My Dear Sisters and Brothers,

One of the many things I learned in community organising is that leadership is influence. Leaders, by word and example, influence others and inspire them to follow. This was powerfully illustrated in the many tributes paid to Ntate Walter Sisulu. Here was a man who so profoundly influenced others that men like our former State President described him as their "mentor." And that influence helped shape a nation. There are few like him, but all of us are leaders - people of influence - in our homes, in our parishes, in the diocese.

For me, thinking of leadership in terms of influence helps shift the perspective away from position and power. Many people hold positions of power, but are not really leaders. They might wield great positional power, but have little influence. And such people almost without exception are disliked (sometimes even feared) and are generally perceived as doing more harm than good.

The true leader influences others. Stephen Covey, in an article, "Four Roles of a Leader," is emphatic that the primary role of a leader is "modelling . . . principle-centred leadership". Unless we model what we preach, he says, we will not inspire trust or influence others. Only to the extent that we are an inspiration to others will they follow our example and copy us, in character, competence and action. His other key roles - path-finding, aligning, and empowering - all relate to the first. The vision must be lived if it is to catch fire.

William Temple takes it further. In his wonderful book, 'Readings in St John's Gospel,' he has this to say of the good shepherd, the beautiful one: -

"Of course this translation exaggerates. But it is important that the word here for 'good' here is one that represents not the moral rectitude of goodness, nor its austerity, but its attractiveness. . . . In the Lord Jesus we see the 'beauty of holiness."

He goes on to say:-

"The function of the shepherd is to care for the sheep and to do and bear whatever is required by that care; the perfect shepherd faces death itself for the sake of the sheep. If the man who holds the office exercises it for the sake of his pay and not for the sake of the sheep he is a hireling and not a shepherd. . . . The test comes when he (the shepherd) has to choose between his own interest and that of the flock. If he then follows his own interest and not that of the sheep, this shows that he is there for what he can earn and not for the service he can give. . . . So the shepherd - the pastor - may rightly be paid for his service. He must be kept alive, or he cannot tend the flock. But his dominant motive must be care of the flock; and nothing must ever take precedence of that."

For William Temple the primary issue is one of motive. Unless the life we model is born out of a deep experience of God's love for us that has filled us with love for those whom God has entrusted to our care, we will ultimately not be able to model kingdom life. Kingdom life must be experienced before it can be lived, and must be lived if it is to catch fire. People must see in us 'the beauty of holiness.'

This was brought home to me most strongly in three conversations with people from three different parishes. Two were stories of great insensitivity and pastoral indifference in a time of need, in spite of repeated attempts to get help. Both encounters left the persons concerned angry and hurting, and in both conversations I was asked, "Bishop, how can this person be a priest in the church of God?" The third conversation was as wonderful as the others were dreadful. It was a litany that began with the words, "Father, you need to know that . . . has been God's gift to us," and went on to chronicle the many ways in which that person had been a blessing to people in the parish. It ended with the words, "When . . . looks at you, you know that you are loved." The vision must be lived if it is to catch fire. People must see in us 'the beauty of holiness.'

In the book, "Handbook of Spirituality for Ministers," Basil Pennington says, "Coaching is of the essence of our vocation as ministers," and goes on to ask:-

"When we ascend to the pulpit or stand before our people, are we journalists or are we coaches? Do we just talk about what should be and exhort or do we actually coach our people, teaching them how they can actually do what we are talking about? And is our coaching realistic, does it have the feel of the fabric of their lives because it comes out of our own lived experience? To coach effectively we need to know, and know in that biblical sense: know by experience.

"Is this not what our people are looking for: someone who knows the way to the fullness and happiness for which God has made us and for which we all long and who is willing to practically show them the way to find that for themselves?"

George Carey was once quoted as having said, "Leadership for me is a place where God puts you to make life better for people and for the institution itself." That, for me, is the mark of true leadership. Ministry that does not derive from being with God is mere technique and diminishes the life of those acted upon. But ministry born out of being with God, and motivated by the love of God and God's people, has the power to influence lives and make them new in ways that make visible God's blessing. And that is the mark of true leadership.

May your people see the beauty of holiness in you,

+Brian

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