Let me take you on a trip; a power trip. According to a study by social psychologists John R. P. French and Bertram H. Raven in 1959, there are 5 types of power used within organizations:
- Coercive Power: This type of power relies on threats or punishment to force compliance against a person’s will. Use of this type of power is destructive, leading to unhealthy and unproductive behaviours within the organization.
- Reward Power: This form of power is based on the idea that as a society we are more inclined to do things well when we are getting something in return. The problem with this form of power is that when the reward does not have enough perceived value to others, the power is weakened. One of the frustrations when using rewards is that they often need to be bigger than the last time if they are to have the same effect.
- Legitimate Power: This type of power is based on a person’s role or position. This is a weak form of power as it only lasts as long as the person has the title or when they are operating in an official capacity.
- Referent Power: The leader in this form of power is often seen as a role model. This power emanates from a person that is highly liked and people identify strongly with them in some way. Celebrities often wield this type of power.
- Expert Power: This form of power is based on in-depth information, knowledge or expertise. The rarer and greater the demand for the expertise, the more power the person wields.
The challenge leaders’ face is to organize people in a coordinated effort toward the achievement of some goal. This necessitates giving directions and delegating tasks. Leaders must use some combination of these types of power to achieve their objectives. What we have realized over the years is that some forms of power are more effective than others in creating sustainably successful results. Leaders who rely heavily on legitimate and coercive power breed compliance at best and undermining behaviours at worst. Successful leaders rely more on referent and expert power. While this has been well understood but woefully under-practiced in secular circles for years, I am continually surprised at the prevalence of unhealthy leadership paradigms and practices within the church world.
The Christian world seems hell bent (pun intended) on subscribing to legitimate power as THE paradigm for the church. Typical church structures are very hierarchical with the pastor/priest at the top and unquestioning submission to authority required right down the chain of command. I would have expected the church to have the best leaders! I mean Jesus is the most influential and charismatic leader who ever walked the planet! So much so, that according to a Pew Research Center 2010 survey there are approximately 2.8 billion people on the planet who claim to still be following Him!
What I’ve come to realize, unfortunately, is that most people do not understand the culture of the kingdom when it comes to power. THE #1 principle of the kingdom when it comes to power is that God is not trying to force us to comply with His will but He is wooing us like a lover into an amazing partnership. The #2 principle is that God is determined to give His power away to the furthest possible person and the widest possible group. If we remembered these two principles, we would do church completely differently.
Jesus was the embodiment of this kingdom principle. Motivated by love, He left His all-powerful mantle in heaven and came to earth for the sole purpose of giving us power over sin, death and the devil. He allowed death to overpower Him for 3 days so that, when He ascended back to the highest position of power over all power, He could bring us all up there with Him! Consider that! Consider that the omnipotent God became a frail little human and subjected Himself to a humiliating death so that we lowly dust creatures could walk in His power! His heart is that not one should perish but that all should have abundant eternal life. Yet, the choice is ours; He will not put out His hand to coerce us to follow Him.
If you spent time with Jesus and took note of what He did what, would you see?
You would see Him training a group of 12 people who would finish the work He started and whom He would be excited to see do greater works than Him. Do we do that?
You would see Him teaching, healing, delivering and feeding thousands. Caring for the physical needs and internal hearts of others. Do we do that?
You would see Him passionately and consistently confronting the leaders who are controlling, dominating and abusing people from their religious positions. Do we do that?
You would see Him eating meals and washing the feet of a man who He knew would give Him up to be killed. Do we do that?
You would see Him interceding for forgiveness for a people that murdered Him unjustly. Do we do that?
How we use our power is the hallmark of our knowledge of Him. Do we know Him?
Joyfully,
