Week 17: Leadership Criteria – Part Two

• Are you one who inordinately needs the applause and approval of others? What happens when a situation demands that the best decision for everyone involved in the mission is not the most popular decision and may disappoint the majority—including close friends? Will you be a God-pleaser or a man-pleaser? Do not be one who seeks the praise of men, or you will lead according to your need for approval in an overly “politically correct” world.

• Are you capable of breaking off bad habits in your life? One trait of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control and discipline, a quality necessary for leaders to lead well. Bad habits are self-destructive. In order to lead others, you must master yourself first so that no strongholds can take root and disqualify you. Paul declared his commitment to this in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

• Are you seriously interested in people? “For God so loved the world” … is a clear indicator that he’s no respecter of persons of race, class or color above another. There should be no room for hidden prejudice because a good leader is interested in all people, not just those of his own preferred status. We can’t lead well with self-serving interests, but must be seriously “others-minded.” There isn’t a trace of anti-social in a leader genuinely interested in people.

• Are you inordinately obsessed with perfection? Nothing wrong with aiming for excellence, but “perfectionism” sets goals beyond our ability to achieve in this imperfect world. To constantly aim for perfection is to invite self-induced guilt when it doesn’t happen. Set realistic, modest goals that are achievable so that you may reach the possible, and gradually accumulate the confidence to go further and do better next time around.

• Are you inflexible and intolerant toward those who are creative and ambitious? Another sign of perfectionism is inflexibility and intolerance. Under pressure, an inflexible object is easier to break than a flexible one. Change is a constant in leadership—constant for those who bring new insight and creative perspectives to the table. Paradigm-shifts advance any cause, but are necessarily preceded by new ideas and methods. The Pharisees opposed the new wine of the gospel and were intolerant of its message. Their inflexibility and intolerance to change put Jesus on the cross. Let’s be sure we don’t do the same to members of our team who are ambitious to try out new wineskins.

• Are you able to handle criticism objectively? No leader is perfect and, therefore, subject to criticism. Can you see the good in it and be unmoved by it? Humility can benefit from the petty, malicious criticism of others and turn it around to objective, self-examination.

• Are you able to control your emotions when things go wrong? There’s a time when righteous anger is justified. But uncontrolled anger doesn’t reflect the righteousness of God. In the face of disappointment and adversity, exhibiting a calm, resilient demeanor goes far to gain the respect of others and influence them toward a solution. God gives grace to the humble.

• Are you able to secure the cooperation and discipline of others without putting on a show of “authority?” The best leaders possess an internal quality of the “fruit of the Spirit” that never requires an external show of force. See the list in Galatians 5:22-22-23.

• Are you able to create a desire in people to joyfully do some important thing they wouldn’t do normally? To be able to inspire and lead people into that which hadn’t moved them before, is the sign of a good leader.