Leaders are Shepherds, Not Masters

The shepherd’s primary responsibility is to care for the flock, not to seek personal status and prestige.

Although the Bible is not primarily a book on leadership, leaders are definitely part of the great story it tells. We read about good leaders who, despite their weaknesses and failures, contribute to the wellbeing and freedom of the people they lead. But we also find bad leaders who are more concerned with themselves, and what they can gain from their position, than with those they are supposed to serve. The biblical tradition offers images that help us understand what good leadership looks like — and what distinguishes it from its corrupted counterpart.

The Shepherd Cares for the Flock

Biblical metaphors and images can help us understand what leadership truly entails and what characterizes good leaders. Interestingly, the focus seems to be more on the leader’s character than on leadership methods and techniques, even though the latter are far from unimportant. Leaders are described, among other things, as servants (see e.g. Matthew 20:26-28) and stewards (see e.g. Titus 1:7). However, one of the most frequently used metaphors or images for leaders in the Bible, and perhaps the richest and most instructive, is the leader as shepherd (see e.g. Ezekiel 34). And it is to this image that we now turn.

A shepherd has many tasks. The shepherd leads the flock to pasture, ensures the sheep receive nourishment and water, protects them from predators and dangers, and addresses the many challenges that arise during the journey. Beyond the practical tasks, the shepherd knows the sheep — not merely as a collective group or flock, but each one individually. It is the same shepherd who looks after the weak, lifts those who have fallen, and searches for those who have gone astray.

The motivation of a good shepherd is grounded in genuine care and concern for the flock. This is no minor detail; it points toward a fundamental principle: The shepherd exists for the flock, not the other way around. This orientation carries direct relevance for leadership in a broader sense. When leadership becomes primarily about power and status, the relationship is inverted. The flock then becomes a means to the leader’s own ends, rather than the leader seeking what is best for the flock.

The Shepherd Provides Nourishment
The shepherd leads the flock to good pasture, ensuring they are well-fed and strong. Applied to modern leadership, this is about creating an environment and opportunities for development and growth. A leader who genuinely invests in the flock's development shifts the question from “What can you do for us?” to “What can we do so that you may succeed and grow?”

This means investing in people. It means giving employees tasks that challenge them, facilitating learning, and celebrating progress. Such a leader looks for the potential in others and is willing to invest time in people even when it does not yield immediate results. Long-term care for an employee’s development is not only good ethics — it is also good leadership. At the same time, it is important to remember that growth also involves challenge: honest rather than merely palatable feedback, clear expectations, and accountability. This balance between nurture and high expectations can be challenging but is often decisive in enabling growth and development.

The Shepherd Sees the Individual
The shepherd must sometimes spend time searching for and bringing back the one who has gone astray. This is an image of what genuine care looks like: no one is forgotten. During a busy working day, one can end up treating people as a means to an end. But a shepherd sees the individual. Such a leader notices when someone is struggling, when someone seems to have lost their drive, and when there are problems preventing them from realizing their potential.

Showing care as a leader is not about being lenient or avoiding demanding conversations. It means genuinely caring about the people one leads and having their best interests at heart when making difficult assessments or decisions. This applies especially in complex personnel decisions, where care and honesty must go hand in hand.

The Shepherd Leads Toward a Destination
A good shepherd leads with purpose, setting direction and guiding the flock toward a destination. This might be an enclosure for the night or a place suitable for grazing. But having a goal is not enough. The journey to reach that goal also matters. Along the way, the shepherd must protect the flock from predators and ensure that every member of the flock arrives safely. In other words, the shepherd must guide the flock both through the process and toward the desired outcome.

In the process of moving toward the goal, the shepherd serves as a role model. The shepherd shows the way but also knows the flock well enough that pace and timing are calibrated to what the flock can sustain. When the goal has been reached, the shepherd can draw on the knowledge gained along the way when setting new goals and charting the path forward. 

A Different Ideal of Leadership
The shepherd as leader stands in sharp contrast to a view of leadership that focuses solely on the leader’s charisma or the results to be achieved. Using one’s position to promote oneself, secure privileges, and protect one’s own power is something quite different from leading as a shepherd. At its deepest level, leadership is a calling to serve — not a platform for self-promotion. Where leader-centered or results-only models risk treating people as instruments of organizational goals, the shepherd model insists that caring for people and enabling their growth are not a means to an end — they are the end itself.

We need leaders who put the flock’s welfare first. Leaders who are courageous enough to challenge, warm enough to care, and humble enough to recognize that they exist for others — not the other way around. This is not a naïve ideal. It is a demanding and worthwhile leadership ideal both to strive for and to live up to: Lead as a shepherd who knows the flock and works wholeheartedly for its flourishing.

The article was first published in the Norwegian Leadership Journal Dagens Perspektiv on April 22nd, 2026: https://www.dagensperspektiv.no/synspunkt/ledere-er-hyrder-ikke-herskere/1417672