The people were willing to follow Joshua only if they could see that the Lord was with him. The term 'leadership' implies that you have the capacity to obtain followers. If no one is willing to follow you then you are not truly leading.
I have heard people use the term, 'he is a born leader'. However there is no such thing as a born leader. I have found that in order to be an effective leader it is important to develop relational skills. A skill is not something you are born with, it is something you learn. In survey after survey the majority of executives attribute their success to their relational skills not product knowledge.
The people following you must know you. Not just that you are in a position of authority. They must know you and you must know them. You must know well the people who you are accountable to. You must know how they will respond to various circumstances. So it is important to...
BE KNOWLEDGABLE (2 Timothy 2:15); You're approved by God through the Blood of Jesus, but to be approved or accepted by men you must study the word, live godly and receive and share right teaching.
BE CONSISTENT (Hebrews 13:8); If your people cannot predict the mood you're going to be in when you arrive in the morning they will be reluctant to share anything with you.
BE RESPONSIBLE: Take responsibility for your own words. Don't say "We don't think..." when it is really "I don't think..." This breeds confusion.
I remember something Mark Barclay always says, "As goes the pulpit - so goes the pew". When you desire specific results from those following you, make sure you're demonstrating it in your own life.
Now a number of ministers have taught on the five levels of leadership development and I think it would be good to quickly look at then here also.
#1. THE CALL. Everyone has a call. Everyone has an anointing to lead in some capacity, to influence another's life towards Jesus, towards the plan of God, towards the Word of God. What you do with the anointing to influence men determines whether or not you will go to the next level. God promotes faithfulness and faithfulness requires us to do with our lives as he directs.
#2. POSITION. This is the entry level. This would be some responsibility that is officially recognized. Cell leader, supervisory opportunity at work, etc. Positional authority. This position is typically based on title, not talent or ability. It is limited because if you lose your title you will lose your following. The danger here is that the leader may rely on having people follow him soley because of position. "Do what I say because I'm the boss!" To think someone will follow your lead just because they have to, is the most common reason why leaders fail. Very little can be accomplished on this level. If you remain on this level you will experience great turnover, for people will not serve for long under someone they are forced to follow, but do not want to serve.
#3. RELATIONSHIP. On this level people follow you because they want to please you. This is the fun level because everyone likes to be liked. At this level they will do more than the job description requires. Ask yourself this question. What qualities in people make me want to follow them? Integrity? Faithful to their word? Loyal to me? Open and honest? I want to know that he cares for me.
However a church or business will stop growing at the level the leader can handle if he doesn't have organizational skills that can set goals and manage objectives. He will end up losing potential leaders (who like him) but are driven by result oriented activity.
#4. FRUIT. Here they follow you because they see their efforts producing fruit. When you have tangible, visible results, people want to be a part of that and this will motivate them to a higher level. It doesn't matter how much they like you - if they do not see results they will eventually move on.
#5. REPRODUCTION. Whey you begin to develop leaders under you - long range growth occurs.
Remember...
When you respond to the anointing to influence another you have answered the call.
When others follow you because they have to, you have moved to the positional level.
When others follow you bcause they want to, you have moved to the relational level.
When others see tangible results as a function of your leadership you have achieved the fruit level.
When others are growing and developing as leaders themselves you have achieved the reproduction level.
What level are you on?
Principles of leadership - To learn more about this author, visit Gary Johnson's Website.
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