When I was a kid, there was a group of boys on our short, dead-end street who would play together. Among the many outdoor games we’d play was, of course, follow the leader. And Greg Smith was a master at it.
At the end of the street was a swimming pool and Greg would lead us through acrobatic dives and lung-crushing underwater swims. And then it’d be my turn and I’d panic. I lacked the creativity that seemed to come so naturally to Greg and so I’d take a very short turn and pass the leadership back to him.
But over time, I learned. By following a good leader, I learned how to lead others myself. I borrowed a lot of his moves, while improvising and trying some of my own.
I think this is what Paul is getting at in 1 Cor. 11:1 when he writes, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
Leadership isn’t so much about authority, it’s about one really big game of follow the leader, with Jesus at the head of the pack.
We learn all of our best moves from him.