This is the second article in a three-part series on developing leadership skills. Three questions address important skills we as leaders must develop on our journey to becoming the type of leaders God can use. The first question was, “Do you have a leader’s heart?” It focused on a leader’s ability to develop heart qualities that contribute to becoming a servant leader.

In his book, The Making of a Leader, author Frank Damazio addresses the issue of leadership preparation. If any of us would become effective in our leadership roles, we must commit to preparing for those roles. Every leader who wants to be used by God must be prepared to function, and the degree of his or her influence will be determined by the amount of preparation he makes. So, do you prepare to lead?

If you look up “prepare” in the dictionary you will find such words as get ready, arrange, organize, plan, set up and practice. Connecting words are train, groom, coach and prime. All of these lead us to understand that preparation involves more than reading a textbook or manual for a few moments before teaching a seminar or making a verbal report!

Here are some applications of what the dictionary says that expand our understanding of the broad implications of preparing to lead.

• to provide properly for
• to foresee problems
• to rehearse ahead of time
• to train for a specific task
• to educate with special knowledge
• to build a foundation of
• to possess the necessary information to proceed
  

Is an emphasis on preparation even biblical? Damazio answers this with multiple references to Bible characters who demonstrated the value of preparing for leadership. Romans 9:20-21, Isaiah 45:9, Jeremiah 18:1-4 and II Timothy 2:2 mention the relationship of the potter and the clay. Both the potter and the clay must be prepared. These passages illustrate that God is a God of preparation and that He places value on His messengers preparing for their service. A study of the lives of Joshua and Samuel is further illustration of the necessity of preparation for leadership.

Paul writes in I Timothy 3:10, “And let them (future leaders) first be tried (investigated, proven).” After our call to salvation, a call to leadership comes. It is at this point that our preparation time must begin. Preparation must take place before function. Many times we get ahead in the process and try to skip the preparation element. We launch into ministry and leadership ill equipped and then wonder why we are not effective! As we begin to plant seeds of ministry, we must take preparation steps before our ministry will mature and bear fruit.

Damazio suggests answering several questions to help us evaluate our leadership roles.

1. Calling – Has your calling been confirmed by other leaders and your church?
2. Studies – What have you done to study God’s Word in preparation for leadership? Under whose authority and guidance are you studying?
3. Relationships – Do you have a teacher or leader as an example to follow? Are you a faithful disciple? Are you helping young Christians grow?
4. Practical Learning – Are you seeing progress in your learning and growth? What have you learned today? What have you learned by observing others?
5. Service – What are you doing to minister? Have you already begun to function in the area of your calling?
6. Promotion – Do you promote yourself or the ministry? Have you kept the Lord and your ministry in focus?

There will always be a time of testing of your effectiveness as a leader. The Bible gives many illustrations of “leaders under fire.”

The TIME TEST forces us as leaders to realize that God will accomplish things in His time and not necessarily on our own timetable.

The WORD TEST comes to all leaders as they face circumstances that seem to contradict what the Bible says. God doesn’t contradict His promises, but He has purposes that are not known to us. None of us is exempt from times of misunderstanding and trials. If we trust God, we will ultimately see Him at work and will be able to rejoice at the outcome.

The CHARACTER TEST occurs when we as leaders are surrounded by ungodliness. We may be in a fiery place! We need to remain righteous and develop strong characters that glorify God and His Kingdom work.

The MOTIVATION TEST requires all leaders to examine why they are leading. Is it for personal gain or power? We must guard against being motivated by anything that contradicts God’s purpose and direction for us.

The DISCOURAGEMENT TEST can cause leaders to question their call and influence. Circumstances arise that can make us ineffective and stagnate our growth because we can’t see results of our ministry. We skid to a stop and find it difficult to move forward. God can use these times of discouragement if our attitudes keep us open to His guidance and, if necessary, re-direction.

The VISION TEST tests how deep a leader’s insight is. Because it’s a reality that most of us don’t receive training for all situations, we must rely on God to affirm the vision He has given us for our work. God receives the credit when the vision is fulfilled in a supernatural way. We must evaluate our motives and be certain they are in line with our calling to ministry as leaders.

These tests of ministry can come at any time, but most often occur during the early part of our ministry. God wants to bring our ministries to their full potential. That will only happen when we “pass” the tests of time, word, character, motivation, discouragement and vision.

This article is part of a three-part series: part one, part two, part three.