What would be your top five qualities and attributes of a great leader?

According to Brian Tracy, a successful American speaker and writer on personal and professional development, a great leader is visionary, courageous, with integrity, humility, outstanding strategic planning, focus and cooperation.

Now, these are not necessarily bad characteristics. However, our culture rarely speaks about servanthood as one of the key attributes. The EU Graduates Fund’s view on leadership is modelled upon Christ Jesus. He, “who in nature God, did not count equality with God, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2). Jesus came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). Our hope is, for all EU students to emulate Christ’s example of leadership, to be servant-hearted, humble and Christ-centred.

Liam Nolan, a second year, Social Work/Arts student is currently serving as an Assistant Small Group Leader and committee member of the Social Work faculty.

What does servant hearted leadership mean to you?

L: To me, it means pushing aside any temptation to make leadership positions about myself. Instead, it is to use these positions as an opportunity to love and care for those entrusted to me, with the goal of seeing them grow in their knowledge and love of the Lord Jesus.

How have you been challenged to lead servant heartedly?

L: To lead by example. We have a faculty goal to make three non-Christian friends and evangelise to them. Initially, this goal alerted me of the lack of non-Christian friends I had. So, I joined a campus food society to break out of my Christian bubble and build relationships with people who don’t know Jesus. Not only have I felt God using me in these relationships, but now, I’m able to encourage EUers from a position of someone who knows what it’s like to try and minister to these people.

How do you hope to grow in your servant heartedness towards others?

L: I hope that God will grow in my servant heartedness for the non-Christians He has placed in my life. I recently learnt that I’m the only Christian friend some of my non-Christian friends ever had. It is a sobering realisation. It’s my hope and prayer that God will not only teach me how to grow Christians in their love and knowledge of Jesus, but to also be His instrument to share the good news about Jesus to the unbelievers..

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Please pray for Liam and other students to lead by the example of Jesus; to serve, rather than to be served. Pray that many will serve sacrificially by sharing the good news to unbelievers and encourage others to do so, in the hope that many more may flood God’s church with servant-hearted Christian leaders in Sydney, Australian and beyond.