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.
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?
