What is it…really?

Leadership. If you didn’t have that many books on the subject, the seminars to attend, and the dictionary definition, how would you describe leadership? What would be the key traits? How can you explain the people who ascend into leadership who have greatly differing styles?

I have observed great leaders who were “do-ers.” They did stuff. They led by action and example. I have seen others who were quiet and contemplative, while their team was busy accomplishing the shared vision. And, I have noticed there are others that, humanly speaking, shouldn’t be leaders. Yet they rise to the occasion, bumping and stumbling along the way, for sure. But they do lead.

I don’t obsess over the elements of leadership. I probably fall into the third category. My high school annual doesn’t have the phrase, “Most likely to succeed,” next to my picture. (Wait…is that how I looked back then?) But I have thought enough, read enough, and observed enough through my 70+ years to come up with some ideas.

My Dad was, for most of his life, blue collar. Though he started as an accountant, for much of Dad’s life he owned a radio and TV repair shop. Blue collar? Yes…because as a kid I often went with Dad as he hauled big TV’s into homes and climbed on top of roofs to install TV antennas.  My job was to go into the crawl space under the floor…where spiders, varmints of various types, and probably monsters lived…and pull the cable that connected the antenna to the television. Fun. Dad was a hard worker.

At the same time, each Thursday at noon he would take off the dirty work clothes, put on a suit, fresh shirt, tie, and shined shoes, and go to the most active and prestigious service club in Fort Worth, and lead several hundred men, many of them the movers and shakers of the city, to accomplish many good civic deeds for children and the underprivileged. Because of Dad’s effective leadership, he would be named the regional president, over the clubs from four of five states. A leader.

Let me tell you what I saw in my Dad, and what I see in most of the effective leaders I have known. Two traits, two overwhelming guiding principles.

• Love God. 

• Love people.
  

Wait, you say…what about casting vision and delegating, and the many other things that leaders do? I actually think these things flow out of the two traits above. Where do we get our vision? How do we acquire the needed skills to lead? (Most are found in a study of God’s Word.)

Jesus was quizzed by one of the religious leaders one day. Which is the greatest commandment?

Jesus’ answer was immediate and concise.

[blockquote author=”Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)” link=”” target=”_blank”]The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.  And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’  The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  No other commandment is greater than these.[/blockquote]

You can probably make the application yourself. Love God with all your heart, and He will direct your paths as a leader. Love people…your “neighbors” …and you will want the best for them, and want to use them in a way that accomplishes God’s tasks and builds up those around you personally, professionally, and spiritually.

Of course, we can improve our skills. We can learn techniques to be more effective. And we should. But this is secondary to these two key elements if we are to be godly leaders.