A Trustworthy Leader

My all-time favorite leaders all had something in common; I felt safe and secure under their leadership.  

The biggest reason for these feelings of safety could be summed up in one word – trust.  

What caused me to trust them? What did they do or have that others did not?  

As I think through the differences in their leadership compared to others, there were three common characteristics that set them apart:  

1. A genuine love for me.
2. A belief in the potential God gave me to be an effective woman of God in ministry.
3. A security in their own calling.

You can trust a leader who is secure, truly loves those they are leading and sees the potential in others. This is the making of a trustworthy leader. God calls each of us to be trustworthy leaders who stretch others to higher levels than anyone thought was possible.

These types of leaders are rare. It is a rare leader who truly considers the growth and development of those they are leading. These leaders are not threatened by another person growing, because they are secure in who God has made them to be. This sense of security is needed in order to be a leader who puts the needs and development of those they are leading as a top priority.

I have been so fortunate to have had a few of these leaders as examples in my own life. These trustworthy leaders spent time developing me, and others. The leadership style of allowing autonomy, flexibility and control in decision making has influenced those they led to give this to others. Their hope of replicating their leadership style in those they led was evident. As they modeled Jesus’ leadership example, they also hoped those they led would model it to others as well.

None of us are completely trustworthy in ourselves. Our selfish, sinful nature gets in the way so often.  The need to continuously look to Jesus’ example of how He discipled and developed those who followed Him during His earthly ministry is very clear. We all have so much to learn from Him. Studying Jesus’ leadership practices guide us to become the trustworthy leaders He desires of us.

There are so many practices we can learn from Jesus’ model. Here are a few of them:

1. Utilizes setbacks and mistakes as a valuable opportunity to learn and try something new (2 Corinthians 12:9)
2. Notices and demonstrates appreciation for progress and effort (Matthew 5:16)
3. Takes the time to listen and understand (John 16:23-24)
4. Demonstrates the right thing, even when it was challenging or difficult (Matthew 5:43-44)
5. Provides the necessary tools and resources to be successful (Matthew 22:37-40)
6. Provides autonomy, flexibility and control (Mark 11:24-25)
7. Openly and honestly shares both your strengths and struggles (Matthew 5:11-12)
8. Encourages to openly share thoughts, suggestions and ideas
9. Helps to understand how to use talents to grow and develop further (Matthew 4:19)
10. Recognizes efforts and achievements (Matthew 25:21)