Leadership Redefined

I was recently reading a review of new book, Redefining Leadership,  from Joseph Stowell, current president of Cornerstone University.  The reviewer Steve Dill, Vice President for Academic Affairs with ACSI, notes that the fundamental organization of this book is a comparison of two leadership styles: outcome-driven leaders and and character-driven leaders.  Dill goes on to note in his review that the character driven leader must ask himself three fundamental questions.

1. Am I willing to choose character as a defining priority in my leadership? (If given a choice, character trumps outcome.)
2. Will I choose 'follower' [of Christ] as my leadership identity?  (Will my leadership be shaped by the "will, ways, and wisdom of Jesus" or by my own instincts?)
3. Will I lead with the "counter-intuitive competencies of the kingdom of Christ or with the normative ways" of earthly leadership wisdom?

The outline of Stowell's book can be readily summarized by the following table which lists the identifying characteristics of these two kinds of leaders:

Stowell cites an example from Cornerstone University where during a freshman leadership experience, the students produced T-shirt that proclaimed "Followership: leadership redefined!"  As I read that, I couldn't help but think of Paul's words to the Corinthians:  "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."  That's the kind of student leader we want to train at HCA; leaders who recognize that, first of all, they are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and can with confidence lead others to follow Him as well.