How to Lead Like Jesus: 5 Characteristics of Good Leader

With so many examples of people who display horrible leadership qualities, it is sometimes forgotten or overlooked that the world has already seen the best example of a leader ever. Who you may ask??? None other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!! And the crowd goes wild for our King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!!

Leadership is not just the title or position given to someone who is placed in charge of others. Leadership is a mindset that encompasses certain characteristics. Here are five that can be used every day in any situation to help you lead like Jesus!

1. Have strong communication skills. Communication is a key component of any relationship. The way you speak to, about, and for people can cause shifts in situations. Additionally, you have to be able to reach people in various ways. Jesus told parables because they were easy for people to relate to. Find your communication strong suit. Are you a powerhouse speaker? Can you send efficient but beneficial e-mails? Or do you need to take a course or work with a coach to better your communication?

If this area is not your strong suit, make it your priority to work on one skill a week and then add on. You have to decide that it’s important to you. We can’t lead well if we’re not able to communicate thoughts, ideas, and directions. 

2. Be passionate and committed. From the age of 12 until the day of His death, Jesus was about His father’s business. Commitment and passion need to walk hand in hand. What’s your why? What are you trying to accomplish? Leadership is hard and sometimes thankless. Jesus’ why was our opportunity for redemption. His love for us carried Him through. What carries you? Revisit this often, it will be your source to keep going, especially in difficult situations.

If your reason for being in business or wanting to lead is primarily tied to accolades and 

the illustrious bag, you may want to reconsider. Chasing the bag is not a sustainable “why.” When the accolades are few and the gain is non-existent, your commitment will wane. 

3. Be positive. Positivity has a way of shining even through the darkness of negativity. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best, “Only light can drive out darkness.” Even when talking to people who did not like Him, Jesus was never rude, curt, or negative with them. He would leave them things to think about. To motivate the team, we must be able to see the silver lining in the gray clouds. Broken clocks show the right time twice a day, be willing to find the broken clocks.

Now I hear you saying, “Well Jesus flipped a table!” And He did! But note, we only see it done once in extreme outrage. Positivity comes with shifts in perspective. Before you get to the table-flipping stage, take a good look at the situation. Truthfully, there’s even a way to flip and still keep things positive.  (Sidebar – I’ve been asking for years to take Table Flipping 101 and Jesus sends me back to one of these five things every time!)

4. Be innovative. Doing the same thing and expecting new results is a form of insanity. If you want better results, be the type of leader who can think outside of the box and then execute. If that’s not your strong suit, recognize that ability in others and allow them to do what they do! Jesus loved everyone. He conversed, ate, and spoke to people that others shunned away. He gave them grace. That was His innovation, the ability to offer redemption to us all. In our positions, how can we better serve those who may not have initially been included in the plan? What is the way to expand our message to reach more people?

While there are some things that you can learn from someone else to simply rinse and repeat their process, the key is finding a way to do what they did that works for you. You’re not a clone of anyone else. The coaches guide but your job as the leader is to make their system work with your style. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel but we can look at new ways to monitor what’s happening to it. (Think cars in the 80’s and 90’s versus cars now, as an example.)

5. Be open to collaboration. As they say, “teamwork makes the dreamwork.” A key part of leadership is having someone to follow you. Jesus had 12 disciples who carried on His teachings and continued the work even after His death. Not only was there collaboration to work together, there was mutual trust and respect. Each knew that everyone would do his part to progress the mission. As leaders, we must see, cultivate, and promote those under our care to use their talents.

Don’t be stuck in the world of “I have to do it myself.” Find ways to work with others that 

can do the things you need to help you. In the beginning, this can be hard to do with a minimal budget but take a look around at the resources that God places in front of you. Go back to #1 – Communicate! You never know who may have what you need and vice versa. 

The secret to doing all five things consistently lies in learning how to serve! Through service, you learn to strengthen the other characteristics because situations will call for them. We learn to take criticism and feedback, how to make changes on the spot, and how to work with others. Service doesn’t mean free or cheap. Each time we operate in our businesses we should view it as another opportunity to serve our clients, customers, and those who work with us to the best of our abilities. More importantly, our continual yes to entrepreneurship is always service to God, (take some time to reflect on Colossians 3:17). Serve well and lead well!