Effective leadership traits are as varied and numerous, not to mention subtle, as the human mind and heart themselves. No list will ever be complete, nor will it be the best suited for each individual reader. The bible gives some insight of the essential characteristics of effective leadership in I Corinthians Cheap T. J. Watt Jersey , Ephesians, and 2 Timothy such as humility, integrity, focus, courage, discipline Cheap Le'Veon Bell Jersey , compassion, and encouragement. The following paragraphs will place those characteristics into an organizational context.
The Humble Leader
?Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.? (Ephesians 4:2)
Humility is not just about our relationship with God but it's also about our relationship with other people. Relationships are built on listening, to God's Word and to each other. The relationship between a leader and follower is only as good as their ability to listen. The effective leader will not be a force of just personality and power plays but relationship oriented, centered on building and mentoring.
From and organizational context humble leaders invite feedback and turn lessons into failures. ?The leader that is poor in spirit recognizes that many people know more than he or she does and, as such Cheap Antonio Brown Jersey , shows respect to everyone.? (Winston 2002) Humility is acceptance of our human limitations coupled with the resolve to do something about it ? I can't do it alone so I will enlist the help of others. This is the essence of leadership.
The Honest Leader
?Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.? (Ephesians 4:25)
Honesty is achieved through Discretion and truthfulness. Discretion keeps our minds and focus on sound judgment, giving serious attention and thought to what is going on. It will carefully choose our words, attitudes, and actions to be right for any given situation, thus avoiding words and actions that could result in adverse consequences. Truthfulness means being straight with others and doing what is right.
?It's after we have contemplated our own actions Cheap Jerome Bettis Jersey , measuring how they align with our values, intentions, and words, that we are most likely to make a contribution of integrity to the world.? (Sherman, 2003) Discretion and truthfulness allow leaders to earn trust by being accurate with facts and situations. This doesn't simply mean honesty, or acting in accordance with a consistent set of values. This also means integrity in the sense of soundness Cheap Zach Gentry Jersey , completeness, and unity. Aligning our personality with our values and not compromising ourselves is the spirit of leadership.
The Focused Leader
Leaders must be willing to carefully explore their values and how they can move their organization in the direction of a vision that is unwavering. Effective Leaders lead with a purpose rather than ?run like a man running aimlessly? (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). From the biblical sense this means that we live for His purpose, not ours. As Christians, we recognize that our need for Christ will bring us beyond our failures so we can grow increasingly effective for our Lord. As we grow in Christ, we will become aware of our futility and inadequacy as human beings.
From an organizational perspective, 'leaders need to continually put the vision and mission (related to the purpose) in front of followers.? (Winston Cheap Benny Snell Jr. Jersey , 2002) Followers must understand the organization's vision and know their role in support of the mission. They must know their purpose and how it contributes to organizational success, this is the soul of leadership.
The Courageous & Disciplined Leader
?For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline? (2 Timothy 1:7)
The goal of the servant leader must be to do God's will. Otherwise we will be too afraid to go beyond our comfort zones to do anything of significance. When we are dependent on the Holy Spirit; then our self-confidence becomes rooted and dependent in Christ working through us. So we are not self-driven but Christ driven; resulting in our will to be in total surrender to God's will as the driving force for our existence. When we're aware that we are not responsible for the results of our leadership, but only the obedience to His call, only then can we persevere to press on to serve Him without the fear of failure.
Malphurs (2003) refers to courage as 'the strength to lead in these difficult circumstances Cheap Justin Layne Jersey , meaning that courageous leaders are strong and unlikely to quit.? This kind of courage displays itself in an organization when a leader is willing to admit his mistake, when she is willing to stand up for her beliefs, or when he must challenge others.
Courageous leaders routinely get extraordinary results from their followers because they aren't afraid to do what's right. This is evident in Paul's letter regarding discipline in 1 Corinthians 8:13, ?if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.? Conveying who you are Cheap Diontae Johnson Jersey , your goals and what you stand for can have a significant impact on follower performance and attitudes. Controlled discipline, according to Winston (2002), 'draws pe