Spying New Leaders
They may not step forward. Here's how to find the leaders you need.
by Angela Yee

Julie was a quiet girl in our Bible study. Petite and soft-spoken, she shared things on her heart and expressed her love for God. One day my husband and I drew Julie (names have been changed) aside.

"I think you may have the spiritual gift of leadership," said my husband.

"Me?" Julie looked stunned.

We talked to her about why we thought she was a potential leader—how she took initiative, influenced people, and didn't seem afraid to encourage people to get more involved.

She went home in a bit of a daze. The thought of being a leader had never occurred to her.

	Understanding the different kinds of leadership helps us know how to spot potential leaders and match them with ministry.

We began giving her leadership assignments in our small group, leading worship time and Bible discussion questions. She tried leading in bite-sized chunks. Our Bible study eventually ended, but Julie led another Bible study group; then she led worship one Sunday. Now Julie leads the worship team regularly.

This would have never happened had not someone nudged her toward leadership.

This is part of our calling as leaders—to spot and cultivate other potential leaders to serve God and use the gifts given them. There's also a side benefit—we end up finding people for the many ministries that always seem to be in need of leaders!

How do we find these hidden people and encourage them to lead? Three steps are involved.

1. Seeing
Leaders come in a wide range of giftedness, personalities, and working styles. The better we understand the different kinds of leadership, the better we are able to assess those who may have leadership potential.

Some are "natural leaders." Leadership seems to come naturally to them. Their teams flourish. They have a compelling vision of what God has called them to accomplish, and they lead effectively.

These leaders are easy to spot—they usually talk about leadership or ministry direction. The thought of impacting people gets them excited. They enjoy facing a challenge and empowering people to meet it.

Jim was such a leader. He came on as the pastor of a wilting church. Attendance was a mere handful. Morale was low, and the question of survival loomed on the horizon.

Within a year, however, Jim changed the leadership team, the church name, the mission statement, the location, and the time of the Sunday service—all things he had been told not to change within the first year of his pastorate.

But because of his leadership skills, there was little dissent. People enthusiastically supported the changes. Over time, the church began to grow. Jim, a natural leader, found it energizing to face such challenges, and people followed him willingly.

Many natural leaders feel compelled to lead. If they are not leading something, they sense that something is missing. If there is no current ministry to lead, then they will start something up!

Other people are "situational leaders." They may not have a natural inclination toward leadership, but if the need presents itself and no one else is stepping up, they will step in and lead.

One church wanted to send a group on a one-week mission trip to Mexico, but they had no leader. Finally, Andrew stepped forward. He coordinated the entire trip and led the team safely to Mexico and back, but afterward, he was exhausted. Some conflicts had drained him, and leading the entire event had taken a heavy toll on him emotionally.

Despite the fact that the mission was successful, Andrew needed to rest from leadership for a while.

Situational leaders do an excellent job overseeing an area of ministry for a limited time. But if they are in ongoing leadership positions, they begin to feel frustration and burnout.

Unlike natural leaders, who thrive in a leadership setting, situational leaders do best in short-term projects where they can rest from the draining role of leadership.

Still other people are "undeveloped leaders." Most leaders are not born with automatic leadership skills; they discover their leadership gifts over time. Those who discover their leadership gifts at a later age are usually unaware of their leadership potential. Their valuable leadership abilities are latent. If others tell them they may have the gift of leadership, they'll deny such a ridiculous idea.

Melissa stepped forward to coordinate a Vacation Bible School program at her church. Despite the fact that the church was small, she was able to produce a program that tripled the number of children who attended. Because of her leadership, the majority of the adults in the church came to help, even though many of them had to take time off from work.

Afterward, Melissa returned to obscurity. She helped out with background tasks, but didn't step forward to coordinate any teams.

"Melissa," I said, "I really think you have a gift for leadership."

Melissa laughed. "Oh no," she said. "Not me."

"Why don't you think you are a leader? You coordinated VBS. You were on the church council. You've led Bible studies. You definitely are a leader."

"Oh, that stuff? Anyone can do that." Undeveloped leaders may have the gift, but they don't even realize it.

Leadership styles and personalities exist in a wide spectrum. Even those who are not natural leaders may find themselves enjoying a leadership position if they are leading out of another spiritual gift.

For example, my husband has the gift of mercy. He enjoys being a small group leader because he extends his compassionate gift toward the people who attend. He doesn't like the administrative aspects, so I take care of those details. This allows him to focus on the part he likes, caring for and encouraging people. He's a great shepherding leader, because he is influencing and guiding others.

I, on the other hand, love leadership. I read leadership books, I go to leadership conferences, I listen to leadership tapes. Nothing quite gets my blood racing as much as leading a team of people to further God's kingdom.

But put me in a small group week after week to care for their emotional needs, and I find myself in a state of paralysis. That's because my leaning is toward operational leadership.

Understanding the different kinds of leadership helps us know how to spot potential leaders and match them with ministries where they can develop. Keep an eye out for every kind of leader—they are all needed!

2. Searching
The next step is actively seeking out leaders. Start with prayer. Ask God to bring you to the right people and to help them to be available. Then search. Where do you look?

Natural leaders are usually immensely busy and leading multiple ministries at once. If you're looking for a natural leader for your ministry, try looking at:

People already actively leading in ministry. The most effective leaders are those who have been sharpened through experience. Although natural leaders may already be quite involved, if the leadership opportunity is in an area they are passionate about or feel called to, they will be willing to lead and reprioritize their other commitments.

People who are leaders at their workplace but aren't serving at the church. Sometimes those who are leaders do not realize the need for leadership within the church. They may be leaders in their career, but haven't stepped up to minister in the church.

Sometimes they mistakenly assume that only those with Bible degrees can be leaders, or that their skills are not needed, or that they are not called to serve. They need to have their misconceptions cleared up.

People with a passion for their ministry. The best leaders are those who have a passion for what they are doing. They are naturally motivated and their enthusiasm spreads to others. If you're trying to find a leader, find someone with a passion for that area.

Sometimes all you need is a situational leader, someone willing to step up on a temporary basis. How do you spot these people? Look for:

People with a servant heart. Situational leaders arise because of their willingness to serve. They know that even though they may not be the most qualified, they'll lead because otherwise needs will not be met. Their motivation is not because they enjoy leadership, but because they know that service pleases the Lord.

Undeveloped leaders are the most challenging to find. They exist in obscurity and are often discovered by accident. How can you be more intentional in finding these leaders? Look for:

People who take initiative. Non-leaders are content to follow what others plan and rarely take initiative in relationships or tasks. If you see someone who is willing to take initiative to change something or to improve the situation, you have a motivated person who may be a potential leader.

People who are reliable. Don't ask someone who doesn't follow through! Leadership requires reliability and integrity. Look for people who have a track record of faithfulness and dependability. Undeveloped leaders are respected by those around them, even though their efforts may be haphazard due to inexperience.

Ask friends for referrals. Sometimes undeveloped leaders lack confidence or are too modest to step forward, but their friends are willing to volunteer them!

When my friend Mary and I began attending a new church, we saw an announcement about a meeting for those interested in how the church hires a pastor. Since we wanted to learn more about the church, Mary and I decided to attend the meeting anonymously and slip out later without being seen.

To our dismay, it turned out we were the only ones who attended—along with the senior pastor and chairman of the elder board!

During the meeting, the pastor shared his dream of finding a leader to oversee the whole area of service ministries. I listened quietly, but Mary pointed to me and blurted out, "There she is!"

I would have never said anything, but today I am the leader of this ministry because of Mary.