Home Pastors Articles for Pastors The Leaders of the Future Are Here Today: Can You See Them?

The Leaders of the Future Are Here Today: Can You See Them?

3. They’re unproven.

Young leaders don’t have much of a track record. Their experience is minimal and not well-rounded. They may have a success or two, but can they repeat it?

However, they do have energy, ideas, gifts and strengths that make them a high-powered package of potential. 

What if we saw it sooner rather than later? 

What if we developed it today rather than tomorrow?

What if we went to work shaping them immediately rather than eventually?

What if we got ahold of them before they were ready?

What if we gave them opportunities that were never given to us at that age? 

What if we exposed them to great places, great organizations and great people while their minds were still moldable and impressionable?

What if we shared some of our leadership responsibility with them, passed along some of our credibility and shared some platform?

When you invest in a young leader this way, you not only help them build their character and competency, but you’re also helping them establish their leadership credibility.

I’m always amazed when I think about how young some of the great biblical leaders were. Joseph stepped into leadership as overseer of the Captain of the Guard in Egypt at age 17 (Gen 37:2). Josiah was only eight when he became king! OK, that may be a little too young, but he reigned for 31 years and “walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right hand or the left” (2 Chron. 24:1-2). We don’t know how old he was, but Timothy was a young man when Paul began to entrust him with leadership.

So, what are you looking for in young leaders?

If you’re looking for maturity, perfection, experience, consistency and reliability, you may not find it. But if you look for their strengths, gifts and passion, you can develop the other qualities that will one day make them great leaders.