Why do you follow the leaders you choose to follow? The key word in that question is “choose.” We all make a deliberate choice to follow who we follow. No one follows a leader by accident.
It’s interesting to note that we can quickly rattle off a few traits in leaders we least appreciate and would not follow. This is true because those traits evoke a more visceral emotion, often attached to a negative experience. Perhaps a boss, teacher, or even a spiritual leader that led poorly.
Traits in a leader we would not follow, such as arrogant, controlling, self-serving, irresponsible, insecure, or lazy would be among the most common examples.
The positive traits, however, take a little more thought because they are not noticed as quickly as a negative trait. Negative traits jump out, but we must be looking for the positive ones.
We often list positive traits like, visionary, strategic, and problem-solver. Or, compassionate, resilient and generous. All good examples to be sure, and the potential of a list like this is easily 25 traits or more. The important note here is that no leader can excel in all of them, we must each lean into our unique design.
And our unique design as a leader requires us to accept our limits as readily as our strengths.
As leaders we all have a different set of skills, gifts, strengths; and mixed with our experience and passions they make us highly unique. When understood and embraced, they become the best version of our true selves.
But is there a set of virtuous traits of a leader that serve as the foundation for most all others? A set we would all be wise to seek in our own lives?
I don’t know that I have “the” answer, but I’m going to take a risk by presenting the three I believe are the foundation.
3 (Foundational) Virtuous Traits in a Leader
1. Wisdom Born From Experience and the Voice of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. (Proverbs 2:6-8)
God is the source of wisdom and we are instructed to ask if we are in need.(James 1:5-6). Wisdom is rarely gained on the run, skimming the surface, in the autopilot nature of daily life.
Acquiring wisdom requires a slowing down and thoughtful process of pursuing something more priceless than gold and silver and a willingness to apply it intentionally.
