Wherever I go it seems that leaders are consistently complaining that they don’t have enough quality people around them to develop into their future leaders.
They’re wondering who should they trust and how can they find more prospects. So, who are your next leaders?
Whether it’s in your corporation, non-profit or ministry team, when you are looking for leaders to whom to give more of your time and focus, ask yourselves these questions:
– Who are those men and women around you that are “leaning in” to everything you do as a leader?
– Who are those that are always looking to lend you a hand or serve others?
– Which people take what you teach and really run with it and apply it to their lives and immediately share these things with those around them?
Those are the ones you really want to pour into. These are the ones who will be a pleasure to lead and give your life to because they are hungry and faithful.
[Click here to get the free eGuide: Who Are Your Next Leaders]
A Proven method for finding the leaders you have around you today.
The 5 Cs of Leadership
So who specifically are you looking to develop as your next generation of leaders? Do you have someone in mind yet? How will you know when you see them and that they are truly good “yeast in the dough”? Let me suggest five qualities that you look for in people who are potential leaders. They all start with the letter C. The first four are Character, Chemistry, Capacity, and Calling.
- Character: Does this person have the personal, spiritual and emotional life needed by someone who is going to lead others? Do they at least have the desire to develop it? Does he or she have good follow through, letting their yes be a “yes and done”? Do they do the right thing regardless of reward or recognition?
- Chemistry: Do you and others like hanging out with this person? Do people enjoy working with him or her? Would you trust this person to have your back when challenging situations arise or personal attacks come up?
- Capacity: Does he or she have the necessary time in their current schedule or season of life to lead others? Is this person physically and emotionally healthy? Do they react well under stress and when people and things get hard?
- Calling: Is he or she called to this specific work at this specific time? Is the timing right? Are these the people and place they are called to work among?
You may have noticed that I’ve placed a great deal of emphasis on a person’s character. Because character can and must be continually developed in a leader, if they do not presently demonstrate a fairly mature character, it is a signal to wait on giving your best leadership development time to them.
Poor character leads to all sorts of yet-to-be discovered problems.
I promised five C’s, so here is the fifth:
Competency: This is something that can be developed in any person who has character and capacity. In my experience, those with high capacity are continuous learners and develop new competencies all the time. I put competency at the end of the list because, to be honest, it is something of a “second tier” concern. It matters, but not as much as the others. Still, if you want to begin measuring this aspect of leadership, you can look at the following: Does this person have some recognized gifting and skills that they use to serve others? Are their goals for leadership in line with these gifts? Does this person regularly pursue growth in their existing strengths and areas of weakness?
So if you’re looking for more leaders ,and you’re not sure who they might be, the next best time to start working through the 5 Cs is now. They have served me well over the years. Those leaders are out there.
How have you found your best leaders? I would love any thoughts or questions you have on this.
[Click here to get the free eGuide: Who Are Your Next Leaders]
A Proven method for finding the leaders you have around you today.
