Excellent Leadership

I came across this at work and wanted to share it. I am not sure who wrote it or where it came from but I think it is a great summary of good leadership. Sadly, I know many Christian leaders who have not resembled this description of a quality leader. I know I have fallen down on some of issues during my lifetime too. I pray for God’s guidance and humility for all who call themselves a Christian leader, as they will be held accountable for every word and deed. Such an enormous responsibility needs to be done in the strength and wisdom of God, not in our own selfish ambition or attempt at excellence.

Excellent Leadership

“He gave constant encouragement” Acts 20:2

A leader has two important characteristics: he or she knows where they’re going, and can show others the value of going with them. There are lots of talented people who will never be excellent leaders because they’re more interested in themselves than in those they lead. They’ll have to go through the school of hard knocks until they become sensitive to other people’s needs.

But effective leaders don’t wait for that to happen. They realise that any numpty can come up with an idea. But the people who implement them are priceless. American Football coach ‘Bear’ Bryant used to say, “I’ve learned how to hold a team together … There are just three things I say: if something goes bad, I did it; if something goes semi-good, we did it; if it goes really good, you did it!”

If you have a feeling in your bones that God might want you to be some kind of leader, chew on this: excellent leaders are approachable; they don’t get touchy and fly off the handle; they never let minor problems poison their outlook; they sandwich every slice of criticism between two layers of praise.

True leaders are not people who knock the wind out of others; no, they are the ones who breathe it back in! Scottish novelist Robert Louis Stevenson once said this, “Keep your fears to yourself but share your courage with others.” Good eh! Encouraging others simply means giving them a courage injection; like this: “Paul called the disciples together and … gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits … charging them with fresh hope.” That’s excellent leadership! So today ask God to give you what it takes to lead.