The picture of elders as shepherds is instructive for all elders (indeed, leaders) of all times and places. There is an art to shepherding sheep, one that involves a focus on the needs of each animal, an awareness of the (possible) dangers facing the sheep (be it wolves or ticks, drought or bad grass, heat or cold, etc.), and then a knowing how to protect the sheep (each sheep!) in the face of such perils. The point is that elders need to make a point of taking instruction from the world of agriculture.
2 Paissez le troupeau de Dieu qui est sous votre garde, non par contrainte, mais volontairement, selon Dieu; non pour un gain sordide, mais avec dévouement;