It is critically important who you surround yourself with. The men and women you choose to help you reach your goals will make or break you. Here’s a few things to look for in potential leaders:
1. Look for people who can make things happen.
Most of the time, you have to take people at their word. The fortunate aspect to this is when you do hire them, you know within a few days, sometimes hours, if they can make things happen or not. At that time you can make the necessary decision.
This application is not always possible in ministry, but the advice is still the same; Watch what people do more than listening to what they say. Actions always speak louder than words. People that make things happen seldom make excuses. Instead they create their own opportunities when none might have existed.
2. Look for people who can influence others.
A person’s ability to make things happen is directly related to their ability to lead people. This is called influence. Whether a church ministry leader or a construction crew leader, a leader must be able to influence and persuade people.
When you are selecting a potential leader, don’t just look at the person, but look at all of the people that person influences. The more people they influence, the greater leadership potential they have.
Here is a good question to ask; What kind of people do they influence? Do they influence other leaders? Or do they influence followers? A person who can influence leaders has much greater potential than a person who can only influence followers.
Influence also includes how they treat people. Do they respect people? Do they have a genuine love for people? Do they treat people right?
3. Look for people who can equip others.
It is one thing to persuade and influence others. It is another thing to equip them with the necessary tools and training to succeed. Most of the people in your church will need to be trained and equipped in order to succeed. If the leaders you choose cannot equip and empower their followers, then they will ultimately be standing alone at the end of the day.
4. Look for people who can generate vision and create ideas.
The leader who knows where he is going and what his mission is will always be far ahead of the one who isn’t so clear. Make sure the leaders you select can communicate their vision to their team.
The leader who is constantly coming up with new ideas will be more successful than a leader with few ideas. If you want good ideas you need a lot of ideas. You can never have too many. Ideas are the greatest resource a leader could have.
5. Look for people who are loyal to you.
You should automatically disqualify any person whose loyalty to you is in question. This type of person will always hurt you and your cause more than they will help.
Loyal people will always make your vision their vision. They will share your dream. They will always lift you up in front of others. They will accept your strengths and weaknesses. They will laugh when you laugh and cry when you cry. They will love you unconditionally. They will be loyal to you until death.
If you can find a person who is loyal to you and who has all of the previous traits, take good care of them. Be loyal to them. They will bring success to your ministry.
