Leaders should constantly examine their leadership: abilities, style, resources, and growth.

One of the critical concerns for leadership development is learning to ask the right questions. Based on their book Primal Leadership, Learning To Lead With Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee examine five discoveries needed to make an emotionally intelligent leader.

These discoveries involve asking the following questions:

Who do we want to be as a leader? Considering the answer to this question must go beyond surface or superficial answers.

Who are we? Leaders must constantly examine both strengths and weaknesses to determine where we are in our leadership.

Do we work on developing who we want to be, or what someone else wants us to be? This can be one of the strongest challenges leaders face.

Are we willing to form new habits of practice? Developing a new mindset and implementing the necessary changes to grow in our leadership is key to reaching goals.

What emphasis are we placing upon developing relationships? The power of relationships help build confident leadership.

Consideration of these five areas will point us in the right direction for leadership development.

A risk involves the possibility of danger or harm. While this is always scary, when a person or thing is thought to not likely turn out well within a particular context, it is a risk.

There can be low risk and high risk, but risk is part of leadership.

The key to understanding the role of risks in leadership is learning how not to fear risk, but manage risk instead.

A number of websites provide powerful information about risk management, especially where it applies to areas of leadership.

However, two thoughts came to mind in application of the risks involved for spiritual leaders:

1) What are the risk factors involved if we decide not to lead others to Christ?

2) What are the risks of waiting, or procrastinating, to lead them?

When we honestly look at how the risks weigh out in the direction of our leadership, from a spiritual perspective, we find the possibility of danger or harm involved. Consider the consequences when we are unwilling to take the risk.

We have to wonder what could happen if leaders knew how to think big. The passion that drives greatness, especially from a spiritual perspective, must be nothing short of global.

Nelson Mandela once said, “There is no passion to be found playing small––in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

The challenge of settling for less than what we are capable of is only coupled with the limitations placed upon what God is capable of doing through us…if we only let Him.

We often believe God will not do it because we are convinced we cannot do it.

The “grasshopper syndrome” of the spies in Numbers 13-14 orchestrates our own defeat. The problem was not how the Israelites appeared in the eyes of the giants in Canaan. The problem was in how they saw themselves––grasshoppers in their own sight.

Leaders must not fall prey to this mindset. There must be a passion that is driven by and for greatness––a greatness that is only measured by the power of God to work in amazing and powerful ways.

Do leaders think from a primal perspective? Before we drift into the early stages of evolutionary development, primal carries the impetus of something that is essential or foundational.

Nothing could more essential than spiritual leadership. Nothing could be more foundational to eternity than spiritual leadership.

How does the idea of primal apply to the surroundings of leadership?

Primal comes from a Latin word meaning “first.” The idea relates to the beginnings, first things, primary, essential, and foundational elements of all that is connected to life intellectually, physically, emotionally, and physically.

When we think about leadership, the need is evident to understand the primary––first elements that must be in place for the success of leading.

These elements are the building blocks of all leaders and include integrity, honesty, strong work ethic, passion, confidence in God, discipline, and balance.

There will always be additional elements to include, but these are the “primal” of leadership.

Using these as a foundation, leaders can build strength and character that provides hope for everyone who follows.

One of the most frustrating challenges in relationships is reflected in a statement by Colin Powell, “You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours.”

The challenge is even more complicated from a leadership perspective. On one hand, it would be easy to make someone else’s choices for them. After all, a leader is supposed to have the answers, right?

On the other hand, if leaders were making decisions for others, others would be positioned to make choices for the leader.

When leaders made choices for others the potential of resentment exists.

When leaders make choices for others, a certain expectation can be created.

Making choices for others can also lead to an unhealthy dependency.

Leading is about relationships and leading others involves helping them make the right choices, not making those choices for them.

Leadership has the potential of influencing others for a greater purpose. Let us always lead with the desire to help others see the choice of heaven.

Something happens during the transition from following to leadership. One of the great myths about leadership is that when we reach this position, we get to focus on ourselves. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Leaders should be cautious about what they say, how they write, and the influence they have when leading others.

When our speech (spoken or written) is filled with personal pronouns, e.g. “me,” “myself,” and “I,” then leaders need to step back and evaluate what, or perhaps more appropriate, who they are promoting.

The strength of true spiritual leadership must always be focused on the good of others, even at the expense of self.

When Jesus was teaching the apostles about being a servant (Jn. 13), He used the term love regarding a new commandment. The powerful influence of this type of leadership is that all people will know we are His disciples if we have love for one another.

How do we demonstrate love if our words and actions betray that love for the purpose of serving self?

Leadership is filled with its challenges, not the least of which is “self.”

As a catalyst, leaders incite forward and positive movement. For a leader to benefit in developing the characteristics of a catalyst, there must be a genuine interest in others.

Genuine interest is much easier said than done. Also, there are individuals we are more genuinely interested in than others.

Leaders are familiar with individuals who can be emotionally draining. The time and energy demanded can be challenging.

A genuine interest in others requires a few key components.

Genuine interest requires the ability to listen. Far too often the tendency is to think about a response, rather than listening to the words, body language, and tone of voice.

Genuine interest requires eye contact. When there is disinterest it is hard not to look at the clock/watch, At best, eye contact becomes challenging, and at worst, we struggle just to stay awake.

Genuine interest requires appropriate questions. Asking appropriate questions, i.e. who, why, how, when, what, helps identify interest in the lives of others.

A few key components make a catalyst leader effective in their leadership.

By definition, a catalyst is “a substance that increases the rate of chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.”

When a leader serves as a catalyst amazing developments can occur. Over the next few days we will examine the characteristics of a spiritual catalyst with the intent of improving our ability as leaders.

Today, the characteristic is one of helping others.

In their book, The Starfish and the Spider, Brafman and Beckstrom researched several areas concerning leadership and the qualities of a catalyst.

Consistent with each was their desire to help others. As I read through the examples provided, I could not help but connect the idea to a spiritual catalyst.

Spiritual catalysts are able to effect powerful influence because they desire to help others.

Catalysts help others see their potential in the Lord’s kingdom.

Catalysts help others implement plans to reach their potential.

Catalysts help others connect with people who can assist them reach their potential.

The need for catalysts is significant in the development of the Lord’s kingdom. Tomorrow we will consider another characteristic.