Numerous factors determine the making of a leader. Vince Lombardi said, “Contrary to the opinion of many people, leaders are not born, leaders are made, and they are made by effort and hard work.”

It all comes down to two four lettered words…hard work! 

When leaders work hard, their character demonstrates leadership.
When leaders work hard, success is the reward.
When leaders work hard, others will follow their example.

The making of a leader involves a number of areas, but the bottom line is hard work!

Leadership is universal in application, and is not limited to race, gender, age, or position. Anyone can lead from anywhere.

The mindset of a global leader demonstrates a compassion for souls that drives their actions beyond a location.

They give their lives to prepare others to lead.
They dedicate themselves to the work of evangelism.
They love all people and want them to be saved.
They work to serve, not to be served.

The example provided by these leaders demonstrates the character needed for those who learn under them. They lead from anywhere and everywhere around the globe.

Life is temporary, and someone will carry on when we leave this life. The question is, to whom will we pass the torch?

Paul passed the torch to Timothy, his “true child in the faith.” Paul further instructed Timothy to do the same.

Our children carry on the family name and our traditions.

The church faces a crisis of preparing men to shepherd the Lord’s church, fill pulpits with sound doctrine, and train teachers for the future of the church.

It’s about passing the torch. Who will replace you and me? To whom will we pass the torch?

What determines success or failure?

Success is defined as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. It is further identified as the attainment of popularity or profit.

While this is broad, it is also revealing. How often do we consider success only in terms of fame and fortune?

In leadership, we need to remember that true success is defined as…

Remaining true to the course…
Learning from mistakes…
Seeing growth in a positive direction…
Growing the members…

Most may measure success by a profit and loss column, but not in spiritual leadership. True success is measured by God.

Criticism abounds, and we’ve considered how leaders must give criticism, but another challenge addresses how we receive it.

We cannot exhaust the list, but as leaders, a few suggestions for receiving criticism include:

Keep a record and review the criticism.
Always receive criticism gracefully. Be genuine.
Learn to ask questions for clarification.
Do not quit! Instead, accept criticism as a challenge to improve.

When leaders learn how to give and receive criticism, the results bring growth for all.

No one enjoys receiving criticism, because it is generally viewed as negative. However, criticism is not always bad.

Criticism provides an avenue to determine credibility and authenticity. We call it “constructive criticism.”

The challenge for leaders comes in the form of how to give criticism. When giving criticism, leaders should be straightforward and honest, but tactful. Criticism serves to…

Show both weak and strong points.
Help us see ourselves the way others see us.
Provide suggestions for improvement.
Emphasize major or recurring faults, not to get even or vent emotion.

More on Monday…

Moving beyond the “here and now” presents its challenges. Visionary leadership is rare. Hanz Finzel said, “The higher one is in leadership, the more their work is about the future.”

Our work involves seeing the future and preparing others to reach the goal(s). This requires us to consider a few questions.

Do we know where we are going?
What are our plans to reach the destination?
Are resources available to help us?
Have we assessed the abilities of everyone involved?

Leaders need an awareness of the present, but point towards a greater future.

When we think of giant slayers, the account of David and Goliath comes to mind. As a leader, David surrounded himself with others of like character.

Of David’s thirty-seven mighty men, at least four were giant slayers.

As leaders, there will be giants that cross our paths. They oppose our efforts to accomplish God’s will, and they take many forms.

We must be able to overcome them and surround ourselves with others of like character.

Great leaders see the qualities in others to achieve success, even if taking out giants is necessary.

What is the best book you have read in the last six months, apart from the Bible? Admittedly, sitting down to read a book is not always a favorite task.

There are several benefits to our leadership when reading.

We expose ourselves to the experience and wisdom of others.
We learn a number of new possibilities.
We expand our understanding in a variety of subjects.
We maintain a fresh perspective.
We develop an ability to think more widely.
We communicate in more well informed ways.

We need to challenge ourselves to improve who we are as leaders. Read more!

Contentment is challenging in a world controlled by an insatiable desire for more. Benjamin Franklin said, “Content makes poor men rich. Discontent makes rich men poor.”

How can we achieve contentment? Paul claimed Christ provides such strength, and when godliness accompanies contentment we find great gain.

Contentment takes on a different meaning when thinking about leadership. We must be content with what we have, but never who we are.

Leaders constantly work to develop their ability to lead.

We learn how to grow in fulfilling this God given task from others who are lifelong students of this subject.