A common cry among organizations and churches is “How can we develop more leaders?”  Leadership development programs and courses abound but how effective are they at developing leaders?  The better question is, “How did Jesus develop His leaders?”  With Jesus class was always in session and the world was His classroom.

One day after teaching the multitude, “When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and it is already quite late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat”  (Mark 6:35-36).  The disciples were ready to close the door on ministry and have some down time.  Jesus used this situation as an opportunity for His disciples to grow and develop as leaders as He said to them, “You give them something to eat!”  (Mark 6:37a).  Jesus gave His disciples a seemingly impossible task that would grow their faith and continue to develop them to form the nucleus of a world-wide movement.

Formal instruction is beneficial, but there is no substitute for hands-on experience in a challenging assignment.  The Center for Creative Leadership which is one of the world’s premier leadership development institutions, has written a White Paper on developing leaders in specific cross-cultural contexts.  Their research over the years has formulated the 70-20-10 ratio which describes the most effective way that people learn, grow and change over the course of their careers.

A research-based, time-tested guideline for developing individuals proposes engaging them with three clusters of experience, is the 70-20-10 ratio:

Challenging Assignments (70%)

Developmental Relationships (20%)

Coursework and Training (10%)

“Despite the popularity of the 70-20-10 rule, most organizations are still not systematic or intentional about using a synergistic combination of assignments, relationships, and coursework to groom future leaders.”

Phillips Brooks understood the necessity of challenging assignments as he wisely said,

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.

What is your response to a challenging assignment?  The classroom is easier but a challenging assignment is more effective.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  (James 1:2-4)

God knows what He’s doing, may you rest in His assignment for you!

Rick Higgins

Associate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark

Professor of Discipleship, Columbia International University