You know that you’re a leader if….
How do you know if you are a leader? Countless books and studies have been made yet people are still confused on the subject. Are leaders born or made? Can anyone become a leader? While I don’t claim to have all the answers, here are some thoughts…
If you define leadership as influencing others, then everybody has the ability and responsibility to lead. Parents should lead their children. Teachers lead their classroom. Peers should lead one another by setting a good example. In this sense, I believe that everybody is a leader because everybody has influence.
However, I also believe that certain individuals have the gift of leadership. We see this in Scripture when the apostle Paul writes, “If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously” (Romans 12:8). How many people have this gift? Nobody really knows… I suppose it could be 10–50% of the population. These people have a distinct ability to lead others in a specific direction. They speak and others listen; they write and others read; They go and others follow. How do you know if you have the gift of leadership?
Usually one or more of the following aspects will be evident:
- You led your peers naturally as a child
- You are often the first to break awkward silences
- A strong desire to influence others
- You have been given leadership opportunities and excelled in them
- It takes low energy or effort to lead a group
Do any of these describe you? Then you just might have the specific gift of leadership.
With leadership, I have seen two groups of people:
1) Those who have the gift of leadership but hide it for various reasons. They have great ideas but don’t share them. These people need to be encouraged to step out and take risks, the world needs their voice and leadership.
2) Those that are leading but don’t have the gift for it and feel burnt out and overworked. Perhaps they accepted a leadership position so that they could be somebody and find their identity in a position. The famous Peter principle states that people are promoted to their level of incompetence. These people should evaluate their desires and gifting and be secure in how God has created them.
If you feel like you are a leader, then it is important to use your gift and grow in it. The world needs gifted leaders. Be intentional about developing and refining your gift. The first book I would recommend is The 21 Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell. If you can read and apply the principles found in this book, you will be on your way to being the great leader that this world desperately needs.
