Upside Down Leadership: 10 Thought-Provoking Quotes from Max De Pree

True to all things in the kingdom of heaven, what makes a great leader can seem a bit counterintuitive—a bit upside down. Too often, our earthly examples of leaders are those who consolidate power rather than give it away, who enslave rather than liberate, and who cause pain rather than relieve it. Max De Pree understood that leadership in the kingdom looks different. He recognized that Godly leaders are those who operate in a seemingly unconventional way, who take their leadership cues from Jesus rather than culture.

Below is a list of quotes from Max De Pree that can encourage us to think about our leadership through the lens of the kingdom.

1. “One becomes a leader, I believe, through doing the work of a leader. It’s often difficult and painful and sometimes even unrewarding, and it’s work. There are also times of joy in the work of leadership, and doing the work of a leader is necessary in our society.”
2. “Vulnerability in a leader enables others to do their best and to be fully accountable. And, of course, being vulnerable to the strengths of other people also makes a leader vulnerable to their weakness.”
3. “A good family, a good institution, a good corporation can be a place of healing. It can be a place where work becomes redemptive, where every person is included on her own terms. We know in our hearts that to be included is both beautiful and right. Leaders have to find a way to work that out, to contribute toward that vision.”
4. “The highest-risk leader is the one who thinks she works alone.”
5. “The art of leadership: liberating people to do what is required of them in the most effective and humane way possible.”
6. “Leaders owe people space, space in the sense of freedom. Freedom in the sense of enabling our gifts to be exercised. We need to give each other the space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity.”
7. “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor.”
8. “‘Leaders don’t inflict pain; they bear pain.”
9. “Joy is an essential ingredient of leadership. Leaders are obligated to provide it.”
10. “Leadership is, as you know, not a position but a job. It’s hard and exciting and good work. It’s also a serious meddling in other people’s lives.”

Have another Max De Pree quote you love? Drop it in the comments below!