how to be an effective leader.

Have you ever believed that you aren’t capable of being a leader? That you don’t possess the “leadership qualities” to impact our world? Same here, friend.

Here’s the good news: Being a leader doesn’t mean that we have certain personality traits. Being a leader means that we’re willing to love and serve others faithfully, even when no one sees.

Jesus speaks about leadership in Mark 10:43-45 when He says, “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Scripture tells us to humbly serve one another—it doesn’t tell us to have wit and charisma and big ideas and good brands. These things are wonderful (and they make a great impact) but they’re not a replacement for loving sacrificially and serving faithfully. Let’s unpack this a bit.

Leaders are Humble

A powerful illustration of humility is Jesus washing His disciples’ feet on the night before his crucifixion.

“So He got up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel He had around Him” (John 13:4-5).

After washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus told them, “Since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you” (John 13:14). Jesus washing his disciples’ feet symbolized his mission to serve humanity. As leaders, we too must humble ourselves before others and serve them well.

Jesus even washed Judas’ feet, the disciple who was about to betray Him and hand Him over to be crucified. Can you imagine serving someone who you knew was about to betray you? Jesus didn’t wash everyone’s feet except Judas’. Yet, how often are we reluctant to serve those who treat us poorly?

Leaders Serve All People

Great leaders serve others without expecting anything in return. They honor everyone, regardless of their status, background, personality, or past. They don’t pick and choose who to be kind to and who deserves their respect.

Read what scripture asks of us in Luke 6:32-35: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.”

Leaders are Loving

As leaders, we can have great speeches, charisma, and a unique brand, but if we don’t love others, our leadership means nothing. Paul the apostle explains, “If I speak in tongues of human beings and of angels but I don’t have love, I’m a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and I know all the mysteries and everything else, and if I have such complete faith that I can move mountains but I don’t have love, I’m nothing. If I give away everything that I have and hand over my own body to feel good about what I’ve done but I don’t have love, I receive no benefit whatsoever” (1 Corinthians 13: 1-3). That is a convicting passage about the importance of love. We can be a phenomenal leader with a magnetic personality, filled with wisdom and creative ideas. Yet, if we don’t love others, our leadership is worthless.

True Leadership

Each one of us is capable of being a leader and impacting the world. We don’t need certain qualities or a following to lead. All we need to do is make the decision to serve those around us unconditionally. Being a leader means that we commit to honor and love every single person, regardless of how they treat us. It means that we choose to humble ourselves, not expecting anything in return. It means that we treat everyone equally, not just those who are able to repay us. Jesus, the son of God and savior of the world, came to serve, not to be served. When we follow Jesus’ example, we too can change the world for the better.