Thursday #9: Characteristics of a Leader

People in the church look for:

1. Christ-likeness: To use a street term, people need to see that a leader in the church is "smokin' what he's sellin'." If we are going to lead people down a path of spiritual maturity, we had better be on that same journey ourselves.

2. Integrity: Nothing is more of a turn off than someone people don't feel as if they can trust. If we say we are going to be one thing, we should be that to all people, at all times.

3. Authenticity: If people don't believe what we say is genuine, we are going to have a hard time getting them to follow us. People should be able to trust those leading them in the church, and if this is not something we can convey through our actions of authenticity we are in trouble.

4. Passion: If the guy in charge isn't excited about what's going on, why on earth should anyone else be excited. If we are going to convince people that what we are doing is worthwhile and important, we need to be sure we convey that ourselves.

5. Contributing: While delegation is a wonderful tool, it is not one to be used for the result of the leader not doing anything. People need to see that we are invested in what we are leading as well, and that means being able to pull our share of the weight.

6. Humility: In the world, there is an idea that a leader must be the perfect individual with absolutely no flaws. While people don't want their pastor to be a flailing idiot, it is a positive thing to express humility and be honest about who we are.

7. Charisma: We need to enjoy the people we are serving. If we can't make an environment somewhat fun, it is not one that volunteers are going to enjoy. We need to be people ho can be in relationship with others and create a positive atmosphere that will generate success.