I'm a practical theologian and professional editor who just spent a few months immersed in a leadership manuscript by a client from the US. Here are seven (7) patterns and Biblical Leadership Lessons that stood out as I was editing.

May you find space here to pause, reflect, and abide.

What a Christian Leadership Manuscript Taught Me About Biblical Leadership

When I started working as an editor, I expected polishing manuscripts, fixing grammar mistakes, and helping authors find their voice. What I didn't expect was that I would basically get a free course every time I work on a book project. At one point, I actually edited work by a Christian counsellor, and it was like free therapy for months!

Recently, I was approached by a new client to help with a Christian Leadership book - a topic I've worked on before, but not in such depth. This author holds a PhD and writes from many years of experience; a beautiful blend of theory and praxis.

Now that the contract is done and her book's on its way to publishing, I've been reflecting a lot on what it taught me. That's what this blog post is, really. Here are the 7 Biblical leadership lessons that stood out to me:

1. Leaders need to take by the hand and lead through

2. Leadership is about thinking right

3. Don't underestimate the formation years

4. While calling matters, it can lead to fatigue

5. Leaders need to withdraw, renew, and get fresh vision

6. Always remember to zoom out & get the bigger picture (the Missio Dei)

7. Leadership needs accountability

I also applied each of these lessons to the life of Moses, an idea I had that her book did not allow space for. By applying these leadership principles to a real-life person from the Bible, the theory gets real. At the end of each section, I added a few questions for leaders to apply this to their own lives.

Before we begin - welcome here.

Vine Creative Studio holds a collection of what I like to call 'encounter tools', resources connecting hearts with Jesus. You're welcome to try one out with my free Workbook on Living as a Wholehearted Follower.

1- Leaders need to take by the hand and lead through

It was interesting how working with this client as editor also created a small microcosm of leadership. She, as author, is leading her readers - Christian leaders - to think a certain way. This author is talented, has a way with words, and uses creative examples, yet one thing was missing from her writing that coincidentally says a lot about leadership as well.

I told the author to view herself as a tour guide in a museum or art gallery. She is familiar with the artworks and statues in the room, but her reader is a visitor. As a writer, it is her job to take the reader by the hand and walk with them to each piece of the installation - "Here we have the ... What's interesting about this is... Now, let's compare this with the following piece if you follow me to the right..."

It's a silly little thought experiment, but it reveals a lot about how one leads and how one writes.

Leaders often assume that everybody can make the links they're making, see what they're seeing, and move at their pace. But leaders who stand out take the time to walk with others from point A to point B. They are unhurried. They are 'tour guides'.

Practical Person Application: Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness.

And - importantly - Moses was led by God. God journeyed with them by the pillar of smoke and fire. He showed them where to go. He told Moses what to do.

Biblical leadership questions:

• Who am I leading?

• Are they tracking with me or have I lost them?

• How can I indicate a move before I make it?

2- Leadership is about thinking right

At its core, almost every leadership challenge can be broken down to thinking patterns. This author defined this as 'right thinking'.

While it's the outward effect or negative outcomes that we notice, those problems have way deeper roots. Leaders who truly aim to make a difference need to start by doing mindset work. This has to be the foundational core, the starting place, the first step.

Before a leader can make the impact, reach the goal, create the team... They need to allow their thought patterns to be transformed. Nowadays, there is a lot of research about neuroplasticity that helps us see how we can literally pioneer new paths in our brains.

Leadership begins here - Invite God to renew your mind.

Practical Person Application: Moses was not the same man at the burning bush as he was at the Red Sea. His journey started with foundational questions that reshaped his thinking - Who am I? Who are You? What will people say?

By the time that Moses was activated as a leader, he had done the hard work of transforming his thinking - or God did it in him.

Biblical leadership questions:

• What thinking patterns are holding me back from leading well?

• What would a transformed mind look like in my life?

3- Don't underestimate the formation years

There are chapters in every leader's life that they'd rather not revisit. Every person in this broken reality will face hurt and some form of trauma in their lifetime. These places of hurt are often swept under the rug, or even if they are forgiven, they are also forgotten...

Yet these places of hurt are exactly where the generational change can happen. Leaders are often sent back to be the change they needed. God will take leaders back to their places of hurt, to restore and redeem.

The author used the example of Rosa Parks as someone who stepped into a role they were designed for and whose leadership erupted on the heels of a crisis.

I remember being in a discipleship training school years ago where one of the facilitators had us draw up a timeline of our lives this far and write down the key events, feelings, people, and so forth. Their point was that your past often points to your future. God makes 'ikigai' with the broken pieces of our lives!

Practical Person Application: Moses was adopted. He grew up in a culture foreign to his own, as an outsider, witnessing the oppression of his people on a daily basis.

Yet God did not call Moses to approach another nation's king. He did not even call him far away. God sent Moses to the very place he did not want to go: Back to the place where he grew up.

Moses had to walk into his adoptive home, the Pharaoh's palace, and face his history.

Biblical leadership questions:

• What space, place, person, culture, language, or part of my story am I avoiding?

• How might God want to redeem that which is broken in my life?

4- While calling matters, it can lead to fatigue

The words like 'vision' and 'purpose' peppered throughout the Christian leadership book were no surprise, of course. It seems to be the core of every leadership course out there. Like, if you could just get the perfect vision, everything else will fall into place...

Yet leaders know that vision and calling can be fuel to start, but we soon lose momentum thereafter. So what can we do?

We need purpose. You can think of purpose as a container of petrol that you take with you until you reach the next gas station. Purpose clarifies vision and direction. Purpose asks "why?" instead of "what".

Practical Person Application: Moses understood what God wanted for His people. Where He was going to take them. The Promised Land.

Yet, it's this very same promise that led the Israelites to grumble against Moses. They longed for the chains and forced labor of Egypt as soon as the wilderness brought challenges - they complained about the long journey, their physical hunger, the change, and the long wait.

But Moses (showing emotional intelligence) turned to God and asked Him to do something. We often miss that it was Moses' call on God that led to manna and water from the rock. The leader heard his people and spoke on their behalf. He knew God was the reason why they were doing this in the first place; so he knew where to turn when his vision grew thin.

Biblical leadership questions:

• How is my vision draining my team?

• What is my vision's "why"?

• Am I doing servant leadership?

5- Leaders need to withdraw, renew, and get fresh vision

Leaders often express what my friend who's a business owner did just yesterday over lunch: "I need a sabbatical!" In a leader's mind, they need to get away for an extended period of time in order to refresh and restore.

In the leadership book, the author wrote a beautiful chapter about the eagle. She used many lessons from the eagle's life to speak to leadership, but one stood out to me:

Despite popular belief, eagles' whole lives are not put on hold when they go into molting or renewal every three years. Instead, they make small tweaks that conserve energy like hunting closer to home and not taking on long-stance travels.

That's much more manageable! Leaders don't need to jump ship in order to refresh; they just need to take on less and go with the flow for a while.

Practical Person Application: Moses often withdrew to the mountain to get face-to-face with God. Similar to Jesus, who withdrew to quiet places to pray.

When Moses descended from the mountain, his face was glowing, and he wore a veil to cover himself. Leaders need to get face-to-face with God before they do anything else.

Biblical leadership questions:

• How can I practically make a plan to get alone with God this week?

• Is it time for me to renew?

• How is my state of mind influencing our team culture?

6- Always remember to zoom out & get the bigger picture (the Missio Dei)

Despite all the wonderful chapters written on leadership from a Biblical perspective, one major thing was missing from the book. The Missio Dei, or God's Mission, is what it's about. I learned about Missiology when I was at seminary and it changed how I view the world forever.

I understand my role as editor as helping to preserve the author's voice, yet also pointing out gaps in their work & this was one of those moments.

Christian leaders do not run ahead of Jesus; they stay in-step with the Holy Spirit. Biblical leadership does not mean slapping a 'God please bless this' sticker on man-made projects. It means asking God for project ideas by praying: "God, what story have You already been writing here long before my time? What is Your vision for _____? How can I partner with You?" (not the other way around!)

Practical Person Application: Moses had an important role to play in God's story. Most people would agree that he was a key person - yet it was never about Moses.

He didn't even get to enter the Promised Land!

Moses had to train up Joshua for that important task. He did true succession planning and long-term thinking. He surrendered the dream and the vision; it was never about him.

Biblical leadership questions:

• Why does any of this matter?

• How do I steward this well?

• Where do I fit into God's big story?

7- Leadership needs accountability

One person can easily be swayed to the side, but having another next to you can help to remember your own goals and vision. Just because it's a good idea does not mean it's a good idea for now, and it does not mean it's a good idea for you.

I read a quote recently that really struck me:

In the process of editing and dwelling on leadership, I also thought about this a lot. Leadership is a calling bestowed on someone by God, but it can be easily pulled askew. Leaders need to remember why they are doing it, and, ideally, have accountability structures in place to remind them when they drift off course.

Practical Person Application: The same can be seen in the life of Moses. His father-in-law, Jethro, played the role of an accountability partner in Moses' life.

Exodus 18 tells how Moses would sit and judge over Israel's disputes from the break of dawn to dark at night. But Jethro said: "You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone." (Ex. 18:18)

Jethro could see what Moses couldn't. He helped Moses prevent burnout, delegate, empower, and raise up other leaders - three key Biblical leadership principles in one!

Biblical leadership questions:

• Who is holding me accountable?

• Who can see what I cannot see?

• Who will speak the truth in love?

Prayer

Dear God, Would you help me to lead exactly where You placed me? Help me to not overlook small beginnings or random coincidences. Let me see where I am slotting in with the story You are already writing.

May I always continue to abide in the Vine, Amen.

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