Leadership Success in Luke-Acts : power, authority and status with regards to a leader's performance

Abstract

This dissertation examines the Lucan understanding of successful leadership. Luke-Acts addresses many aspects of leadership such as power, authority and status. The gospel of Luke also conveys Jesus teaching on important leadership topics such as greatness and how God evaluates performance. Through a careful exegetical study of the passages dealing with these concepts, Luke-Acts provides important insights into leadership success. The author of Luke-Acts viewed success as being close to the Father. He differed with many people in his context who viewed success in terms of social position, such as higher status, power and authority. Instead, the Lucan view is that God evaluates success based on the condition of peoples' hearts. God does not evaluate leaders based on their position in society, the size of the organisation they run or the influence they wield. Instead, leaders achieve success (closeness with God) by faithfully using the power and authority entrusted to them by God according to His desires for the benefit of those under their authority, often at personal cost.