Last week we talked about what differentiates Biblical leaders from everyone else. Biblical leaders, we said, have Godly character, Godly motives, and a Godly agenda.
You may want to be a Biblical leader with character, motives, and agenda aligned with God’s purposes.
But how?
How do you do it? Just wanting to be a Biblical leader won’t make you one.
The Core of Biblical Leadership
In his book, Servants of the Servant: A Biblical Theology of Leadership, D. N. Howell defines Biblical leadership as “taking the initiative to influence people to grow in holiness and to passionately promote the extension of God’s kingdom in the world.”
So, to be a Biblical leader, you need three things to be true in your life. You need to be proactive, purposive, and comprehensive.
Proactive
As I said last week, the function of leadership is initiative and influence. A leader sees an opportunity, takes initiative, and influences others to take a specific course of action.
As Biblical leaders, we proactively look for opportunities to influence the character, motives, and agenda of others to act in ways that bring glory to God.
Purposful
As Biblical leaders, we focus on people, not programs. Our goal is two-fold; 1) we strive to aid in the spiritual development of fellow believers, and 2) we help believers live out their life purpose as God intended.
Comprehensive
Biblical leadership can be exercised in every sphere of life and situation.
Biblical leadership is needed in formal situations as well as informal. It is important in small matters and matters of great consequence.
Biblical leadership is appropriate in families, secular business, vocational ministry, and certainly in our government!
As Biblical leaders, our goal should be to serve as an example in every sphere of life in every situation.
3 Differentiating Attributes and 3 Action Steps of Biblical Leadership
To summarize, three attributes differentiate a Biblical leader from everyone else. Biblical leaders have Godly character, motives, and an agenda that align with God’s purpose.
However, these differentiating attributes are only the foundation of Biblical leadership. To be effective as Biblical leaders, we must bring our leadership to life by being proactive, purposeful, and comprehensive.
Any leader who wants to be known as a Biblical leader must demonstrate the personal traits that differentiate Biblical leaders, and they must then exemplify them through the leadership example they set for others.
More Articles
I have written several articles on a leader’s qualifications. You can find them by typing “Leader Qualifications” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.
- #433: What Traits Are Essential for Godly Leadership?
- #391: Not All Effective Employees Make Effective Leaders
- #379: Our Leadership Legacy Includes our Strengths and Weaknesses!
- #353: Is Your Ability to Influence Tied to Your Influenceability?
- #340: Is the Road to Ruin Paved with Pride?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Do you find it challenging to consistently be proactive, purposive, and comprehensive in your life as a Biblical leader?
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Category: Personal Development | Leader Qualifications
The police chief that hired me back in 1989 was a Catholic who attended mass with his family every Sunday. I never thought about it much, but he exemplified the Biblical leader. He was ethical, cared about everyone he worked with, and led by example. Many years later, when I became police chief, I tried to emulate him.To this day we are friends who call one another several times a month.
This is a great example of the influence of leadership. You had a great role model as an example in your first chief. And that, shaped you as a patrol officer and later as a chief. I have no doubt you were that kind of model as chief for many of your younger officers as well!