Having established that Jesus Christ is the perfect model for servant/leadership, let us be more specific about the qualities necessary to be an effective leader in the Christian church.
1. Godliness
This is difficult to define, but the person who presumes to lead others in the Christian church needs to walk with God, needs to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, needs to have been touched by God's Holy Spirit. This cannot be manufactured; it comes out of a person's willingness to be available to God, out of a deep, even sacrificial, prayer life, out of loving communion with the "holy." All other issues of leadership will be influenced by a leader's spiritual life so it is essential to develop a close, personal relationship with God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2. Integrity
Christian leaders need to be a people who can be always trusted. Others will rely on the leader because the leader relies on God, they will rely on the leader because integrity is undoubted. Their word will be believed, attitudes and actions will be consistent, there will be no artificially or duplicity. Integrity will characterize the leader's behavior. This means integrity in relationships, in financial dealings, in personal behaviour.
3. Stability
When all others are troubled and anxious, the good leader will be stable and serene, able to calm the emotions of those whose spirits are vexed. People will feel safe and secure in the presence of stable leadership. Such leaders will be sound in judgment, not quick to shift positions, not easily influenced by other's strongly held positions.
4. Humility
Effective leaders will be humble before God and before others. They will be humble, not servile, self-possessed, not selfish. They will not need to be applauded or praised. They will recognize that abilities owned will be the gift of a gracious God and will not have come through human achievement or natural talents. They will not therefore need to promote themselves, to boast, to posture to advertise their skills. Their humility will make them personally secure, not continually needing the affirmation of others.
5. Diplomacy
Leaders who can maintain a successful ministry will be able to choose words carefully, never giving unnecessary offense through injudicious or unwise comments. They will not gossip about others, but will safeguard the reputation of all, recognizing the damage that can be done by an ill-disciplined tongue. They will be very sensitive to the needs and sensibilities of their people recognizing the fragility of emotions and the defensiveness that afflicts many people. They will be always tactful, considerate of the opinions of others, willing to listen.
6. Decisiveness
Good leaders are able to take decisions and to take good decisions. They will not waver, nor procrastinate. When people look to them for a decision, even a hard one, they will have the courage to make a decision. That willingness will arise from first listening to the various points of view, weighing them up, then coming to a decision.
Of course, sometimes the decision will be to await events - to not take a decision! But nothing is more frustrating in a leader than an inability to come to a conclusion.
7. Vision
Successful leaders have a big vision, a long vision, an exciting vision. They are able to see the big picture, not only in its potential and scope, but in its long term implications. They also have the ability to enlist others into their vision so it gains enthusiastic acceptance and ownership.
They will set goals and have plans for action but not be so slavishly bound by them that the vision can become boxed in by words. Visionary leaders will not become embroiled in detail and will be able to delegate authority and trust those with whom they work.
In the Christian context, they will remain open to the leading of the Spirit.
8. Sociability
To be accepted and followed, leaders need to have good social skills. They will like, even love others, and will be liked, even loved by others. Leaders who are reclusive and distant may bear some of the marks of leadership but will never really understand or empathize with their people. They will need to identify with the hopes, joys, pain and with the ordinary issues that are important to their people. Leaders who always need to be the center of attention are not therefore good leaders. However, good and effective leaders do need to love and to serve their people.
9. Perceptive
Effective leaders think of others and are not content to see injustice, suffering
or abuse. They will not only be appalled by injustice, they will do what they can to address it. They will not only be saddened when people fail to live at
peace, they will seek to be peacemakers. They will not only be uncomfortable
when others struggle and they do not, they will do what they can to redress
imbalances within society. Good leaders will have a social conscience.
10. Common-sense
Effective leaders are imbued with natural common sense. They just know how to behave, what to say and when to say it, and, following no particular formula, they make mature and timely decisions. Much in leadership comes down to old-fashioned common-sense. People possessed with common-sense are generally easy to identify and commend themselves to others. The Scriptures tell us that all wisdom comes from above and those who are natural leaders, who have the gift of common-sense, realize that this precious gift has indeed come from above.
by John Mark Ministries
Rev. Tony Cupit (Baptist World Alliance)
Reading from http://pastors.crossmap.com/article/jesus-servant-leader/item20.htm
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