As a first-year CEO of a faith-based nonprofit, I’ve been wrestling with a leadership tension.
In one of Jesus’ famous parables, the good shepherd leaves the 99 to find the one lost sheep (Luke 15:3–7). It’s one of the most beloved images, and rightfully so. Every individual matters. Nobody gets left behind.
But I’ve found myself asking: what happened to the 99 while he was gone?
The Weight of the Whole Flock
Leadership carries a different responsibility. You aren’t only caring for individuals; you’re also stewarding the health of the whole flock. Sometimes the decision that serves the broader mission can be genuinely painful for one person.
I don’t think Jesus intended this parable to be a complete leadership playbook. I think He was making a profound statement about the value of a single human soul.
And yet leaders carry another burden too: responsibility for the whole.
Where I’ve Landed (For Now)
As a Christian leader, I’m still working out what it means when love for individuals and stewardship of an organization feel in tension. I haven’t fully resolved it.
But this much I’ve landed on:
Lead with love for people. Steward the mission faithfully. When those appear to collide, pray, seek counsel, look for the third way, and then make the call.
Sometimes leadership means carrying both truths at once.
