***The following is an excerpt from a friend and brother in Christ, Jake Doberenz. Enjoy***
Let me be clear: in no way am I a Christian “thought leader.” My Twitter followers don’t break a 1,000, and my Facebook page doesn’t even break a 100. However, I am a leader of sorts who has various thoughts about thought leaders. This short piece will address two main points: what makes a person a “thought leader” and what makes a good Christian thought leader.
The Making of a Thought Leader
It’s actually really simple to become a thought leader. First, have profound thoughts. Then, get famous.
Okay, the process is simple until your try. A “thought leader” is someone with expertise in an area who has influence over how people think in that sphere. Each part of that definition is of course subjective and depends on what field they are leading in. What is expertise? Is a formal education with a Ph.D., life experience, or just natural wisdom required? How is the influence communicated? Is it through books, social media posts, or blog posts? Does influencing how people think mean that they agree with the
beliefs of the leader, that they enact change or just retweet the leaders’ thoughts?
Parse out the definition how you wish since thought leaders come in all shapes and sizes. The key however is in the world influence. I have several friends on Twitter who posts great content—but that great content only gets maybe 15 likes. They are not a leader by any means. To be a “leader” means lots of people listen in some way. Listening could mean sharing their content, liking their posts, buying their books, or being invited to speak at conferences. In the academic world, we might find a leader is cited by
various authors who agree. The leader’s teaching is digested and disseminated because people like it and it resonates with them.
Should a Christian aspire to be a thought leader? I’ll say this: aspiring to leadership is a tricky thing. We must constantly check our motives because being in a position of influence also means we are in a position of power and control. Power can give way to destructive sins like pride, selfishness, and greed. Worldly power is antithetical to Christian power—Jesus subverts power expectations by washing his disciple’s feet, by going to his death without protest, and willfully suffering, even though he had the
power to not do any of that. Scot McKnight advises a Christian leader in his book Pastor Paul by saying: “a Christoform culture is nurtured not by those seeking power over but by those seeking power for (God, others)” (pg. 29).
Yet, I know many Christians who honestly and earnestly want influence for the good of other people. They want to sell lots of books because that means more people are blessed. They want to pastor a megachurch because that means thousands of people are saved. They want to get all the degrees so people will believe them when they point them to the truth. Those are generally good motives, but caution is still warranted.
James 3:1 probably puts it better than I can: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers [and sisters], for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” Actually, all of James sets some high standards from leaders and others so it’s worth a read. Leading and influencing is a big job that requires a seriously Christ-centered person to pull off.
A Good Christian Thought Leader
Ideally, Christian thought leaders should be perfect. Obviously, that’s unrealistic, but one can dream. Christian leaders have a big responsibility to guide a flock of people to the truth and away from error so the leader should be one who is transformed by Christ, knowledgeable of the truth, and is wise and understanding.
In many cases, good leaders are tested by time. While talking about elders, Paul advises Timothy on a good principal: “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Tim. 3:6). Recent converts might be energized to share the Gospel—which is awesome—but they probably need more time being discipled until they are in a position of great influence. The leader should have experience or training in their area that has taken time to come to fruition. Hopefully in this time they haven’t just gained head knowledge, but a heart
truly aligned to Jesus Christ.
Our culture sometimes values passion and ways with words more than content of character or experience. Funny enough, the church in Corinth seemed to have the same issues! While the Corinthians probably thought Paul didn’t speak super great unlike other sophisticated leaders, Paul affirmed that he came to them “in weakness” so they would valued the content over the words. He writes:
“And I, when I came to you, brothers [and sisters], did not come proclaiming to you the
testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:1-5).
In modern terms, Paul wouldn’t have the wittiest tweets. Now if you read Paul’s letters, certainly he’s a good communicator, able to use lots of different types of arguments and appeals to form his readers. But what makes Paul stand out is the Gospel that he centers his life around. It’s not about the award-winning smile. It’s not about the PhDs you have. It’s not about the amazing soundbite that ends up a slogan on a t-shirt. You can only truly transform others for the Gospel if the Gospel has truly transformed you.
Leading for Christ
Not everyone can and should be a thought leader. However, if you find yourself with unique perspectives, special training, or many years of valuable experiences perhaps you should think about how to positively influence the world with your expertise. However, even with an intention to influence, it might not happen. Going viral is unpredictable, books aren’t always marketed well, or maybe your ideas don’t spark the revolution you expected. Maybe God is calling you to another task.
“Thought leading” has three parts: 1) Expertise 2) Influence and 3) Transformation of people. Many people overestimate what makes their content special and unique. Some people think they are dynamic and able to communicate their message well, but they just aren’t. And not every message truly transforms. How do you know if you have a hole in one of these three parts? My last advice for thought leaders is the most important: Use your Christian community.
Using your Christian community, especially those willing to speak the truth with love, can determine if you are cut out for Christian leadership. Your church can check your views against Scripture and orthodox Christianity, they can pray for you, and ask the Spirit to guide your endeavors—because if you want to be a thought leader in the world, you need a supportive and corrective community. Maybe you need a few more years of study before you publish that “revolutionary” book or perhaps your motives aren’t in the right place. Too many people try to become influential with radical ideas without consulting a good, Scripture-based Christian community who could gently show them what they missed. If you want to be a culture-maker, make sure you have a good culture around you. Though leading is tricky business, but we do need Christians in this world who influence others to grow closer to God, to follow sound doctrine, and make the world a better place.
What else? What other traits make a good Christian thought leader? Comment below or start a discussion on social media.
Jake Doberenz is not a Christian thought leader. But he is a playwright, aspiring author, budding scholar,
and blogger at www.jakedoberenz.com. You can follow him on Twitter @JDoberenz where he tweets about
Christianity and culture. Jake lives and minsters in Oklahoma City, OK.
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