Submissive Leadership
By: Haile T. Gaddy
September 24, 2012
There are many books that have much to say on the subject of leadership. Authors such as John Maxwell, Michael Gerber and countless others have contributed to the success of many businesses and business leaders through the wisdom of the books that they offer us. Although I learn much from such books, I must admit that I receive the greatest wisdom, knowledge, and understanding about leadership from the book of books, the Bible.
As I consider the issues and various situations that my company has experienced through the years with regards to its leadership team, the most apparent problem that I have discovered is the inability or unwillingness of some who are in a position of authority to submit fully to their superiors. Therefore, it seems logical that in order to strengthen the leaders in a company and assist in their development as world class leaders, emphasis and effort must be given to establishing and cultivating a submissive leadership team. Proper attention should be given to examining the leadership team, searching for weaknesses and inefficiencies that could hinder the team, and ultimately the company, from reaching its fullest potential. It is my belief that in order to be a good leader one must first learn to be a good follower. There is much to be learned from biblical examples such as this one found in the book of 1 Samuel, in the 15th chapter:
Many centuries ago there was a king who was instructed by a great prophet of God to go to a certain city and utterly destroy all that they have; slay man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. But the king and the people spared the king of the city and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. By and by, when the prophet came to see the conquering king – the king greeted him and said I have performed the commandment of the Lord. The prophet said then what is this sound of the animals which I hear? The king said to him that they have spared the best to offer as a sacrifice unto the Lord. And he said unto the king why have you not obeyed the voice of the Lord? The king said I have obeyed and I have brought their king and the people have reserved the best of their flocks that would have been destroyed to sacrifice unto the Lord God. The prophet simply said that to obey is better than sacrifice. He also told him that rebelliousness and stubbornness is as divination and idolatry.
Several lessons can be gleaned from this narrative of the actions of King Saul of Israel, a leader whose career had a promising beginning, yet, it ended tragically, in part due to his disobedience. First, the act of disobedience itself was only the manifestation of a deeper issue that caused this act of rebellion. Second, the rejection of the word of the Lord (highest authority) which was demonstrated by the king’s refusal to obey the instructions that were given to him was an indication of a more serious problem. Finally, the spirit by which the king was lead was not the same spirit of the one who anointed him, the one who appointed him, and the one that was superior in authority to him.
The prophet called the spirit “divination” or “witchcraft” because it imposes its influence and control over people to cause them to disregard authority, to disdain submission to those who have the rule over them. Where there is order – it seeks to create disorder; where there is harmony – disharmony; and where there is unity – disunity. It seeks to change submission to rebellion and compliance to stubbornness. Why did the prophet say that stubbornness was as idolatry? Because when a leader has knowledge of what is expected and required by his superior, yet refuses to carry it out, but willing chooses to ignore the instructions and do what is contrary to the assignment – this leader demonstrates allegiance to another; whether it be another person, another spirit, or to himself.
Throughout the past 20 years, as I have functioned in upper-level management positions for various companies, I have come to the conclusion that a leader who is unable or unwilling to submit, fully, to their superiors can derail the entire company from reaching its objectives. Furthermore, when leaders disobey the instructions of their superiors – they show that they cannot be trusted, for, they desire to assert their own will instead. Therefore, it is always in the best interest of the company for any such leaders to be removed immediately.
If we follow the biblical account referenced in the preceding paragraphs we will observe that the king’s disobedience would eventually lead to him being removed from his position and replaced by another. Notice, ironically, that the Supreme Leader found “a man after his own heart” as King Saul’s replacement.
I submit the following points for your consideration concerning submissive leadership:
- Partial Obedience is Disobedience
- Disobedience is Rebellion
- Stubbornness is Contrary to Submissiveness
- Acts of Rebellion can manifest from Unseen Forces
The development of submissive leaders is essential to a productive, efficient, and solid leadership team. Remember, the company is only as strong as its weakest leader. Submissive leaders should never be mistaken for weak leaders. Was Mohandas Gandhi weak, what about Jesus Christ? Some of history’s greatest and strongest leaders operated on the basis of submission with the realization that leaders are truly servants. The best way to build a strong submissive leadership team is to make the right choices in the hiring process. It is critical to select those who can agree with the company vision and are willing to do whatever is required of them to accomplish its objectives and help the business to succeed.
