What kind of leaders did Paul want in churches? Today in our men’s group we discussed Acts 20 about the Apostle Paul’s top 21 leadership traits. Look over this list, and then take time to assess yourself as a leader. Which three to five of these are you doing well? Put a star next to these. Well done, good and faithful servant! Now, on which three to five of these do you need some improvement? Circle those.
What kind of leaders did Paul want in churches? 21 Leadership Traits
- Humble (v. 19).
- Servant-heart (19).
- Integrity. Never hesitated to preach the Word, no matter what the consequences (20).
- Committed. Devoted to teaching God’s Word regardless of the venue (20).
- Unprejudiced. Taught everyone…both Jews and Gentiles (21).
- Compassionate. Had a heart for bringing lost people to Christ (21).
- Spirit-Led; not led by his own thoughts and plans (22).
- Fearless; total trust in God (22).
- Spirit-filled. He listened to the internal promptings of the Holy Spirit (23).
- Faithful. He had a proper perspective on life—and death, and he persevered (24).
- Visionary. He could leave this earth knowing he had done all he could do, with no regrets (26).
- Passionate. He never held anything back. People got 100 percent of the Good News (27).
- Shepherd. He cared for and invested into people (28). (See their response to him in vv. 37, 38!)
- Shepherd-developer (28).
- Realist. He understood the reality of spiritual warfare (30).
- Warrior. He cared about the church and wanted them to be protected against the evil one (31).
- Not greedy or even interested in the world’s riches (33).
- Diligent; not lazy (34).
- Responsible (34).
- Giving (35).
- Pray-er (36).
What next step will you take as a leader to continue growing in your leadership characteristics? Who will you share this with…someone who can help hold you accountable?
