Many people view leaders through a lens of suspicion. It’s even worse for Christian leaders, whom our culture portrays as the source of society’s problems rather than the answer to them.

In such an environment, how can we, as Christian leaders, gain the influence to overcome distrust?

Live it before you lead it! It’s that simple. Live-it-first leaders disarm skeptics with their bold authenticity, dangerous vulnerability, and uncomfortable transparency. This is the way of Jesus.

Jesus began His formal ministry with this invitation: “Come, follow me ... and I will send you out to fish for people” (Matthew 4:19).

A come-and-hear model of leadership focuses on information that educates. The come-and-see style focuses on inspiration that encourages. Jesus’ approach was come-and-follow, then come-and-become. This come-and-become way of leading focuses on impartation that empowers.

We don’t lead the way; we live the way. Leadership has no office hours. It’s a way of life. Leaders do before they show. Whatever we intend to lead others toward we must first live out in private anonymity, in follower-less faithfulness.

Are you living the way you’re leading? Here are three areas in which we must live before we lead.

Spiritual Disciplines

Jesus didn’t pray in solitude as a leadership lesson. He received fresh strength in His Father’s presence. Then, He invited others to follow His ways.

We don’t lead the way; we live the way.

Similarly, our private dependence on God’s Word, Spirit, and power through spiritual disciplines are not a means, but an end. Only as we make this the priority can we authentically invite others to follow us in pursuing a Spirit-empowered life.

Sacrificial Living and Giving

God doesn’t call us to be Jesus, but He does call us to be like Jesus. Jesus served, even when He was tired and grieving, so we serve and give selflessly. Jesus lived and died sacrificially, so we must live sacrificially.

Chaplain Daryl Britton once said, “I want to stand before God sweaty, tired and broke because I invested my life and resources in the kingdom of God and for the benefit of others.”

I believe that if God calls our church to something, I should lead the way. So, we became a foster family caring for children before I asked our church to get behind local foster care efforts.

We aren’t just trying to appear kind and loving. By God’s grace, we are kind and loving.

Evangelism

It’s not enough to inspire others to invite their friends to our services or share their faith. We must invite the unbelievers into our homes and personally share and show Jesus’ love to our neighbors. Only then will we impart to our church members the heart of evangelism and a passion for lost souls.

If leadership is influence, we must first have a lifestyle worth influencing others toward. Like Jesus, we must be vulnerable and transparent enough to spend time with those we lead so they can see how we personally live the vision we boldly proclaim.

Our greatest sermon and primary strength in building trust is that we live it before we lead it.

This article originally appeared in the August/September 2017 edition of Influence magazine.