Passion
A leader must have a passion for whatever course or vision they are leading. This deep passion is what is then transferred to the followers and also acts as a motivation to work for the goals even when times are tough. For example in the Bible, the prophet Nehemiah heard about the destruction of Jerusalem’s wall and was filled with grief of how his people had been disgraced by their enemies (Nehemiah 1:4). It is cause of this passion that Nehemiah asked for permission from the King Artaxerxes to go and rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. This passion motivated both Nehemiah and his followers to keep on rebuilding the wall even when their enemies mocked and discouraged them (Nehemiah 4:14).
Delegation
Delegation is an important principle in leadership and is based upon the knowledge that a leader needs other people to achieve both group and individual goals. In the Bible, Moses, a great leader, had a problem with delegating responsibilities and it took the intervention of his father in law, Jethro, for him to see why delegation is an important requirement for a leader. In Exodus 18:18, Jethro tells Moses that failure to delegate could result to Moses wearing himself out as he cannot do everything. Even Jesus delegated the responsibility of outreach by calling the twelve disciples. This biblical instances show that even in an organization the leader should not take all responsibilities as it will slow the completion of such responsibilities. Delegation also helps in incorporating various perspectives in the formulation of various strategies (Harper, 2010, p. 32)
Influential and Inspirational
A leader should be able to command influence among their followers. For example, after Nehemiah got the inspiration to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, he managed to inspire the people to join him in the rebuilding. Due to his influence, Nehemiah’s people stood up to opposition and worked on the wall until it was complete. The people worked together, as one rebuilt the wall, another watched out for any attack. This commitment to achieve success was mainly because of the influence Nehemiah had over the people.
It should be noted that leadership in an organization is dependent more on people’s perception of leader’s authority rather than the actual authority. This perception is drawn from the kind of influence the leader has over the followers.
Humble
Humility is a virtue that is not easy to come by especially for the high and mighty. There is one particular person who stands out in the Bible when it comes to humility and this is the man Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Jesus who is also God the son humbly came from the glory and greatness of heaven to live a demeaning life as a human being. He was born in a manger and raised in a fairly poor homestead albeit he never lacked anything. Jesus socialized with people of all nature, with all his holiness and righteousness he mingled wined and dined with sinners of all kind. He also demonstrated service through washing of his disciple’s feet John 13:3. Ultimately he sacrificed his life for the sake of all sinners, gentiles and Jews.
Integrity
If there ever was a man who was full of integrity, then that person is Joseph the son of Jacob. This man was dearly loved by his father more than any other sibling yet he never bragged about it. He was also gifted with interpreting dreams and this was used against him by his brothers as they knew he would be greater than them so they sold him. He was seduced by Potiphar’s wife yet he did not give in but was imprisoned wrongfully because he stood his ground after being wrongfully accused. He went on to become a great leader in Egypt and when his brothers came for help, he did not turn them down despite all he had gone through because of them.
REFERENCES
Harper, T. (2010). Heading from the Lion’s Den: Leadership Principles from Every Book of the Bible. New York: B&H Books.
