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When it comes to leaders being hurt by those under their care, it is not a matter of if but when. How leaders respond to these attacks reveal three key attributes that must be addressed.
On the Ailbe Podcast, T.M. Moore and Rusty Rabon asked me what attributes pastors needed to develop to respond to sheep bites in a God-honoring way. I believe the three most important attributes are:
- Humility
- Vulnerability
- Accountability
Humility is the ability of a leader to be open to the possibility that the sheep bite may have been in reaction to something the shepherd did or failed to do. To go a little deeper on this point, check out Pay Attention to the Bites.
Vulnerability is used in the context of bearing our souls to a true friend. T.M. Moore has written extensively about “soul friends,” and we discussed that in more detail in a previous appearance on the Ailbe Podcast which you can check out here. [soul friends]
Accountability is really a direct result of our humility with ourselves and our vulnerability with a soul friend. As the Bible tells us over and over again, we need to remain in relationship with fellow saints that can encourage us, empower us, and sometimes correct us. Check out the blog post and video Accountability to Saints.
If you desire to grow as a godly shepherd leader, please check out my book Shepherd Leadership.
If you want to learn more about how to recover from sheep bites and how to handle future attacks in a biblical, Christ-like way, please pick up a copy of When Sheep Bite.
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Craig T. Owens 
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