Leadership is less about the words or actions of the leader and more about the character of the leader – Morgan.

What is the leader’s job description as given by God in the Holy Scriptures?

• Encourage others (Romans 14:19).
• Set an example with your speech, life, and faith (I Timothy 4:12)
• Remain pure (I Timothy 4:12)
• Embrace humility and gentleness (Ephesians 4:2)
• Promote peace and unity (Ephesians 4:3)
• Avoid arguments and quarrelling (II Timothy 2:24)
• Gently instruct others (II Timothy 2:25)
• Maintain emotional control (Titus 2:6)
• Demonstrate integrity in your actions and speech (Titus 2:7 – 8)
• Live your life above reproach (I Timothy 3:2)

This is not the job description you expect to see elsewhere.  These are required by God for leadership practitioners in the house/kingdom.  Arguably, leaders of nowadays no longer take seriously what God expects of them.  One may be gifted to lead, but his or her character will determine the ongoing impact of that one’s leadership.  Character is something that can’t be measured behind the pulpit or in an interview or through a personality profile or on a resume.  Character is proven over a life time. “Good character is not formed in a week or a month.  It is created little by little, day by day.  Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character” – Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher.

To be truly effective in our leadership, there is need to cultivate many important attitudes and characters, such as courage, passion, initiative, patience, teamwork, wisdom, and persistence.  We must focus on other core qualities as we make character our utmost priority in leadership.

CULTURAL CHARACTER

A LONG FORGOTTEN TREASURE

Character in our contemporary culture has become like long-forgotten treasure.  Many of us don’t realize what a treasure our society has lost, because it is out of their moral range of vision.  The only way character can come back to our society is when leaders like you and me begin to manifest in secret and in the open, Godly values and characters that the present generation seem to have lost.  Then, and only then, will people be able to recognize the inestimable valuable gifts that God has given to them.  That’s when they will begin to learn it and manifest them in their lives as well.

It is up to us to initiate the process of restoring character to our culture.  Jesus of Nazareth said that “the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it”.  Similar to the merchant who sold everything he owned to obtain the pearl “of great value”, we need to make the reintroduction and development of character our number one priority. – Myles Monroe

We must be intentional in our leadership if we must mold people lives for the better.  There must be a restoration of the culture of character in leadership.  Teachers, professors, educational administrators, pastors, and parents must all reprioritize their programs and parents must create time to be with their children in order to influence them and inculcate Godly values and cultural character in them.  That is a challenge before us today.