10 Often Misused Attributes All Creative Leaders Need
Sorry, but there is a right way to be great in the Kingdom of God...
A few years ago, I was trying to improve my creative leadership. And so I wondered what great leaders do to become great. I was hoping for a secret sauce - one fantastic tip I could pour into my leadership to make it truly sizzle!
But even then, I knew there was no one secret formula for achieving "greatness." Right?
Jesus spoke to this exact topic in Matthew 20:25b - 28. While rebuking James and John, he says this;
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Whoever wants to become great!
As it turns out, I was asking the wrong question and seeking the wrong outcome.
Leadership, the way Jesus intended, is hard work. We're not meant to aim at greatness... our aim is service. This way of Jesus and his whole approach to leadership was countercultural then and remains countercultural today.
But living that way, without self-focused ambition, especially as a leader, isn't easy. It's more natural to go after greatness than to seek to serve others. So, Christian leadership becomes a balancing act of doing many things leaders in the secular world do, but with a completely different spirit and purpose.
A different spirit...
A couple of years ago, I read about a study in INC Magazine by the management consulting firm Zenger and Folkman on the attributes of great leaders. They interviewed over 330,000 people, asking about leadership traits. They were looking for the qualities leaders need to succeed in their current positions.
I've thought, written, and spoken about these characteristics many times since I first read them. But as I re-read them, I realize that with the proper foundations, these attributes don't have to lead to worldly greatness but can help us in our pursuit of assisting others in growing more Christ-like.
Whoever wants to become great!
Leadership, the way Jesus intended, is hard work. We're not meant to aim at greatness... our aim is service. This way of Jesus and his whole approach to leadership was countercultural then and remains countercultural today.
But living that way, without self-focused ambition, especially as a leader, isn't easy. It's more natural to go after greatness than to seek to serve others. So, Christian leadership becomes a balancing act of doing many things leaders in the secular world do, but with a completely different spirit and purpose.
As you read this list and apply them to your leadership, I invite you to view these attributes not as steps to "get ahead" or simply "become great," but as qualities to cultivate with integrity. Think about how these traits can be corrupted, and consider instead how you can embrace them in a way that honors the Lord with a sincere desire to serve, rather than personal ambition or self-promotion.
So here are ten attributes Jesus-style leaders can live to serve others and achieve true greatness, and how to apply them to your everyday!