How to Identify Great Leaders - Day 6: 100 Days of Leadership

In Bill Hybels insights into leadership, he suggests leaders need to identify fantastic people. So what do you look for in when you try to identify great leaders? Hybels speaks about 'character, chemistry and competence' as foundational aspects for a leader. See, many projects, visions and dreams will rise or fall depending on the strength of the leader.

So how do you identify great leaders? I would look for the following: Emotional stability, competence for the tasks at hand, previous ability to work in and lead leadership teams, the personality/chemistry fit to the organisation and an innovative, creative and passionate dynamism. 

Some leadership teams have formal procedures in which they identify and recruit great leaders. I would start with: Do they have character? Do they have competence? This may be more difficult when recruiting volunteers. The struggle is balancing availability and willingness to help, with, again, character and competence. Without good character, the volunteer becomes a hindrance to team unity. Without competence, the volunteer doesn’t add a lot of value to what you are trying to achieve.

We recently had a volunteer on our team, who became a liability to our work. Relationships were being destroyed, items were going missing, people were giving me negative feedback about her. We had to let her go. Identifying great leaders with character and competence may not always be easy, but in the long term, you will be better off.

What does the Bible say?

1 Samuel 16:7, 12-13 - But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

So he sent for him [David] and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. 

What will I do now?

Samuel identified David as a potential great leader. I wonder who in your midst is a potential great leader, but unknowingly you have brushed them over, because your expectations are different to those of the Lord?