Leadership matters, whether it is in the workplace, the home, at school, in government, in sports, nonprofits or churches. It matters, it makes a difference either good or bad. There are many styles of leadership, and many different kinds of leaders. As a Christian, I see leadership from that perspective. I’ve learned from many leaders over the years, but Jesus Christ continues to be the best example I can find.
No leader is perfect like Jesus was. We will fall short of that, but we can get better and become more like him as we grow. Leaders are learners, but the great leaders also put into practice what they are learning. Often times as leaders we make mistakes and fail, and those are the moments, and times that we learn and grow the most.
The Bible emphasizes strong healthy leadership. Jesus, Paul and other disciples of Jesus taught about the right way to lead and the qualities of a strong healthy leader. These five qualities continue to rise to the top for me. These qualities are ones that I believe a strong, healthy spiritual leader should exhibit and embrace.
- Love – I started with love because this is the root and motivation for a spiritual leader. To have a deep love for God and other people is our calling. When you lead with love it changes how you approach people, problems and opportunities. Love drives you to serve the people you are leading. To care for them, and listen to them. Love for God helps a leader have a much bigger perspective on life, the world around us, and the people around us. Love for God transforms our hearts and minds, and keeps us centered and focused on the right things. As we grow in love, we grow in leadership.
- Integrity – For me integrity encompasses a lot. It’s being a person that walks the talk. To be a leader with integrity means that you are honest and trustworthy. Paul uses the word blameless, and above reproach in the Bible. A leader with integrity is willing to make difficult decisions, and do what is best for the people and organization and not just himself or herself. A person of integrity does what is right and good even when no one is watching. It’s the mindset of working for God and not man.
- Humility – This is also vital to be a strong healthy spiritual leader. Humility is having a right view of yourself, understanding your weaknesses and flaws, but also understanding and embracing your strengths and talents. It’s a selflessness kind of attitude, where you are thinking more about other people than yourself. It’s battling against pride, power and control. Humility is always looking for the best ideas and the best ways to do things, not just the way you think it should be done. It’s the ability to quickly admit when you are wrong, and move to make things right when you make a mistake. Leaders with humility have a strong sense of their true identity in Christ, and can lead from that identity with humility.
- Generosity – A generous leader wants to bless other people. Being generous with your time, your talent and your treasure. Strong healthy spiritual leaders are not afraid to share their knowledge and skills to help others. They love to see other people thrive and do well, and help those that are struggling to turn things around. It’s an attitude of giving without expecting anything in return. This also means being a good steward of everything God has entrusted to you. It’s the mindset of God being the owner and we are the manager.
- Boldness – This last quality might seem a bit unusual for a list like this. I think it’s important to be bold, because Jesus was bold. He was not afraid to speak the truth, but he always did it with love. He was passionate about what he believed, and cared deeply that others heard the truth. Being bold for a cause means a leader is willing to make sacrifices in order to get there. Being bold means the willingness to take risks, get out of your comfort zone and make hard decisions. Boldness comes from a mindset that because of my identity in Christ I can have courage to be bold for Christ.
I hope these qualities are evident in your leadership. I encourage you to rate yourself on all five. Is that a strength or an area to grow? For me I try to think about ways that I can grow in each of these qualities. What can I do to love better, be a man of integrity, stay humble, be more generous and lead with boldness?