Upside-Down Thinking
I genuinely believe that everything rises and falls with the leader. And leaders have an opportunity to change every room they are in. In today’s world, people strive to be in the room that feels the most important. But imagine a world where you’re a leader, and the room that is the most important is actually the room that simply has people who follow your lead in it. It seems upside-down, doesn’t it?
I think the best leader to ever live was Jesus. There seemed to be something beautifully upside-down about Jesus. The man could calm storms, raise the dead, and turn five loaves into a buffet and yet one of His most defining leadership moments was when he took up a towel and began washing feet.
And not just any feet. Crusty, road-dusty, sandals-in-the-desert feet. Not just any feet. Washing the feet of Judas, who would ultimately use those feet to betray him.
Why? Because strong leadership doesn’t lord over people, it serves them.
The Hard Sell on Humility
So why don’t leaders lead more like this?
Let’s be honest: humility doesn’t trend well. It doesn’t go viral. It won’t get you that corner office in a “grind harder” culture. But it does do something far more dangerous to your ego. It actually works and works on it.
Studies have shown that leaders who practice humility have teams that are more engaged, more collaborative, and less likely to quit. (One “older” study from 2014 in Administrative Science Quarterly found that humble leaders lead to more learning-oriented, high-performing teams.) And I don’t think people have changed much from that desire.
Translation: people actually want to work with someone who listens more than they talk and leads by their walk.
Countercultural? Yes. Effective? Also yes.
Jesus Didn’t Just Lead: He Served
When Jesus knelt to wash the disciples’ feet, He was redefining what leadership looked like. He modeled a Kingdom where authority doesn’t mean control, it means care. Where leadership isn’t about spotlight, but sacrifice.
It’s wild that the Savior of the world didn’t flex His status. Rather, He poured Himself out first and then looked at us and said, you go next.
So… What Does Humble Leadership Look Like Today?
It looks like serving your people.
It looks like giving grace for others mistakes.
It looks like giving grace for yourself when you make a mistake.
It looks like asking for feedback and actually listening to your teams.
It looks like giving feedback that is constructive and edifying.
It looks like celebrating wins on the team out loud.
It looks like not needing the credit to be okay.
Humility in leadership doesn’t mean weakness. It means strength under control. It means having nothing to prove and everything to give.
If you’re leading anything a team, a business, a family, or a Tuesday morning Bible study and you’re exhausted trying to do it all without focusing on the people you’re leading… maybe it’s time to switch to something better. Something deeper. Something Kingdom.
Because humility might not get you trending, but it will give you a team that loves working with you. It gives authentic vulnerability to the human element that exists in EVERY team everywhere. It may give your team the freedom to create, dream, and build with you instead of for you. It may also make the world a better place… which I am all for.
So why not give it a shot? Why not give it a try? Why not pick up a metaphorical towel, and start metaphorically washing some feet?
I’m in your corner, and I’ll see you out there.
Brenton J Ferris
leadershape 