What is Effective Leadership?

What is Effective Leadership

“But Jesus called them to Himself and said, you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." - Matthew 20:25-28 (NKJV)

After more than 40 years of direct contact with both effective and ineffective leaders and being in leadership positions myself, I have learned a few important lessons.

What Leadership is not: Leadership is not doing all the work yourself. It is also not directing others through their day by day routines, overseeing their responsibilities. Finally, leadership is not accepting the credit for what others have done.

Effective leadership is: Choosing teachable people with suitable potential for appropriate responsibilities. Training those selected in essential success oriented skills and spiritual principles. Assigning realistic, reachable goals. Making the conditions right for success. Developing a culture of responsibility using relevant, measured oversight that is pointed but not oppressive. Allowing them to succeed. Giving them the credit.

In short, effective leadership involves finding the right people, meshing skills with responsibilities, providing for success, allowing them to succeed, and giving those who do all the credit.

Bruce