Leadership Thought: How a Janitor Determined a President (Humility).

Dear Friends,

Some years ago, St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City was seeking a new president. Over one hundred candidates applied for the position. The search committee narrowed the list to five eminently qualified persons. Then somebody came  up with a brilliant idea: let’s send a person to the institution where each of the finalists is currently employed, and then interview the janitor at each place, asking him what he thinks of the man seeking to be our next president. This was done and a janitor gave such a glowing appraisal of William Mac Elvaney that he was selected President of St. Paul’s School of Theology.(Story taken off the internet from esermonsw.com).

Somebody on that search committee understood in a flash of genius, that those who live close to Christ become so secure in their love that they no longer relate to other people according to rank or power, or money, or prestige. They treat janitors and governors with equal dignity. They regard everybody as a VIP. Children seem to do this intuitively; adult Christians often have to relearn it.  

Proverbs reminds us that “rich and poor have this in common. The Lord is maker of them all” (Proverbs 22:2). There is no room for distinctions in the family of God. There should be no pecking orders, but instead we must see people though God’s eye-equal in value.

In Management by Proverbs, the author Michal Zingarelli writes, “The cornerstone of managing people in humility is to recognize that those under us at work  stand next to us, where it really matters, before the Creator (P. 62).

Jesus embraced humility and so should we. When teaching his disciples, a lesson on servanthood and how the first must be last; He provides us with a wonderful object lesson on humility. He takes a little child in his arms, and He says to the disciples, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me not only welcomes me, but the one who sent me” (Mark 9:37). Jesus was teaching through example that the first principle of greatness is to treat everyone equally. Most people think if you want to get ahead in the world’s eyes, you don’t do so by spending your time with little children. They can’t do much to advance your status or career.  I don’t think Jesus is  speaking just chronologically, but He is speaking to anyone who is ‘the less” in  this world’s eyes.

In every church I have pastored, I have always asked the janitor to be a part of our staff meetings. I do this because I know that it is the janitor who is best able to see whether the church is living out this important principle of equality.

Paul told the Christians in Rome, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement (Romans 12:3) Every leader must keep in mind Paul’s words to the church at Philippi, “in humility consider others better than yourself” (Philippians 2:3). That is the challenge I leave for all of us today. May God help each of us to achieve it.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom