As you look around at other leaders you know, are there some you would identify as high performers? It seems some consistently get things done, and those key things are usually done well. Are you one of those people?

I was intrigued by an article I recently read by a leadership coach in the Netherlands. The article outlined the signs of a high performer, and you may be surprised by some of those traits.

  • You enjoy learning – you are naturally curious.
  • You love to simplify explanations – you make learning accessible and engaging.
  • You are happy not following the herd – you don’t mind going against popular opinions.
  • You are okay not knowing everything – you view gaps in knowledge as opportunities.
  • You prioritize quality over quantity – you value excellence over speed or volume.
  • You stay calm under pressure – you are confident even in the most chaotic moments.
  • You lift others up – you believe in shared success.

Can you identify with those traits and leadership qualities? The brilliant Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, “Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” And the legendary U. S. basketball coach, John Wooden, motivated his players with these words:

“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

The last point on that list is critical. Encourage others. Lift them up. It is amazing what a word of encouragement means to your team, both personally and for accomplishing God’s plan in your ministry and organization. The Apostle Paul recognized and praised that trait in the believers in Thessalonica:

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT

If you identify with traits like these, what does it mean? It means the Lord has built into you the qualities that will help you lead others to accomplish His will, and do it His way.

This may be a good time to say it is more important to recognize how God has made you than it is to look at others and compare yourself or your accomplishments. Certainly, it is not productive to rank yourself against others and what they accomplish. When Paul recognized some in Corinth who were bragging about “their” abilities, he not so gently reminded them of an important point in our spiritual lives.

What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?

1 Corinthians 4:7 NLT

Yes, we all can improve our abilities to the glory of God. And we can learn how to better serve Him with what we have. Let’s be careful to recognize three things:

  • Anything and everything we have…skills, personal qualities, wisdom…is a gift from God
  • Any position we attain in ministry is by God’s grace and His design.
  • The Lord intends us to use all He has placed in our hands for His purpose, to point others to Jesus.

That’s a purpose worth working toward every day in every way.

God’s best,