Shepherd Leadership Models Success

by John Keyser

Recently, I have written short articles about shepherd leadership, and I have received appreciative feedback. Actually, the term shepherd leadership came to me from the Psalm 23 about the shepherd tending to his sheep and the staff he carries.

That is what leadership is about – caring for our people, helping them learn, grow and succeed.

While on a retreat, I heard an insightful talk using the analogy about the role a hiking staff plays when traversing challenging terrain. When we use the hiking staff, it gives us comfort, stability, and, at times, even courage.

The presenter shared that, to her, the hiking staff is like our faith as we walk through life.

Just as the staff offers stability and comfort, even protection if needed, so too does our faith.

That rang true to me and led me to think about how the analogy of the staff applies to our leadership in business.

The staff represents our character – our integrity, our humility, our positive energy, and our compassion for our people.

If we have solid character, our people will follow us, just as the sheep follow their shepherd. Like the hiking staff, our character will also guide us and see us through challenging times in our work.

I hope this resonates with you as it does to me. It’s our character, and how we relate to our people with genuine care for them and that they and their ideas matter. Are we dedicated to helping them succeed?

Let’s bear in mind how our shepherd leadership and character are keys to our people wanting to follow along with us.

If you are so moved, please email me about your hiking staff and what that represents for you and your stability and strength in your leadership.