Love Without Pretense-The Leader's Shift to Kingdom Multiplication

​Leadership has often been defined by building platforms, but the leaders who truly inspire—the ones sparking deep, authentic engagement—showed me that the ultimate mandate requires a radical shift: moving from building our vision (addition) to releasing our people (multiplication) through love without pretense.

I’ve been on a journey of discovery lately, observing those individuals and organizations that seem to command influence simply by being who they are. I wanted to drill down into the “why.” What are they doing that sparks such deep engagement?

The common thread was unmistakable: a profound love for what they do.

They weren’t manufacturing a persona. They were expressing what they loved with honesty, authenticity, and zero pretense. There was no sales pitch—just pure heart. Those are the people who truly inspired me.

It made me pause and ask, “Shouldn’t this be the ultimate​ goal for every believer?” To present the truest version of ourselves to the world. To live in such a way that people are drawn into the Kingdom not by our "pitch,” but by our lack of hypocrisy.

Romans 12:9 gives us the blueprint:

"Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good." (NASB)

Paul is inviting us to a higher way of living. Healthy love naturally lacks hypocrisy; it carries the weight of authenticity. When we offer our honest, unmasked selves to the world, we are expressing true, God-centered love.

At first, I asked myself, “What do I do honestly and with joy?” That was the question that started this research. But as I uncovered Paul’s instruction to “love without hypocrisy,” I realized my initial question was still too self-focused. The influential people I studied were focused on projecting that authentic love outward.

So, the question shifted. It became:

“Where in my life am I operating from love without hypocrisy?"

This isn’t about a functional outcome; it’s about the posture of the heart. I’m less concerned now with “finding myself” and far more engaged in expressing unhypocritical love. This shift removes the focus on “who I am” and replaces it with “how do I love others?"

And here is where it hits home for us as leaders:

Is this what we are helping those we lead to discover?

Our role is to help them find the most genuine expression of love they carry, so the people in their specific spheres of influence can engage in the Kingdom of God.

This brings us right back to the mandate of Ephesians 4:11-13, specifically verses 12 and 13. We are called to nurture, build up, and equip the believer to fulfill everything the Father has placed inside them. This is the cornerstone of leadership in the New Era.

If we want to see the Kingdom expand and our impact increase, our purpose cannot be to build our own platforms. It must be to build up those we lead and release them into a world that is starving for an authentic expression of love—to reach people we will personally never touch.

So, how do we make this shift as leaders? How do we move from a “My Vision” focus—which has a limited ceiling—to a focus on releasing those we lead?

The difference is simple Kingdom math:

Multiplication versus Addition.

That is a Kingdom of God mentality. It is how Jesus walked the earth. He taught, trained, and released those He called, and they went on to influence nations.

The question for us today is this:

How can we, as leaders, make the transition from building our vision to releasing our people?

Below are several questions to help you begin that process.

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THREE QUESTIONS​

1. The “Source” Question (Multiplication vs. Addition)

“Am I viewing the people I lead as resources to fuel my vision, or am I viewing myself as a resource to fuel their God-given calling?"

• Context: The text notes that if people are trained merely to serve your organization, you “become the lid.” This question challenges the leader to identify if they are practicing Addition (gathering followers for their own platform) or Multiplication (investing in others to release them). It shifts the goal from building a large organization to building big people.

2. The “Authenticity” Question (Love Without Hypocrisy)

“In our discipleship, are we teaching people only to serve our vision, or are we helping them uncover the specific areas where they naturally operate from ‘love without hypocrisy’?"

• Context: The text highlights that influence comes from “love without pretense”—not a sales pitch. If leaders only train people to act like them, they create copies. This question prompts leaders to seek the unique, "unmasked" version of the believer—the "truest expression of love they carry”—so they can effectively influence their specific worlds.

3. The “Sphere” Question (Ephesians 4 Mandate)

“Does our current definition of success require people to come here to serve, or does it celebrate when they are released to influence spheres we will personally never touch?"

• Context: The text argues that the purpose of leadership is to release people into a world “starving for an authentic expression of love.” This question addresses the fear of losing control or of declining attendance numbers. It realigns the leader with Ephesians 4:12-13, affirming that the win isn’t a packed room, but a packed world filled with equipped believers.

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Leader’s Reflection Worksheet: The Shift from Capping to Releasing

This worksheet is designed to help you, as a leader, transition your focus from building your own platform to releasing the people you lead into their unique Kingdom assignments (Ephesians 4:12).

Step 1: Self-Assessment (The Three Shift Questions)

Reflect on your current leadership posture by answering the following questions:

1. The “Source” Question (Multiplication vs. Addition)

Am I viewing the people I lead as resources to fuel my vision, or am I viewing myself as a resource to fuel their God-given calling?

• My current posture is: (Check one)

  • Resource for My Vision: I primarily see their efforts contributing to organizational goals.

  • Resource for Their Calling: I primarily see my role as equipping them for their unique destiny.

2. The “Authenticity” Question (Love Without Hypocrisy)

In our discipleship, are we teaching people to follow someone’s vision, or are we helping them uncover the specific areas where they naturally operate from “love without hypocrisy”?

• We emphasize: (Check one)

  • Conformity: Only serving the vision of the leader

  • Authenticity: Discovering their unique gifts and how they express God’s love naturally.

3. The “Sphere” Question (Ephesians 4 Mandate)

Does our current definition of success require people to come here to serve, or does it celebrate when they are released to influence spheres we will personally never touch?

• Our biggest celebration is for: (Check one)

  • Internal Growth: Increased attendance, budget, or internal organizational excellence.

  • External Impact: Stories of people succeeding and influencing their workplaces, neighborhoods, and families.

Step 2: The Action Exercise (Shifting from Capping to Releasing)

Identify one specific person you lead whom you may be unintentionally limiting or "capping" due to their fit within your organizational structure.

Detail	Reflection
Name of the Individual:
Their Recognized Gift/Passion:	(What do they do with joy and honesty?)
How I Am Currently Capping Them:	(e.g., Keeping them in a comfortable, low-impact role; limiting their authority; requiring them to conform to an unsuitable structure.)

The Release Plan for This Week

Create one practical action you can take this week to begin releasing them into their unique calling, prioritizing their multiplication over your addition.

• Action Step: (e.g., Grant them full ownership of a project; connect them with an external mentor in their field; ​encourage them to start something entirely outside of our current Sunday service structure.)

• Goal: The individual is empowered to move beyond the ‘lid’ I created and operate with greater authority and authenticity.