Leaders Must Come Down from the Mountain

Leadership is a difficult thing. Whether it is a parent in the home, elders in the Lord’s church, or one who runs a business, there is a responsibility inherent in leadership that can cause all sorts of issues.

One of those issues is the “mountaintop leader.” This is the leader (or group of leaders) who sees their role as giving dictates from on high, never to be questioned by the people down at the bottom of the mountain. Their authority is never to be questioned, and they have no desire to get down in the middle of the regular folks and be a real person around them. After all, doing that might make them look weak.

But I want you to consider two leaders in Scripture and how one simple act–coming down from the mountain–disproves this mindset.

Moses

Few would dispute that Moses was one of the greatest leaders, not just in Old Testament times, but of all time. He organized and led hundreds of thousands of people (if not millions) out of Egyptian slavery and through a 40-year period in the wilderness.

But on one occasion, Moses went up on the mountain. There he received the 10 Commandments. What an amazing experience that had to be, as he interacted with God in receiving those tablets of stone that would be the foundation of the civilization of the Israelites.

It would be interesting to think about Moses staying on top of Mount Sinai and just yelling out these commands to the people. After all, these laws had literally come from God Himself!

However, that is not how Moses delivered these laws. He came down from the mountain to share the laws, and then he lived under those same laws with the rest of the people. While he was still in charge, he was one of the people and was himself subject to the same laws.

But it all started with coming down from the mountain instead of yelling some series of commands from on high.

Jesus

The greatest sermon ever preached is the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5-7. In that sermon, Jesus set the course for what He was going to be doing in His ministry and caused all who heard Him to think deeply about more than just law-keeping, but about heart and motive.

In fact, so powerful was this message that the people “were astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29).

But chapter 8 of Matthew begins with this important phrase: “When He came down from the mountain” (verse 1). The text tells us of a leper who sought healing from Jesus.

Did this leper not know who he was talking to? This was the man with authority! This was obviously a great leader.

Yet Jesus healed this leper because it was time to come down from the mountain and live a life that reflected the message He had just taught.

Conclusion

Yes, leaders must go “on the mountain” at times. They are leaders, after all, and sometimes that means they must get away or say things that are from that authoritative place.

But too many leaders stay up on the mountain, and when they do, they lose nearly all credibility with those they are trying to lead. They seem standoffish. It seems they feel they are above the law. They seem to lack personality. At times, they almost seem nonhuman.

So, leaders, come down from the mountain. Be among the people. Live by the rules. Work side-by-side. Get your hands dirty.

When you do, you may just be amazed at how many people are willing to follow your leadership.

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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn