanish, and the trade-book edition has been translated into eight languages. Gene has also written My Identity in Christ and With All My Soul: God’s Design for Spiritual Wellness, which is part of LifeWay’s Fit4 materials. Paul on Leadership: Servant Leadership in a Ministry of Transition was released in March 2004.
Gene is a national conference speaker on the topics of spiritual gifts, lay mobilization, making disciples, and servant leadership. He has also led conferences and taught in Canada, China, Russia, and Cuba. Gene received his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and his MDiv and PhD from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.
Gene has been a field supervisor for both Southwestern Theological (Fort Worth, Texas) and Truett (Waco, Texas) seminaries. He is a volunteer chaplain for the Plano Police and Fire Departments. Gene’s hobbies are reading, writing, and running. Gene began running seriously in 1999 and since then has completed several ultra marathons, including a 50-mile run, and 5 marathons. He has also completed two sprint triathlons.
***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top or the links below for resource guides on related topics.***
Related Areas
See Other Resources on Servant Leadership:
See Other Resources on Leadership in General:
See Resources on Over 100 Areas of Ministry Leadership: