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 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;