Article
by Ross Cochran
Leaders are everywhere. But what makes some leaders remarkable?
1. Anticipating
Remarkable leaders can sense your needs before you even have to say anything. Anticipation is giving voice to someone’s need that they can’t even articulate. Think of the long time waitress at the town diner: when her regular customers walk in, she might ask: “…having the usual today?” Anticipation means knowing your people and honoring their preferences.
2. Empathizing
Empathizing the ability to take someone’s perspective. Remarkable ministry leaders are able to put their personal concerns behind them and ask: “What is this person feeling? What are they anxious about? What deep need do they have?” Empathetic leaders are remarkable because they show that they are not just concerned with efficiency and performance but also concerned with culture, climate, and individual development.
3. Pacing
Remarkable ministry leaders are also adept at pacing. They have developed the skill to know when someone or something needs their full attention, and when to hold back. They know when to be fully present, and when they can relax. In many ways, pacing is closely related to staying power. A young leader might exhaust himself -sprinting through a 5K, believing that he can run the entire race at full bore. The remarkable, seasoned, and wise leader will pace herself because she wants to be in it for the long-haul.
4. Cross-pollinating
The skill of cross pollinating is an emerging skill for remarkable leaders. Cross pollinating is simply the idea that allows a leader to see the connection between two seemingly disparate realities. For example, what does a tense family situation have to do with poor work performance? Remarkable leaders don’t assume that anything is there by accident. They see connections all over the place.
5. Troubleshooting
This isn’t the kind of troubleshooting you find in the car owner’s manual. Remarkable ministry leaders have learned how to troubleshoot with people. When something goes wrong, remarkable ministry leaders aren’t content to merely provide their people with instructions for the solution. They actually work with them – in most cases for them – to make sure the trouble is resolved.
6. Generosity
When you first hear the word generosity, you might think about finances. This kind of generosity goes much further than that. Generosity also includes giving your time, energy, and resources. Remarkable ministry leaders share what they’re learning. They invite others to go with them in their journey. They are selfless. They freely give to others because they realize how much they’ve been given, and are eager to pass it on.
Originally Published on Awana.org
