First, let’s get something straight. We are all leaders…to one degree or another. It may be in our home or among our friends. It may be the Lord has placed us in areas of leadership in ministry. And if we are honest with ourselves, we sometimes feel inadequate to be in that role. Very few of us have a degree in leadership. However, many of us desire to be the leader that God has called us to be.

Of all the leadership books that are out there…and there are a zillion of them…the best ones for me are those based on the principles found in God’s Word and based on amazing biblical leaders. Spiritual Leadership by Henry and Richard Blackaby comes to mind, along with Lead Like Jesus by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges. I would also include John Maxwell’s books that draw primarily from Christian principles in guiding leaders.

Having said that, there are many things we can also learn from those who have researched leaders and leadership. Many of us have gained from studies by Jim Collins in his classic book Good to Great. These examples help us identify traits that successful leaders have and allow us to analyze our leadership style to see where we can improve.

I recently came across a list of traits of exceptional leaders compiled by leadership blogger/writer Glenn Leibowitz. Many of them sound like traits taught by the Lord through His Word. Here are some of Leibowitz’s inspiring leadership traits. How many of these traits do you exhibit?

Traits of Exceptional Leaders

  • They trust you to do the job you’ve been hired to do.
  • They seek your advice and input.
  • They find opportunities to let you shine.
  • They recognize your contributions.
  • They have your back during tough times.
  • They are master storytellers.
  • They challenge you to do bigger and better things.
  • They express appreciation.
  • They are responsive.
  • They know when to apologize.
  • They give credit where credit is due.
  • They treat others with dignity and respect.
  • They care.

How would you score? Where could you improve? What if you presented this list to those you lead? How would they score you?

When the Lord moves us into leadership roles it is not to build us up. It is to build up His work to accomplish His purpose. And he doesn’t move us into leadership to fail. If we learn from His Word and give attention to our own heart and attitudes toward others, we can become extraordinary leaders who accomplish much for God and His Kingdom.

I boil my leadership guide down to four words.

Love God. Love people.

My basis for this is from Jesus, who, when asked what the greatest commandments were, responded this way:

“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Matthew 22:37-39 NLT

How will you score today? This week? Lead on…