If you Google how to be a strong business leader, about 708 million results pop up within half a second. While you can narrow that overwhelming number down about a third by adding “Christian” business leader to your search, the 439 million results that remain are far too many to sort through. We’ve taken some of the top results, and combined it with 30 years worth of professional and faith-filled leadership expertise, to bring you 9 steps to becoming a stronger Christian leader.
1. Root Your Life in Christ
The foremost priority in our lives should be the relationship we have with Christ. When we follow him and desire his plan for our lives, the Fruits of faith (and our priorities) fall in line. Don’t take the blessings you’re given for granted – attribute the glory to the One who truly deserves it all.
Spend time with the Lord – don’t let your so-called “lack of time” or busyness take over your entire life. It’s become almost cliche to say, but please recognize and acknowledge this: if you have 5 minutes to scroll Twitter, or drink a cup of coffee, or chew on the news in the morning, you have time for Jesus. Set that time aside and spend it with your Savior; it’s the most important investment you’ll make in your entire life.
2. Make Christ’s Priorities Your Own
Part of rooting your life and being in Christ means that your priorities echo God’s. Your relationship with Christ should be preeminent, with your marriage and children coming next. If your work life begins to overwhelm these three things, you should sit down to reprioritize, whether through delegation, better time management, self-control, or by saying no to things that will make you too busy.
3. Remember the Vision
Your ultimate purpose in all matters (business, personal, and family) should be to glorify God and fulfill the Great Commission. In Matthew 28 we can see what we call the Great Commission: to make disciples and spread the gospel. It was originally a message given to the disciples on Christ’s expectations for them in his absence; as followers of Christ, we believe it applies to us as well. The glory of God and spread of the Good News should be the basis on which you formulate your purpose in life. Let it lead your goals and decisions within your company. Don’t sacrifice your values – filter every decision you make and the words you say through Scripture.
4. Practice Thankfulness
Throughout Scripture we are reminded fairly constantly that everything we have belongs to God, both physical objects and our successes. Despite everything, we often forget how much we have amidst our greed and desire for more. We have to be so careful to 1) give credit to the Giver of all things, and 2) be content, and not let our greed drive us. Be aware of and thankful for what you’ve been given – it’s not yours!
5. Develop a High Performing Team
Developing an HPT can sound overwhelming, but it involves some very simple, straightforward components:
- Open & Clear Communication
- Defined Roles & Responsibilities
- Mutual Trust
- Effective Decision-Making
- Coordinative Relationships
- Clear Goals
- Participative Leadership
- Managing Conflict
- Value Diversity
- Positive Atmosphere
Most teams don’t start off as High Performing Teams. HPTs are developed. In order to build one, leaders need to know how to draw out the best in each individual member, and leaders need to know how to get them to collaborate well. But how do they do that? It starts with understanding the role that inspiration and external motivation play in the life of a team – and you, as a head, have more effect on those things than you may know!
6. Practice the 4 D’s of Effective Time Management
The strategy that we call the 4 D’s are vital to proper time management if you have a team. Benefits include less stress, increased productivity and efficiency, increased focus on work, more work accomplished, and more goals met. Although we have individual blogs that go deeper, here’s a quick summary of each:
1. Do
- Work on tasks that only take a few minutes to complete
- Quickly accomplish smaller tasks for momentum to complete larger tasks
- Concentrate on one task at a time and get it done within the expected time
- No multitasking
- Focus on the higher priority tasks first
- Ideally, be training other people to support and perform similar tasks in the future, so you can be freed up for more important tasks
2. Delay
- Put a pause on tasks that aren’t urgent
- Set a scheduled time to complete them later
- Break up overwhelming tasks into smaller pieces
3. Delegate
- Reassign an essential task to someone else
- Weigh tasks to determine importance, and if you need to accomplish it yourself
- Remain accountable for delegated work
4. Delete
- Remove any unnecessary tasks from your itinerary
- Say “no” to tasks that will not be productive for your goals or do not fit your views or priorities
7. Listen First
Strong leaders know and are willing to acknowledge that they don’t know everything. Whether you’re seeking to peace-make, asking how to pray for a coworker, solving a company issue, or being taught how to run the latest technological wonder, be willing to listen – the whole story can give you whole understanding. You may gain knowledge from a perspective you’d otherwise be blind to.
8. Always Be Growing
Be open to learning new things – even the greatest leaders have things to learn. Surround yourself with accountability and wisdom, and be open to wisdom and new knowledge from your team and outside sources. Be willing to accept constructive criticism and feedback. Don’t shy away from accountability. Input from people involved and people who care about you and your company can be a huge help as you navigate management.
Strong leaders are always reviewing and looking to improve things. Reflect often and seek out growth. Don’t put yourself alone on a pedestal. Seeking out feedback and accountability from your team and accountability partners will provide you with a fool-proof foundation for success, as well as trust.
9. Replicate Leaders You Admire
Think of the leaders who most inspire you to be a better leader yourself. The Bible is a great place to start – it’s full of people who trusted God as they led, and has plenty of examples of what to do and not do as a leader. You can pull inspiration from a president, a general, your father, a head of company that mentored you, practically anyone. Pay special attention to those that revered and served the Lord – you’ll be able to see the impact it had on their work!
As you seek to be a stronger, better leader to your team, remember to put Christ before all else. Your worship, your work and your home life should all filter and balance through the lens of Scripture and your prioritization of what is important to God first and foremost.
The more solid and set you are, the more likely your team will follow and be inspired!
How 1st Principle Leadership Can Help You Become a Stronger Christian Leader
1st Principle Leadership (1PL) blends Christian leadership coaching, business consulting, life coaching and counseling to help you make progress strategically and financially—fast.
We can help you be the leader God wants you to be by following a proven process.
We know that running a business requires you to be at the top of your game, but managing the day to day problems while thinking strategically and financially (among other things) leaves little energy to dedicate elsewhere.
We also know this: Christ commands us to order all of our lives under him as Redeemer and Lord.
While this may seem like yet another set of tasks on an already never-ending list, reorienting our lives toward Christ and reinterpreting our effectiveness and health – in all ways, shapes, and forms – in alignment to His calling of us as leaders is what will enable us to better generate solutions to our problems, both personal and professional.
We would love to help you on this journey. If we can assist you in any way, please drop us a line here.
