Dr. Frank Page spent his day with our staff on Monday. Dr. Page is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. He spent most of his time with us going through a series of issues based on the staff/pastor relationship. If you are around Dr. Page very long you realize that he has the gift of leadership. The more I am around good leaders the more I see common traits. Here is what I was reminded of as I listened to Dr. Page (this is not necessarily what he said but what I observed).
1. Good leaders find their confidence in God and not man’s approval (Jeremiah 17:7-8).
2. Good leaders have a secure sense of their God given calling.
3. Good leaders deal with conflict immediately.
4. Good leaders work long, hard hours.
5. Good leaders know the importance of relationships (i.e., they write cards, make calls and go on visits you would think they were too “important” to do or make).
6. Good leaders protect their staff members.
7. Good leaders do not tolerate unfaithfulness, incompetency, arrogance, immorality or laziness.
8. Good leaders are not scared to hire people who are more talented than they are.
9. Good leaders are readers- they are constantly growing.
10. Good leaders are self-aware.
11. Good leaders genuinely love people.
12. Good leaders can make decisions when the time comes.
13. Good leaders are able to discern what type of leadership style is needed based on the individual and the circumstance.
14. Good leaders will sacrifice their own happiness to reach the vision.
15. Good leaders cast clear vision.
16. Good leaders are a blessing from God and they are rare!
* This is not exhaustive but a few of the traits I thought of after reflecting on the day.
I feel that I grow a little every day as a leader. When I look at the list above I realize some of those traits describe me well and some are areas I need to develop. I am grateful for the experiences God has given me and the people He has put in my life to help me grow as a leader. If you want to add to this list I’d love to hear the traits you see in good leaders. Most of all please pray God will help me to be a good leader and that He will raise up a generation of great leaders for His Kingdom!
