Balancing is a great leadership act of excellence.  In fact, an excellent leader balances and blends the two extremes to bring out brilliant performance.  Lord Jesus Christ model of leadership shows the marvelous balancing of extremes.  Leaders of excellence have the knack to tackle the extremes and bring out creative solutions.  Such leaders enjoy the creative tension caused in the process of balancing and even excel in doing so.

Intensive influence Vs. Extensive influence

Leadership is considered or defined as influence.  A leader has intensive influence locally or extensive influence in a wider region that could extend globally.  A leader who does not have local impact is doomed to be a failure in extensive area of operation also.  Lord Jesus Christ focused on intensive influence on the twelve apostles to impact the whole world.  He did not loose sight of the global influence, as he trained the twelve, equipped the seventy-two for ministry.  As a global saviour he did not fail in the area of local ministry influence and impact.  Though his priority was children of Israel, he ministered in Samaria and also welcomed visiting guests from other countries like Greece. 

Person Vs. Kingdom.

Lord Jesus Christ ministry was a balancing act of an individual and the Kingdom of God.  The individuals have dignity, rights and also a responsibility towards the Kingdom.  The agenda of Kingdom is not anti-individual, i.e. the individual cause is lost in the larger interest of the Kingdom. At the same time for the Kingdom sake, individuals are called upon to make sacrifice voluntarily. 

Each individual is important, have to mature and grow to the full potential God has intended in his/her life.  This would enhance the Kingdom of God.  Investing in the individuals will pay dividends to the Kingdom.  So, Lord Jesus invested in individuals like Samaritan woman or Nicodemus, who later contributed to the Kingdom of God. 

Appreciation and rebuke

A leader appreciates and encourages constructive and creative contribution and also reprimands destructive or distractive ideas.  When Peter confessed Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, he was affirmed and appreciated.  But, when he advised Lord not to pursue the path of the cross, he was rebuked and reprimanded.  Both are needed to motivate a person and help him/her to grow into maturity.  Discernment to do both is an essential skill for leadership of excellence.

Righteous Vs. sinners

Leadership involves in dealing with a variety of people.  The values, priorities and attitude of individuals vary. Righteous people may need more opportunities to be holy, and also consistent encouragement to continue in that path.  Sinners need repentance and transformation.  A leader could influence both provided he takes time to understand, discern and provide the needed input to influence.  Lord Jesus Christ was able to show the blind spots in ‘righteous’  Pharisees and Sadducees at the same time deal with sinners like woman caught in prostitution and help them to walk out of their sinful behaviours.  The most difficult task is to bring out the potentials of underdogs to higher level of performance.

Long term Vs. Short Term

Engaging the present with the vision of long term benefits is an important train of an excellent leader.  He/she not only effectively tackles the present, uses the best of all opportunities, creatively uses all resources and talents to derive maximum benefit in all situations.  These present small wins, leads to greater wins in the long term. 

Raising the widow’s dead son is the immediate task, but the widow and her son would be come part of the Kingdom of God in the long term process.

Physical Vs. Spiritual

Excellent leader is always holistic in thinking and approach.  Task is important so are the people who accomplish the task.  Similarly, not only spiritual needs of people should be met in ministry, but also their other needs like physical, economic and social needs too.  Feeding of five thousand after three days of spiritual nourishment is classic example of the holistic approach of Lord Jesus Christ. 

The hard working missionaries have helped thousands of tribal people to become disciples of Lord Jesus Christ in South Gujarat.  But, many of these Christian youngsters among tribal population are unemployed.  Missionaries who focused on the spiritual matters failed to see the importance of economic development of these people. 

Poor Vs. Rich

There is no class distinction in the approach of an excellent leader.  All are important and each one has a specific role and contribution to make, so a leadership has to be comfortable developing relationships, challenging individuals for higher potentials.  Lord Jesus Christ was comfortable with fishermen like Peter, sinners like Samaritan woman, tax collectors like Matthew, theologians like Nicodemus and several others.  Irrespective of their economic and social background, Lord treated them as people with dignity, self-respect, aspirations and dreams.    

Comforting Vs. Confronting

Leadership is stewardship of human resources that has been entrusted to a leader.  It is an awesome responsibility.  So, a leader is expected to care for individuals, comfort them when they go through low times.  Leader does not just comfort people all the time, must have courage and conviction to confront them when they do not live up to the expectations and demands placed on them.  Disciples were rebuked, with people of ‘little’ or ‘feeble’ faith.  Lord comforted Mary and Martha and even raised Lazarus from the dead.  At the same time, he confronted Martha regarding her priorities. 

Children Vs. Adults

Another important aspect of Lord Jesus Christ leadership is that he could treat children with great respect.  Many a times they got VIP treatment.  To lead youngsters, teenagers, and children at the same time is an uphill task.  Excellent leaders exercise their influence on seniors, peers, youngsters, teenagers and children.  Lord Jesus was able to welcome the children, even there was an adult debate about adultery and divorce.  Christians should learn to treat children with dignity as Lord Jesus Christ did. 

Challenge

Lord Jesus Christ exercised excellent leadership. He is our role model.  Balancing two extremes and making relevant decisions is the mark of mature leader who can become excellent leader.