Thoughts On Authentic Leadership By Billy Burnett

Becoming an Authentic Replica

Around 30 years ago, there was a television commercial in which a famous singer was used to produce a specific pitch that would shatter a delicate glass. then a voice-over would ask: “Is it live, or is it Memorex?”  The point, of course, was that you couldn’t tell the difference.

Authentic leaders must be like Memorex, an authentic replica of the source. Looking at the most authentic leader of all, Jesus spoke like his Father, and he acted like his Father. His life had an impact. He was so mission-focused that he rebuked a key team member when he suggested he forgo his calling.

Authentic leaders, like Jesus, are measured by how close they are to the source of their being. By being so close to that source, they shatter and break through obstacles that prevent vision from becoming a mission that becomes a reality.

The metric for the authentic leader is Jesus Christ.

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Billy Burnett, MBA, CCNL, is Joni and Friends’s former Executive Vice President and CFO. His thoughts, as shared here, were taken from Outcomes Magazine, Spring 2013