4 leadership traits great leaders develop

Phil Wood April 26, 2022

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Most people cannot lead but refuse to follow.

Case in point, the debacle in the Garden of Eden was a collaborative effort, combining derelict leadership and recalcitrant followship. Since apples don't fall far from the tree and we were made after our own kind, the world has been populated with bad leaders and poor followers.

How can all of us not plead guilty?

No one is born a natural leader. The strongest leaders are those who are hatched and cultivated in the right environment. Look around and notice many of the most influential leaders stand on the shoulders of solid leaders before them.

Whether pastor or politician, second and third generational skills get multiplied. In the nature versus nurture argument, nature may set the range, but the right nurturing determines how far up you can move the dial.

How, then, is leadership developed?

1. It begins with followship.

If you lack history under a good model, align yourself with skilled leaders and get imprinted. You can gain something from every good leader. You will never lead well until you understand the dynamics of what dedicated follow-ship entails.

2. Grow a followship by example.

On a train, there are fewer derailments when the locomotive is in the front instead of leading from the caboose. You are more likely to get the behavior you want from others when you model it yourself. A river will not rise higher than its source.

3. Hone your skills while no one is looking.

In the dark of night, in the middle of the wilderness when no one was watching but the sheep and wild animals, was when the most outstanding leaders of all time, Moses, Abraham, and David, honed skills in everything from music to fighting. Remember the motto of Lowe's Home Improvement stores, "Never stop improving!"

4. Always be ready for the coach to send you in.

Most of us want to get into the game, but we stand on the sideline with our helmets off, yucking it up with the other benchwarmers. We seem content to simply wear the uniform instead of making plays on the field.

You will be surprised when and how key leadership opportunities arise. Generally, the last person standing has a unique combination of humility and confidence: the humility to follow, not just with lip service, but when only God is watching, and the confidence to believe the Lord can equip and strengthen you for any of His callings.

What if Grandpa Adam and Grandma Eve had been better at leading and following? Then realistically, it would have been one of us to break ranks. There will always be inadequate leaders and crummy followers; regardless, we do not need to be one of them.

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Phil Wood (PhD, DMin) is pastor of Fellowship Church, licensed counselor with Meier Clinics, and candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois' 8th Congressional District. Learn More »

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