To achieve a decentralized system, the right leader must be in place.  The character required of the person that can allow such a decentralized and messy organization to exist is great.  It requires a person who is not worried about his own success apart from the success of those around him.  It requires a humility that not only realizes that the leader does not have all the answers, but also that the answers can be found in the creativity of those around him.  It also requires that the leader share the spotlight.

Leadership like this is leadership modeled.  That modeling is reflective of the character of the leader.  If the leader is not humble, he will not model humility.  If he does not have a genuine love for the success of others, he will not model it.  However, if humility is modeled, if shared success is modeled, and if the leader allows others to be part of or fully in charge of a creative solution to whatever issue arises, that modeling actually inspires and invigorates creativity within the organization.

Unfortunately, the contemporary models of leadership elevate the star, the one who had rocketed up the leadership ladder.  These men look good, talk well, and have a personality that can light up a room.  They are charismatic, charming, and powerful.  Sadly, many of them have little substance to compliment their style.

The ideal candidate for decentralized, messy leadership is one who heeds the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:13:  “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  In this passage, Paul gives us the ingredients of leadership in a decentralized culture.  Those ingredients are courage, confidence, and humility.

Paul says that the Christ-follower can do all things.  A Christ-follower exhibits confidence that all things can be done.  This is not an expression of arrogance, but of confidence.  The courage to attempt “all things” comes from the strength of Christ.  The person’s confidence is rightly placed, not in his own efforts but in conjunction with the Other.  His courage comes from the strength drawn from the Other.  Paul then defines the Other as Christ, and when one realized nothing can be done except through Christ, not only has he found the secret to living, but the ingredients for effective leadership.  For Christian leadership, the emphasis is placed on a God-developed charisma, not the transient aspects, such as personality, looks, and intellect.  It is based around substance not style.

In this model, a person realizes that apart from others nothing gets done well (humility).  Confidence is placed not solely in oneself, but realizes that others can accomplish great things as well.  When a leader appropriates these two ingredients, he can muster the courage to risk, experiment, innovate and even fail.  Modeling that confidence, humility, and courage often leads to an emboldened organization free to be creative and responsible.