1) Character
Character gives rise to discipline and responsibility. It’s
the inward character that enables a person to stand firm. Character is not
inherited, nor can it be purchased. It cannot be built instantly, but instead
requires years of construction.
Character shows itself in a person’s consistency. Jerry
West, former Los Angeles Laker and member of the NBA’s Hall of Fame, once
remarked, “You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when
you feel good.” Character gives you the resolve to do what’s important, even
when it’s not convenient.
In addition, character brings respect. When you don’t have
character within, you won’t have respect without. J.R. Miller once wrote: “The
only thing that walks back from the tomb with the mourners and refuses to be buried,
is the character of a man…What a man is, survives him. It can never be buried.”
2) Perspective
Perspective flows from a leader’s mind and relates to their
vision for the future. Perspective brings insight. It allows a leader to see
sooner, and to see farther, than others.
What you think depends on where you sit, and where you sit
determines what you see. Aware of this fact, leaders realize that they must
constantly put themselves in the place of others. A leader can only cast vision
insofar as they can understand and relate to another person’s perspective.
Great leaders factor in a person’s background, personal values, and stage of
life when they communicate. They seek to connect before attempting to convince.
3) Courage
Leadership requires courage—the courage to risk, to reach,
to put one’s self on the line. The word courage itself comes from the French
word coeur, which means heart. Thus,
leaders must have the heart for the task of working with and engaging others.
The leader’s heart somehow speaks to the hearts of those around her or him,
inspiring and touching them.
Courage is contagious. As Billy Graham says, “When a brave
man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.” Courage is also
the power to let go of the familiar. The courageous person follows the motto:
“If at first you do succeed, try something harder!” Finally, courage is belief
that has been put into action. As Dr. Ashley Montagu wrote, “The only measure
of what you believe is what you do. If you want to know what people believe,
don’t read what they write, don’t ask what they believe, just observe what they
do.”
4) Favor
Favor may be the most mysterious of the four traits, but at
its root, favor simply means influence. In particular, favor implies the sort of
special relationship that motivates extra effort. For example, if someone “does
a favor,” they go beyond what is normally expected. Leaders with favor are
treated by others as favorites, that is, they are particularly well-liked, and
even loved, by those they lead. Favor comes from skill, especially the skill of
connecting with people (charisma).
Favor also results from finding your calling in life.
Awareness of one’s calling comes from the following sources.
• Knowledge: I’ve
always known that this activity is something I enjoy.• Focus: I can do nothing else; this is always on my mind.
• Passion: I want to do this; nothing else holds as much interest for me.
• Personhood: This is part of who I am.
• Giftedness: This is something at which I excel.
• Blessing: I have experienced providential help in this activity.
Conclusion
Healthy, effective leadership brings together character, perspective, courage, and favor. Indeed, an absence of any of these qualities limits a person’s influence. Without character, a leader is unstable—prone to moral failure. Without perspective, a leader has no sense of direction. Without courage, a leader cowers at the sight of a big challenge. And without favor, a leader cannot persuade others to take action. Which of the four elements do you have in greatest supply? How has it benefited you?
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