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Leadership is a mixed bag. Some organizations have and develop great leaders. Others have and hinder great leaders. There are still others that don't have and don't attract great leaders.
How do we develop ourselves, and how can we pursue being "great" at leadership?
The qualities of leadership are unending: character, charisma, confidence, vision, mission, guidance, background, experience, and more. Many of these are valuable qualities of leadership; some are essential.
The essential qualities far outweigh the simply helpful or desirable ones. Essential qualities determine whether someone will succeed in a given field.
I believe that without the following qualities, it is unlikely someone will be a great leader.
The good news? Every person can learn and practice them!
The bad news? They are not always innate, but must be cultivated.
Essential quality #1: Gentleness
Gentleness is different from weakness. Gentleness is not allowing others to walk all over you. It is not spineless.
It requires a strong backbone, a confidence in one's identity, and a strength of character. A gentle leader responds not just with truth, but with grace as well. He or she can be trusted. A gentle leader is one who people actually enjoy following. A gentle leader does not hoard power and is not in leadership for the power or status it brings. They are well-respected, honored, and humble. A gentle leader is secure in the reality that leadership is primarily about serving others.
We see the example of Jesus as a gentle but firm leader. He was gentle with the hurting, firm with the spiritually prideful, gentle with His disciple's lack of understanding, gentle and firm with Peter even before he would deny Him three times.
Jesus exemplified gentle leadership as a Good Shepherd. What an example for us to follow!
Essential quality #2: Patience
Patience is not just essential, but is one of the ultimate necessities in the life of a leader.
Leadership is challenging. It can be draining. People don't always want to be led. They don't always want to go the direction the leader is pointing. There's a reason why Scripture often calls us sheep. Sheep require a deep-rooted, supernatural-level patience from their shepherd.
A great leader is a patient leader. He or she seeks to hear and understand before responding. As far as it depends on them, they are at peace with others.
A patient leader is one who enters into the mess of other people's lives. A patient leader is trusted, kind and gentle. A patient leader is consistent. They respond with tact and grace.
Again, these essential qualities of great leaders must be cultivated. We are on a never-ending journey toward leadership maturity. Patience and gentleness are needed today more than ever.
 | Ben Marshall is a Pastor at Pathway Church in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He works with teenagers and young adults. He is passionate about leadership and raising up the next generation of biblical leaders. He is a blogger, guitar player and sports enthusiast. Ben currently resides in Beaver Falls with his wife Connie and their two daughters, Aliya and Sophie Learn More » |
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