6 INDISPENSABLE QUALITIES OF A LEADER

MARK & NICKI PFEIFER

While there are many qualities of leadership that are helpful and necessary in the execution of our callings, here are six that I believe are indispensable.

Quality #1: COURAGE

Leaders need to have courage to face obstacles head-on and blaze a trail for others to follow.  The leader is the one whose face must be set like stone against opposition and adversity that inevitably accompanies progress.

There are at least two reasons why courage is necessary…

FIRST, a leader must have the courage to MAKE MISTAKES.  Mistakes are inevitable.  In fact, some people believe that if a person isn’t making some mistakes along the way, they are not trying hard enough.

It’s important, however, to differentiate between Mistakes of Character and Mistakes of Effort...

Mistakes of Character are moral and ethical flaws in the leader’s behavior.  These are hard to overcome as people’s trust in the leader gets violated.

Mistakes of Effort are mistakes made in the endeavor of fulfilling the vision.  Like an athlete testing their physical limits, leaders sometimes fail while pressing forward. People normally find grace for these kinds of mistakes.

SECOND, a leader must have courage to WITHSTAND CRITICISM.  Never have people had a platform to criticize their leaders as they do today with social media.  Now more than ever, leaders must have the courage to face such onslaughts of negativity and reproach.

Quality #2: CHARACTER

There seems to be a lack of personal character in the lives of many leaders today.  Because of changing social norms and advancing technology, sins of the past and present often plague leaders in an unforgiving fashion.    

Leaders must set boundaries on their personal behavior and create codes of conduct that, under no circumstances, should be violated.  Holding oneself in account is the sincerest form of humility and wisdom.  This must be done religiously by the leader.

Quality #3: COMPASSION

Leaders must love the people they lead and do so for their benefit.  Like a parent with children, leaders must be driven to achieve for the benefit of the team.

In fact, all leadership is best modelled after parenthood.  When encountering complex situations with questions about the appropriate action, acting as a parent usually makes the pathway clear.

Quality #4: COMPETENCY

The twin quality of compassion is competency.  People will only follow a compassionate leader so far.  Eventually, they need to know the leader is competent in doing his/her job.   

Competency is the byproduct of a combination of things like experience, knowledge, skill, learnability, intelligence, humility, education, consistency, self-awareness, positive attitude and the ability to process, comprehend and act upon available information.

For instance, even though a person loves your children, if they are not competent in driving a vehicle, you probably wouldn’t entrust them with your loved ones!  Competence is an important component of trust.

Quality #5: CONFIDENCE

Confidence is the fruit competency.  It is based upon real-world experience and not wishful thinking.  It is the natural consequence of knowing what to do by comprehending the situation, knowing what resources are available, finding a viable solution, and intense preparation.    

Confidence for the sake of confidence – or having confidence in your confidence – is an emotional feedback loop with no foundation.  It comes across as phony and pretentious.  Self-confidence without past success is naïve at best and egotistical at worst.

The Bible teaches us that true self-confidence is rooted in a relationship with God.  As born sinners, self-worth is found only in Christ.  We rely on the Holy Spirit’s gifts and power to succeed in those endeavors to which God has called us.  We do so with wisdom gleaned from scripture while recognizing our ability to achieve our objectives involves the Body of Christ.   

Quality #6: CREATIVITY

This doesn’t necessarily mean that leaders must be artsy.  This simply means that leaders must think outside the box and find creative solutions to complex problems.  They must be able to dream a little (or a lot!) and see the possibilities that await people who come together and implement a strategic plan.

These are by no means the only six qualities that a leader needs.  There are many more.  But these six, at the least, seem to me as indispensable.

What are some qualities you would add to this list?  Let us know!