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Leadership is influence. Looking over your shoulder is the quickest way to see if you’re a leader. You are not a leader if no one is following you.
Since leadership is influence, you earn influence by earning respect. Having the respect of others will allow you to lead anyone.
So, how do you become a well-respected leader? By developing these six characteristics:
- Truthfulness.
“Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool, much less lying lips to a prince [leader].” (Pr. 17:7)
Integrity is the foundation of any good relationship. Your character as a leader matters. D.L. Moody said, “Character is what you are in the dark.” Your character is who you are when nobody is watching.
A reputation isn’t the same as character. People build reputations quickly. But to build character, it takes a lifetime. The importance of having a good reputation begins with having good character. When you lose your reputation, you should still have good character.
Leaders who walk with truthfulness and integrity are free to be confident. They’re fearless because they don’t have any skeletons in their closet.
- Humility.
“A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.” (Pr. 29:23)
The Bible tells us to “clothe yourselves with humility” (1 Peter 5:5 NIV). That’s how real leaders dress for success. True humility is often misunderstood. It doesn’t mean putting yourself down or denying your strengths. Humility means admitting your weaknesses.
Also, humility realizes how much you owe to other people. Whenever I start thinking too highly of myself, I must never forget the family members, teachers, and friendships God used to make me who I am today. We all stand on the shoulders of others.
Humility is simply admitting who you are. Every person you meet is better than you at some things. Likewise, you’re better than them at other things. You are never as bad as some people say you are, and you are never as good as some people say you are. Humility is simply being honest about this reality. People who respect leaders know leaders understand their weaknesses and aren’t afraid of admitting them.
- Reliability.
“Whoever falsely boasts of giving is like clouds and wind without rain.” (Pr. 25:14)
The people we respect are the ones we know we can trust to do what they said they would do. Haven’t you seen people in your ministry or business who promised to help you but didn’t show up? Or they showed up and then left you high and dry. Those people are not respected because they cannot be trusted; if you don’t trust them, neither will those in your ministry with you.
This type of behavior also hurts your relationship with your family. Either you take up the responsibilities when others don’t follow through, or you make promises to your family and don’t honor them. The same is true with the people you lead at church. If you consistently fail to fulfill your commitments, you’ll lose your ability to lead.
- Leading with intentionality.
“…But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.” (Proverbs 14:22)
Great leaders have goals. If your goals are respected, you will be too. People want to follow leaders who pursue worthwhile causes. They want to know you’re investing your time in what matters most.
The right goals contribute to a useful life. We all know people who have spent their entire lives setting wrong goals. They climbed the ladder of success, but when they reached the top, they found it leaning against the wrong wall.
People follow leaders who set eternal goals that matter.
- Generosity.
“He has dispersed abroad [gives generously], he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted with honor.” (Psalm 112:9)
We don’t honor leaders for what they receive. We honor them for what they give away.
When Andrew Carnegie died, a note was found in his desk drawer stating one of his goals: “I’m going to spend the first half of my life making all the money that I can, and I’m going to spend the second half of my life giving it all away.” That’s precisely what he did. We still know his name more than a century after his death in 1919.
Since none of us know how long we’ll live, we need to start being generous today by giving away what we have now. Do your giving while you’re living so you’re knowing where it’s going. When people see you being generous with your time, talents, and resources, they will want to follow you.
- Faithfulness
“And so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:4-6)
One critical way to earn the respect of others is to put God first in your life. People are drawn to those who naturally love the Lord. And they know how to spot a fake, too. You need only show genuine faithfulness.
Billy Graham was among the world’s most admired and respected people for decades. Even non-Christians admire people who are genuinely faithful to Christ and strive to be like Jesus.
When you pass away, it likely won’t be the sermons you’ve preached, or the wise business plans you had that people will remember. Instead, they will remember your truthfulness, humility, reliability, intentionality, generosity, and faithfulness.
Those are the characteristics of a leader people respect and follow.
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