Everyone should be a leader in the sense that he influences some people. For example, all parents should lead their own children. The principles we study in this course will help a person in those natural leadership positions. However, this course focuses mostly on principles of leadership beyond the natural positions that every person should fill.

A person can have a variety of motives for desiring to be a leader. The right motive is a desire to serve.

Training can make a person superior to others in knowledge and abilities. He may begin to feel that he is superior to other people in value. He may begin to expect special treatment from others not only as respect to his position, but because of a feeling of superiority.

The Apostle Paul warned, “‘Knowledge’ puffs up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). He did not mean that knowledge is a bad thing or that it is automatically harmful. In the context, he was talking about a person who knew certain things but was not motivated by love in the way he used his knowledge.

Training can make a person more effective for the kingdom of God, but only if his desire is to serve humbly.

How does a person become a leader? Remember, we are not talking only about an official position. A leader is a person with influence, a person whom people follow.

Some people are born with a natural ability to influence others. They show confidence, they are quick to find solutions, and people follow them instinctively. Because these personalities exist, you might assume that some people are born to be leaders and others are not. However, there are various ways people become leaders.

According to an old Ukrainian legend, a young man went to a priest and said, “Father, I dreamed that I was the leader of 10,000 men. Will it be true?” The priest said, “All that is lacking now is for 10,000 men to dream that you are their leader.”

A person may become a leader because of one of these factors or some combination of them. However, none of these is sufficient to make a person an effective long-term leader if he is extremely lacking in other areas.

(1) Obvious natural ability

A person who seems confident may be an instant leader everywhere he goes. However, if he fails to fulfill the expectations he creates, he will not continue to lead. Even a person with natural ability must follow principles of leadership to continue to be effective.

(2) Response to a crisis

Many leaders have appeared in response to a problem. A great crisis may reveal a leader. Response to the crisis comes from a sense of calling or a sense of responsibility that contrasts with the person who just observes and complains.

A crisis brings opportunity to a potential leader, but other qualities are necessary for leading after the crisis passes. Sometimes a person who leads well in a crisis is not able to lead well in other circumstances.

(3) Long-term reliability

Sometimes a person is a leader because he has been reliable and faithful for years. People trust him because they know he is committed to the organization.

(4) Acquired expertise

A person may be a leader because he has gained knowledge and skill in a specific field. He may lead only in certain situations and in solving certain problems.

(5) Learned principles of leadership

A person can learn to lead with the principles studied in this course. However, training cannot make a person an effective leader at a high level unless he has some natural ability.

(6) Divine calling

God has called apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). They have leadership influence in the church, sometimes in specific positions. Sometimes people are surprised when God calls someone who does not seem to have natural ability, but God always gives the abilities a person needs to fulfill God’s call.

If people see that a leader is devoted to a cause and is helped by God, they may follow him for a cause they believe in. To keep their loyalty, it is necessary that he demonstrates competence, reliability, and character.

Let’s look at how several men in scripture began their leadership.

Elisha: Leading in Transition

Elisha was chosen by God to become the leading prophet of Israel after Elijah. The transition of leadership from one prophet to the next is described in 1 Kings 19:19-21 and 2 Kings 2:1-15.

The call of God was an obvious factor that made Elisha a leader. However, there are other important details. Elisha was willing to leave a large farm to devote himself to ministry. The call of God was more important to Elisha than wealth. Gehazi, a later assistant to Elisha, lost his opportunity for ministry because of his love for money (2 Kings 5:20-27).

Elisha was willing to be a servant as part of his training. He humbly served the prophet in such tasks as carrying water and making fires (2 Kings 3:11). Without this willingness, he would not have succeeded in the ministry.

Elisha knew that the old prophet, Elijah, had done amazing things through the power of God. He had stopped the rain for three years. He had predicted the deaths of the wicked king and queen. He had prayed for fire from the sky. Elisha knew that his future responsibility could not be fulfilled by training in human methods. He knew that he must have the anointing of God’s Spirit.

After Elijah was taken up by God, Elisha picked up the robe of Elijah and struck the water with it, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” (2 Kings 2:14). The young prophets were watching to see if the ministry of the new leader would have the power of God. When they saw the miracle, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha” (2 Kings 2:15). They saw the transfer of God’s power from Elijah to Elisha.

Responsibilities of leadership inevitably pass from old leaders to younger ones. However, the power of God does not transfer automatically. A new generation of leaders without faith will lose the power of God and will depend on human methods.

Gideon: Leading in a Crisis

Gideon was not a leader in his nation or tribe. His nation was being robbed every year at harvest time. Gideon had no idea of changing the situation; he was trying to hide food when God’s messenger came to him. He was simply trying to survive and manage his situation. This is not the behavior of a leader.

God called Gideon a “mighty man of valor” because God knew what he could do (Judges 6:12). Gideon was surprised that God would choose him and asked for several signs for confirmation.

Gideon obeyed God when he destroyed a place of idol worship and made a sacrifice to God. His action did not cause religious reform at that time, but it made people doubt the power of the idols.

Gideon depended on God completely. He even obeyed God’s instruction to send away most of the army. Gideon devised an unusual plan of attack, and God gave a great victory.

Unfortunately, after Gideon’s victory he did not lead the people to serve God but turned to idolatry. If a leader is not consistent over the long-term, he will fail to achieve his full potential for God.

Nehemiah: Leading with Vision

Nehemiah was a Jewish man working for the king of Babylon, far from home. He heard about the condition of Jerusalem. The city had been conquered long ago. The walls were broken down, which meant that the people were at the mercy of invaders.

Nehemiah felt personal responsibility to act. Most people would have grieved at this news without feeling any obligation to respond. They would not expect to be able to change the situation. A leader feels responsible because he thinks it is possible to change the situation. Because he can, he knows that he should.

Nehemiah prayed for God’s intervention. Nehemiah knew that the rebuilding could not happen without God’s help. A Christian leader is not trying to change the world to fit his own vision, but God’s vision. His confidence is based on God, not man.

God gave a special opportunity. The king showed interest in Nehemiah’s problem. The principle we learn from this is not that we need powerful people to help us. The principle is that if the goal is God’s plan, God will give special opportunities to accomplish the goal.

Nehemiah arrived at Jerusalem and explained his vision to the leaders there. The vision started with one man, but others soon began to share it. A leader cannot expect everyone to understand the vision immediately. Support starts with a few.

It is necessary to have a few who share the vision; otherwise, the leader is not leading anyone. The vision must be owned by a committed group. To own the vision is more than agreeing with it and hoping it might happen. Those who share the vision must feel that it is their own.

The commitment to the vision formed a community. They had to learn how to live together, support each other, and remain faithful to the vision.

Nehemiah is an example of a person who became the leader though he originally had no responsibility for these problems. He did not start with a position, but with a passion to make a change. He became a leader because of his vision.

King Saul: Leading from a Position

Saul was the first king of Israel. He could not follow the example of a previous king. He was a farmer and had no experience as a ruler of any kind.

When he was appointed, there was no army and no government staff. There were no official judges, no government offices, and no taxes to finance the government’s operations. After being appointed king, Saul’s role was so undefined that he continued to work in the field as a farmer.

Then came a crisis (1 Samuel 11). A small nation allied to Israel was attacked by enemies of Israel. Nobody even went to the field to tell the new king because they did not expect him to do anything. Saul heard the news at the end of the day when he came home from working in the field.

Saul acted with strength and decision. He sent a message in a shocking way: with bloody pieces of the oxen with which he had been plowing (1 Samuel 11:7). Imagine a running messenger arriving at the home of a tribal chief. He throws the bloody leg of an ox on the ground and announces, “King Saul says that this will be done to the oxen of any man who does not come to help in this emergency.”

Thousands of men came together and won a great victory. This victory established Saul as a strong leader.

Saul is an example of a leader who began with a position. He did not originally want to be a leader; but because he had the position, he felt the responsibility.

► How was Saul’s response to a crisis different from Gideon’s?

How can you evaluate yourself as a potential leader? Study this list of the traits of a potential leader. If you are weak in some of these, you can develop them with God’s help. As you develop in these areas, you will strengthen your leadership.

An effective leader…

1. Has influence with the people who know him.

2. Has self-discipline.

3. Has fulfilled previous responsibilities.

4. Is willing to take new responsibility.

5. Relates well to people.

6. Is willing to serve others.

7. Takes initiative.

8. Is loyal.

9. Can handle stress.

10. Is not overcome by anger.

11. Has a positive spirit.

12. Can recover from disappointments.

13. Has confidence.

14. Has integrity.

15. Is growing closer to God.

16. Is not crippled by personal problems.

17. Has ability to learn and desire to keep learning.

18. Is able to solve problems.

19. Is not satisfied with current situations.

20. Is willing to make changes.

21. Sees the big picture.

22. Can see what needs to be done next.

What if you are working in an organization where you are not the primary leader?

What if the leader of your organization has limits that keep him from following the principles you are learning in this course?

Sometimes a young, developing leader is frustrated because he feels that he cannot apply the leadership principles he knows. He feels that his abilities are limited because he is not in a position of authority.

Sometimes when a young leader gets some training, he expects to reform his church or organization immediately. Because of his new knowledge, he sees many faults in the practices of the older leaders. However, he must gain trust by showing that he shares their concerns and wants to serve. Paul said that the way to prevent people from despising your youth is to be a good example “in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). If a young person is too assertive, trying to show that his ideas will work, he makes the leaders distrust him, because they think he does not understand their concerns and does not listen to them. If a young leader takes time to show the older leaders that he cares about their concerns, they will trust him with more responsibility.

A person who expects to be a leader should not wait until he is put into a position of authority to begin applying leadership principles. He can apply the principles that relate to fulfilling responsibilities, building trust, increasing his knowledge, practicing skills, gaining a reputation for reliability, and showing his commitment to the success of the organization instead of his personal benefit. These things increase his influence with everyone, including the leaders above him.

Remember, a leader is simply a person with influence. There are many things that develop your influence, even without an official position.

Don’t be quick to think that you must start a new organization in order to be a leader. There is much that you can do where you are.

Whatever your position, you can encourage and mentor young leaders and team members. This can be done as a formal part of your work in the organization, or it can be done informally with those who appreciate your help.

Seek to be mentored by others either inside or outside your organization. Most leaders are happy to share their wisdom. You can be mentored on specific aspects of leadership; the mentor does not have to be a perfect example in every area. The mentor may even be younger than you if he is skilled in certain areas.

► How do you expect to change your goals or actions because of this lesson?

1. Write a paragraph summarizing a life-changing concept from this lesson. Explain why it is important. What good can it do? What harm could result from not knowing it?

2. Explain how you will apply the principles of this lesson to your own life. How does this lesson change your goals? How do you plan to change your actions?

3. Study the “Factors that Make a Leader” and “Traits of a Potential Leader” listed in this lesson. Be prepared to write many of the factors and traits from memory at the beginning of the next class session.

4. Before the next session, read John 13:1-17. Write about what this passage tells us about leadership.