Kinds of Leadership -- 1/15

What is Leadership?
“Leadership is more, if not much more, influence rather than position.” ~John Maxwell. Leadership is not an easy word to define because leaders come in so many shapes and sizes. There are several different types of leaders, but even then each leader is unique and different from all the rest. Some people are leaders in some areas of their life, while others are leaders in almost every area. Some great leaders are born with strong leadership tendencies, and other great leaders have worked hard to acquire great skills. Great leaders usually possess a rich combination of personality and skills.
A leader is one who influences people to reach a common goal by inspiring their heart, attitudes, and actions in a cohesive way. Strong leaders have solid faith, beliefs, values, character, knowledge, and skills. They are characterized by passion. A great leader is able to direct the thoughts, feelings, behaviors in order to cause some kind of lasting change. Leaders can be up front and direct, or they can be behind the scenes and indirect. Either way, solid leaders model what they seek to influence in their own life.
Kinds of Leadership
Jesus is the ultimate example of a leader in the Bible. He is best described as a direct leader who led by being a servant. He inspired and influenced people to be self-giving servants to others instead of seeking authority and power. He modeled a dependant life on God His Father and even some dependency on other people like His disciples. He had a huge passion to lead others into a relationship with Him and God, and He always lived in complete submission to His Father.
Leaders show up all over Scripture. Abraham led by having faith in God. He risked everything he had in order to obey the purpose and call God placed on his life. Noah led by remaining faithful to God and obeying God’s commands while overseeing the plans for the ark. Moses obeyed God through his insecurities and led the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land. He remained faithful to God when the Israelite community did not. Nehemiah is often looked to as a model for leadership because he organized and oversaw the reconstruction of the wall around Jerusalem. Paul spread the Gospel to the gentiles through perseverance and determination. These leaders understood and experienced a life of faith and trust in the living God. It seems like the greatest quality in a leader is faith, trust, hope, and love in the Almighty God of the universe.
~Adam Fike