I recently taught a 4 week course at C3 Curitiba based on Dr. Phil Pringle’s excellent book, Leadership Excellence: 10 Characteristics of Great Leaders. Over the next few posts, we will be highlighting and discussing these 10 important leadership traits. If you missed it, you can read Part One here.
3. Soldier
“The Soldier grows in a climate of war.”
A. Soldiers are Strong.
Ephesians 6:10-12 “A final word: Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.”
Soldiers are not just strong physically. They are strong mentally and emotionally, and in the Christian’s case, spiritually. A leader knows how to weather the storm. Battles are part of the Christian life. We prepare ourselves so that we don’t become a casualty.
2 Timothy 2:3 “Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
B. Soldiers are Obedient.
Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.”
Success in war rests on soldiers being able to follow orders. They will never accomplish their mission if they ignore orders. Following directions is essential to success.
C. Soldiers are Disciplined.
What does discipline look like? “Discipline’s choice is a life lived by principles rather than by feelings. Discipline has already decided how she will live, well before meeting the fork in the road. Her choices have already been made.”
People who are disciplined consistently make the right choices. They go to the gym or exercise at home. They go to church on a regular basis. They don’t buy things that they can not afford.
Olympics athletes are an amazing group of people. Have you ever noticed, though, that it is only the narrowest of margins that separate the top five or ten competitors? Is it the most talented that wins the medal? These athletes are all incredibly gifted. I wonder if, at that level of competition, it is the person that is the most disciplined that ends up winning instead of just the one that is the most talented?
D. Soldiers are Armed.
2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
A leader needs to be able to apply the Scriptures in every area of their lives. They must set aside time every day to spend in the Bible and prayer. For someone who does not have this daily discipline, I would recommend setting aside ten minutes every day. That may not sound like much, but if someone will consistently spend five minutes in the Bible and five minutes in prayer it will change their lives.
4. Successful
How does one become successful? Does success just happen to people or do they create their success? Many people seem to pursue lottery ticket success.
“I will eventually hit the jackpot.”
“One day, the boss will recognize my brilliance.”
Instead, these three things can lead to genuine success:
A. Look for a need and meet it. Anticipate what your boss is going to need. Don’t just go to your boss with a problem. Give him some solutions to problems and he will love you!
B. Look for a hurt and heal it.
C. Look for opportunities and take advantage of them.
i. Create momentum by taking small steps.
ii. Be willing to work harder and longer than those around you.
iii. Take responsibility for your own success or failure.
To be continued…
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