Today’s post is written by a dear friend and a fellow Jesus lover, Robin Singh. He is a web developer, entrepreneur and a future pastor. Learn more about him here.

We have come across several books and notes on how to become a leader, but we seldom hear from people who have been led by leaders and what they expected of them.

The word leader could be your manager, your pastor, your mentor, your youth leader or anyone whom you look up to.

However, before we proceed we need to know what the Bible says about a leader and our submission to them.

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. – Hebrews 13:17

You may be thinking, but what if our leaders ask us to do something that’s not biblical and does not align to the will of God? Then we should be bold enough to say no, correct them and still if situation does not change then it is better to walk off.

[bctt tweet=”If the leader is not able to walk according to biblical principles then all his sheep will go astray.”]

Our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus are perfect role models in anyone’s life as a leader. People argue that God’s ways & laws are too tough and impossible to achieve, but then along comes Jesus to this very Earth to fulfill all the laws and prove to mankind that it is possible.

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

Since I have always been working under leaders for many years, and by the grace of God I have been leading many people in my professional career as well, it has helped me understand both sides of the coin.

We often have a mentality that a leader should always be an aged person or should have certain behavior or attitude but that is not what I personally think.

[bctt tweet=”Leadership is a skill that goes deeper than just training or having a professional designation.”]

Let’s now focus on five key points that most people would like a leader to know or do:

1) Honesty

We all know that leaders know the best and sometimes it is said that not all things needs to be shared with everyone. Hence, a leader will not share all information with his team members. Doing so, he thinks it is in the best interest of the goal or mission that he is working upon.

A leader is to be honest in every aspect of the goal or mission that we are working together.

Even if it means that he will expose our flaws. A leader will be aware of the right way of doing things. Humiliating someone over his flaw will shatter one’s heart and then he will never be able to work with the same passion he used to before. Being honest with compassion is the base of all biblical principles.

2) Trust

“Well, I am a part of his team, he trusts me”, most people are satisfied with this part.

But, most people would like to be trusted even more so that they can be of more help to their team.

We should never forget that we are working for God’s kingdom. Any issues that arise need to be addressed honestly to ensure a healthy relationship.

Trust is never one sided, it has to be 100 percent from both ends. This will help the team to achieve the goal or mission more successfully.

Many men of God in the Bible were trusted by God even though they did not meet the skills or quality. God equipped them by first trusting them.

3) Awareness

I expect my leader to be aware of my need and present situation. Most leaders ignore the feelings of their team members as they feel that the work happening around matters more than the team itself.

Teams expect their leaders to be aware of their situation.

Sometimes, we are unable to share our situation or do not feel the need to share everything in our personal life, but if a leader shows Christ-like compassion, then this builds trust and creates a healthy balance in that relationship.

4) Appreciate

We often notice some leaders have favorites that they will spend most of their time with and for a few simple reasons:

a. He is more productive
b. He can be trusted
c. He is more efficient
d. He can take care of things in my absence.

The leader needs to appreciate every member of the team to motivate them to perform better.

A true leader will also avoid false appreciation because that would give the person false pride which could worsen the case in the future.

The Bible teaches us appreciation.

Many letters by Paul begin with the appreciating of people for remembering & praying for him.

5) Encourage

A boxing coach will encourage his player before a game to the extent that all the player can think about is winning.

If a leader can encourage his team members then they can move mountains.

I am blessed to have a mentor who always encourages me to get better but he would never refrain from correcting me as well.

If you feel discouraged, then best thing to do at that very moment is to read your Bible. It has been a source of hope and encouragement for generations and I believe it will continue to be.

All the points mentioned above are based on my reading the word of God, understanding and experience.

We must always be submissive to our leader, love and respect him. A true test of a good leader is someone who is willing to learn from his team.

I pray and hope that this post would be a blessing.

Kindly let me know your thoughts and views in the comment section.

If you are a leader or working under someone’s leadership then you must definitely share this post with your friends & family.

Remain Blessed!