10 Practices Of Highly Successful Christian Leaders

At the end of each month, I review the Top 10 Most Popular Leadership Posts from that month to look for trends and insights that all leaders can learn from.  As I reviewed February’s Top 10, I noticed an incredible thread that ran through each post.  That thread was success.

Though some examples are not from Christian leaders, the Top 10 posts from February produced 10 practices that when put together produce a wonderful profile of a Highly Successful Christian Leader.

  1. Highly Successful Christian Leaders Exalt Christ (1 Thes 1:2-10) – Spirit-filled Christians preach Jesus, talk about Jesus, sing about Jesus, and makes Jesus the center of everything they do.
  2. Highly Successful Christian Leaders Rethink Success – What made you successful today will not keep you successful tomorrow.  Nike CEO Mark Parker understand this principle.  He defiantly says, “One of my fears is being this big slow, constipated, bureaucratic, company that’s happy with its success.”
  3. Highly Successful Christian Leaders Have Integrity – Unto whom much is given, much is required.  Lance Armstrong was recently named America’s most disliked athlete.  The problem – He lied.  Not only did he lie but he did so from a large platform.  The lesson for Christian leaders is that the larger your platform, the more vital your personal character is.  It also teaches us that even the largest platforms can be lost in an instant because of poor judgment.
  4. Highly Successful Christian Leaders Think Big – Christian leaders should think big and not get stuck in the weeds.  If you think big enough, the weeds will take care of themselves.
  5. Highly Successful Leaders Give Up Being Angry – Christian leaders do not lead by fear.  Allow your team the freedom to make mistakes.  This newfound creativity will take your organization to new heights.
  6. Highly Successful Leaders Value Loyalty – Being loyal does not make a person a leader.  However, being disloyal disqualifies a person from leadership.
  7. Highly Successful Leaders Produce Under Pressure – Regardless of how much pressure you may be experiencing, great leaders simply find a way to get the job done.  New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton says, “We evaluate the quarterback on his ability to take the team down the field and into the end zone with a championship on the line.”
  8. Highly Successful Leaders Value People – Do you love people?  I mean, really love people?  You can never go wrong as a leader when you see the good in everyone.  When you look at what a person can be rather than what they currently are, you are on your way to becoming a leader worth following.
  9. Highly Successful Christian Leaders Continually Improve – Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban recently told Sports Illustrated, “History can’t help us win the next game.”  He reminded ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi you must have “a relentless quest to continue to improve.”
  10. Highly Successful Christian Leaders Produce Growing Leaders –The wonderful Christian leader and blogger Scott Cochrane states, “If you are indeed growing in your leadership then you should see evidence of a growing number of leaders emerging whom you are building into.”

If you master these 10 practices, you are most likely a Highly Successful Christian Leader.  What is one thing on this list you can do today to improve as a Christian leader?

For a complete list of the Top 10 Most Popular Leadership Posts From February as determined by you, the readers, please see below:

  1. 8 Things Nike Can Teach Pastors And Church Leaders About Creativity
  2. 8 Practices Of Highly Disliked Leaders
  3. The Biggest Mistake Church Leaders Make
  4. 8 Signs You Are Leading A Spirit Filled Church
  5. 10 Things Leaders Should Give Up During Lent
  6. 13 Practices Of Highly Successful New Leaders
  7. 5 Practices Of Highly Successful Leaders Who Can Handle Pressure
  8. 7 Things You Must Consistently Do To Have Your Best Month Ever
  9. 15 Leadership Skills Necessary To Build A Sustainable Organization
  10. The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of February 18th

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Brian Dodd

Brian Dodd is the author and content coordinator for Brian Dodd On Leadership. In addition to overseeing this site's content, Brian is Director of New Ministry Partnerships for INJOY Stewardship Solutions where he helps churches develop cultures of generosity. Brian has also authored the critically-acclaimed book The 10 Indispensable Practices Of The 2-Minute Leader.