Redefining Leadership: Part 1 (Rethinking the Path to Influence)
When we tell young people that the way to influence others is by gaining fame, fortune, and power, we set them up for failure. That path is riddled with problems, the biggest being that most people quickly discover how difficult it is to achieve any of those things. That disappointment often leads to cynicism, which can easily devolve into bitterness and despair.
What Do We Really Mean by Leadership?
The same problem shows up when we talk about leadership. We tell everyone they should be a leader—but what does that really mean? Many of us silently wonder, “If everyone is a leader, who’s steering the ship?” The truth is, leadership can mean a lot of different things depending on the context, the role, or the level of responsibility. But if what we’re really talking about is influence, then the conversation shifts to something more practical—and more universal.
Leadership vs. Influence: A Core Principle of Ascend
Recently, I sat down with Victoria Schurter, Unbound’s Executive Director of Learning, for a conversation on the Be Unbound podcast. We explored the difference between leadership and influence, drawing from the principles we teach at Capstone, our annual Christian leadership intensive. This topic matters deeply to us because it’s a core part of what we equip students to think about in our Ascend program. Whether or not a student ends up with a formal title or position of authority, the ability to influence others well is essential. That’s the foundation of true leadership.
A Biblical Perspective on Leadership
In today’s world, we’re surrounded by conflicting ideas about what leadership is. The most common one we hear paints leadership as climbing to the top—getting the corner office, leading a growing team, and holding more power. But that version doesn’t reflect what we see in Scripture.
That’s not to say that positions of authority are inherently wrong. If God calls someone to serve in high leadership—whether in government, business, or elsewhere—that role should be stewarded faithfully. But influence isn’t reserved for those at the top. Every person, regardless of their title, has influence. And what matters is how we choose to use it.
The Call to Steward Your Influence
This is the heart of our Signature Leadership Courses in Ascend. They challenge students to consider: What are you doing with the influence God has given you? Whether that influence is over one person or fifteen, are you stewarding it well? Are you using it intentionally? These questions matter whether you’re 15 or 50.
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Success Isn’t the Goal—Faithfulness Is
We often connect this to the idea of success. Many people pursue training or education with the goal of “being successful,” which is often code for acquiring more fame, fortune, or power. Those things aren’t inherently bad—when stewarded wisely, they can be gifts. But if they become the goal, they will leave you empty. Either you won’t get them and feel like a failure, or you’ll get them and realize they weren’t enough. There has to be something more.
At Unbound, we talk about training young people to thrive. Influence—true, faithful, people-oriented influence—is a big part of that. Leadership might be a buzzword in today’s culture, but it isn’t a universal calling. Discipleship is. And discipleship is really just influence rooted in love and truth. It’s about how you live, not how much power you hold.
Want to hear the full conversation that inspired this article?
Tune in to the Be Unbound podcast—available now wherever you listen to podcasts. Or, watch the episode below.
Jonathan Brush is the President and CEO of Unbound, a homeschool graduate, and a homeschool dad of six. He worked for nine years as a Director of Admissions for a private, liberal arts college, and then spent over ten years working in non-traditional higher education.
Jonathan loves Unbound and Unbound students and dreams every single day about new ways to connect them to each other. He gets to work with the world’s best team and the most amazing student body in the history of the world (which is just as awesome as it sounds), and field questions about Rule 4 violations (ask an Unbound student to explain). Jonathan and his family make their home in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
