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The Cost of the Call: Leadership, Failure, and Restoration this Easter
Easter is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year. There is a specific kind of joy that fills the home, the laughter of friends, the warmth of family gathered around a table, and the vibrant promise of new life blooming all around us. As I balance my responsibilities as the President of Richdel and the academic rigors of my MBA program, these moments of rest are precious.
But as a follower of Jesus Christ, I find that my joy is always tempered by a “heavy consciousness.” We celebrate the empty tomb, but we cannot forget the path that led there. This year, I’ve been reflecting deeply on the journey of Peter, a man whose leadership journey mirrors the highs and lows that I and many of us face in the professional and spiritual world.
The Hubris of the “Aggressive Boast”
We often see Peter as the “rock,” but before he was the foundation of the early Church, he was a leader struggling with overconfidence. In Matthew 26:33-35, Peter makes a bold and aggressive claim:
“Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will… Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.”
As a leader, I recognize that impulse. I want to be the one who is unshakable. I want my team and our Lord to know I’m “all in.” But there is a thin line between conviction and hubris. Peter’s confidence was rooted in his own strength, his own “sword-drawing” bravado. Yet, when the pressure of the world collided with the reality of the Cross, that strength evaporated. He didn’t just stumble; he denied the very person he claimed he would die for, three times.
The Weight of the Denial
The image of Peter warming his hands by a fire, claiming, “I do not know the man,” is a haunting one. It represents the ultimate leadership failure: the betrayal of core values under duress. For those of us in leadership roles, the “cost” of our salvation becomes heavy when we realize that our failures, our moments of choosing comfort or safety over truth, were part of the weight Jesus carried. This Easter, I am struck by the transparency of the Gospel; it doesn’t hide Peter’s shame. It shows us that even the most “passionate” leaders can break.
The Restoration of Peter
The beauty of the Resurrection isn’t just that Jesus rose, but that He came back for Peter. In John 21, we see the ultimate leadership “performance review.” Jesus doesn’t fire Peter. He doesn’t shame him. He meets him on the beach and asks one question: “Do you love me?” three times. This is where Peter’s life is repurposed. His previous “aggressive boasting” is replaced by a humble, sorrowful, and genuine devotion “Yes Lord you know I do”. Jesus moves him from a place of self-reliance to a mission of service: “Feed my sheep.”
Leadership Lessons from the Beach
From an MBA perspective, we often study “Authentic Leadership” or “Transformational Leadership.” Peter’s restoration is the perfect case study. Kouzes and Posner, in The Leadership Challenge, emphasize that the most effective leaders “Model the Way” and “Enable Others to Act.” By experiencing total failure and total forgiveness, Peter became a leader who could empathize with the broken and failures. He stopped trying to be the hero of the story and started pointing everyone toward the actual hero, Jesus.
Watch: One of the most moving depictions of this journey is found in The Chosen. I highly recommend watching their portrayal of Peter’s struggle and his relationship with Jesus. It brings a visceral reality to the cost of following Him.
A Repurposed Life
My prayer for all of us this Easter, whether you are leading a company, a classroom, or a family is that we embrace the “heavy joy” of the season. Salvation cost Jesus everything. It cost Peter his pride and self respect. For us, it may cost us our desire for self-glory or our need to appear “perfect” to those we lead. But in that exchange, we find a purpose far greater than ourselves. Like Peter, we are called to take our redeemed lives and spread the Gospel, leading not from a place of strength, but from a place of profound humility, gratitude and life devotion to serve Jesus Christ.
He is Risen indeed!
Reference:
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2023). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations (7th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
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