John Maxwell made an impact on my ministry and leadership. I remember when he visited us at Jennings Lodge in the early ’80s to share the “Reach Out In Love” program. It centered around four ministries: an Abraham prayer ministry, a Barnabas friendship ministry, an Andrew evangelism ministry, and a Timothy discipleship ministry.  It offered a model that was balanced, biblical and easy to communicate to the church.

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Maxwell always said that leadership is influence, and he influenced us as we implemented that ministry at New Hope for many years.  However, leadership runs far deeper than just copying another person or program. How can we become better leaders?  How do we spot leaders around us?

In the book “Developing Leaders Around You”  John Maxwell shares ten qualities every effective, reproducing leader must have (SmartChurch blog). Don’t just glance over this list. Take some time to ponder and reflect on each attribute.

10 qualities of effective leaders

1. Character: Character flaws cannot be ignored because they will eventually make a leader ineffective. You can be the most competent person ever, but without character it means nothing.
2. Influence: What is the leader’s level of influence? Who influences this leader? Who does he or she influence?
3. Positive attitude: One’s attitude can affect many aspects of life.
4. Excellent people skills: A great leader knows how to make others feel welcome and comfortable in their own skin. He or she can also ask great, though sometimes probing questions, without coming across as being negative.
5. Evident gifts:  It’s not what people say their gifts are – people will “show” you what they are. Believe them.
6. Proven track record: A proven leader will always have a proven track record.
7. Confidence: It is a fact that people are attracted to other people who convey a certain degree of confidence.
8. Self-discipline: When it comes to self-discipline, there are two areas to consider; how someone handles his emotions and how he uses his time in a day.
9. Effective communication skills: This can look like having a genuine concern for people, the ability to focus on the responder, the ability to communicate with different kinds of people, eye contact and a warm smile.
10. Discontent with the status quo: A leader who loves the status quo soon becomes a follower.

BEFORE YOU GO

What qualities do you have? Where do you need to grow? How are you assessing and developing leaders around you?