In this difficult time the motives and character of many people are going to be revealed. This will be especially highlighted in leaders.
Jesus (my favorite leader) taught about a specific leadership dynamic when he compared himself to a good shepherd versus a hired hand in the Gospel of John chapter 10 verses 11-13. Sheep being a metaphor for people and a shepherd being a metaphor for a leader.
John 10:11-13 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”
The hallmark of good leaders is that they they care more about the needs and well-being of their people than they do about their own reputation and rewards. You may have heard this referred to as “servant-leadership.”
Contrast that with “hired hands” - leaders who are only in it for themselves - greater pay, notoriety, the feeling of power and authority, etc. They don’t care about the people they lead, so when adversity comes that requires self-sacrifice, they abandon their responsibilities.
We’re now in a time of adversity with the COVID-19 pandemic. It will get worse before it gets better, and people will need good leadership more than ever. So watch and see how the good shepherd vs. hired hand dynamic plays out. You’ll notice the hired hand leaders abandoning their posts when the job gets too hard or the benefits disappear. You’ll also see extraordinary service and sacrifice manifested through previously-unnoticed true shepherds.
This applies to leaders at all levels and in all sectors or society - from national political and industrial leaders to managers in small organizations to individual families.
But don’t just watch. There will be opportunities for you to step up and fill leadership voids yourself if you’re willing to serve others without a focus on rewards. It will be difficult, thankless, maybe unnoticed, and there will be times when you won’t know what to do. But if you’re willing to lay down your life to care for others, God will give you the strength and wisdom that you need.