The quietly confident leader
Every year around the Christmas school break, we sit down and watch through the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy (only the Extended Editions are allowed in our house). If there was a longer version, I would take great delight in watching it as well.
In the Fellowship of the Ring, while watching Boromir riddled with arrows and sacrificing his life for Pippin and Merry, my son and I turned to each other and quoted with the movie: “I would have followed you my brother, my captain, my king.” It is a powerful moment where the man who had given in to his lust for power and tore apart the fellowship of nine had found his arc of redemption in his dying breaths.
Boromir, a leader of his people, can’t see why the fellowship should avoid using the Ring of Power to conquer their enemies. After all, if the goal is to defeat evil, aren’t the means justified? He even sees the presence of the Ring in their midst as divine providence.
The problem, of course, with wielding the One Ring is that you will corrupt yourself in the process. While you may conquer the evil apparent, you will compromise your identity and become the very thing you sought to end.
He utters those dying words to the man who will eventually become king, Aragorn. Aragorn is portrayed as the polar opposite of Boromir. His destiny is to face the powers of evil and rule the kingdom of Gondor. He is very aware that the way they go about doing that is vitally important. He is content to hide in the wilderness as a Ranger, but willing to respond when the need arises.
Both men provide polarizing examples of what leadership can look like. On the one hand you have the charismatic leader who has won many victories (and the hearts of the people). He is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his vision of success. For the many who follow him, the cause seems righteous and they are all the more willing to buy in.
On the other hand, you have a leader with quiet confidence. He is willing to lead but content to bow to others. He knows his strength, but rarely wields his it. He walks into rooms with kings, but never demands that they listen. His anointing is obvious to all but himself.
the kingdom is an eco-system
In the church today, many of us struggle between these polarizing opposites. If the cause is righteous, then any means to get there should be justified. Never mind that Jesus spent more time hidden then seen. Never mind that Jesus claimed the inauguration into the kingdom was poverty of spirit. Never mind that Jesus said the one to take the last seat is an example to all.
Many of us desperately want to see ourselves as Aragorn, all the while acting like Boromir. We think of ourselves as the wise and reluctant leader, but in fact we grasp for enough power to shape the world to our liking.
A friend of mine pastoring a church in Calgary said to me recently when talking about church growth strategies: “Church growth strategies are a terrible waste of time. My job is to preach Christ and to live Christ. If you can do that, He will do all the rest.” (listen to that quote on the latest episode of Voices from the Desert)
Humility is the most cherished trait for a leader, yet the most overlooked. It is far more scalable to build a following around charisma than it is around humility. But Christ never says, “Blessed are the most charismatic, for they will achieve the greatest following in the Kingdom.” Or “Blessed are those with the best social media strategy for they will influence millions.”
Healthy systems that produce healthy leaders do not happen by accident. The kingdom is an eco-system. Unhealthy leaders spend their time and energy on external factors like lighting, set lists, preaching styles, budgets, and programs in misguided attempts to establish the kingdom. A well-organized kids program can attract people to the church without producing healthy disciples and leaders.
Healthy leaders in an eco-system of the Kingdom are concerned with prayer, ministering to the heart of God, and connecting others with His life. You cannot control an eco-system, you can only harness it. You can implement factors that will help it to thrive, but you cannot control and demand that it responds in the way you desire.
The three keys
Paul claimed that he did not need to talk about his accomplishments because the lives of the people spoke everything:
1 Thessalonians 1:8 “Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.”
His goal was simply to impart the gospel through his own life to those he had an affection for:
1 Thessalonians 2:8 “So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.”
Everyone one of you reading this is a leader in the kingdom of God. You have been anointed and set apart by the Father to serve as an example of what the kingdom is like. Psalm 141:5 says that the kindness of a righteous man serves to reprove those who see it. It doesn’t matter what sphere of society you have been placed in, God will use you as an example of what he is like.
As leaders in the kingdom, here are three key you can endeavor towards in 2026 that will help to reproduce the kingdom around you.
Talk about what the Father is like. A healthy leader doesn’t tell people what they are like, they tell people what the Father is like.
Endeavor to help others see Him as He is. Jesus not only talked about what the Father is like, he pointed out the ways the disciples thought that hindered their ability to see God as He is.
Share with those you lead how the Father has come to you. Get personal and open up. Paul even claimed that the hearts of the Corinthians would expand because of how open he had been with them.
With any luck, you will look different in December of 2026 than you look today..
The year 2025 has been one of massive change for our family. The kids attended three different schools as we navigated a cross-country move. We launched weekly worship gatherings revolving around encouraging leaders. We were involved in spearheading a discipleship program into medium security prisons. The year has been full and one of transformation.
It is a privilege to hold each of you in our hearts. And it is an honor to walk with your support and prayers.
If you would like to see leaders trained in the way of the kingdom, prophetic ministry recapture integrity, broken identities rebuilt according to the loving image of the Father, all the while recapturing a redemptive theology would you consider supporting Wind Ministries, Erin, and myself in all the Father has laid before us with an end of year donation?
Your hearts bring great pleasure to us and to the Father.
From our family to yours, with deep gratitude.
