Bible verses about leadership qualities reveal the kind of leader God is pleased with.
Biblical leadership entails a unique type of leadership style that emulates God and pleases him. God is a leader and leadership is an idea of God.
Yahweh, himself, is the sovereign God, King over all creation, Ruler of the earth, and the fountainhead of the Trinity(The Father) and has also epitomized godly leadership in his incarnate messiah, Jesus.
With the light from God’s words, we can identify those leadership qualities in the bible and gain wisdom on how to cultivate these godly character traits.
Bible Verses about leadership qualities.
The Bible has quite a lot to say about leadership and the qualities a godly leader should showcase.
I have grouped leadership qualities that distinguish godly leaders into;
- Humility, Servanthood, and Compassion
- Confidence and Courage
- Perseverance, tenacity, and Patience
- Wisdom, Vision, and Diligence
- Integrity, righteousness, and honor
Humility, Servanthood, and Compassion:
John 13:13-14; “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
Proverbs 19:17; “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”
Matthew 25:40; “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Matthew 20:26; “But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.”
Philippians 2:3; “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”
Matthew 23:12; “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Proverbs 11:2; “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Isaiah 58:10; “If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
Matthew 24:45-46; “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
Confidence and Courage:
Joshua 1:9; “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Deuteronomy 31:6; “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Isaiah 41:10; So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
2 Tim 1:7: For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline
Psalms 23:4: Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Joshua 1:6: Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
Ps 27:3; Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
Related: The four C’s of Christian leadership
Perseverance, tenacity, and Patience:
2 Timothy 2:3-4; “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.”
James 1:12; “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
Jeremiah 23:1; “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord.”
Proverbs 4:25-27; “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”
Romans 5:3-5; “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Isaiah 40:31; But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not become faint.
Wisdom, Vision, and diligence:
Proverbs 29:18; “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
Proverbs 29:11; A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.
Proverbs 21:23; Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.
James 1:5; If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Isaiah 42:16; “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.”
Luke 6:39; “He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?”
Ecclesiastes 9:10; Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
Luke 12:48; But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Proverbs 27:23; Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;
Matthew 24:47-49; Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.
Integrity, righteousness, and honor:
Proverbs 20:7; “The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.”
Proverbs 11:3; “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”
Psalm 25:21; “May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.”
Proverbs 29:14; “If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will be established forever.”
Proverbs 16:12; “It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, for a throne is established on righteousness.”
Ecclesiastes 10:17; “Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into trouble.”
Proverbs 29:4; “The king gives stability to the land by justice, but one who demands bribes destroys it.”
Related: John Maxwell Leadership Quotes
Conclusion.
That’s it. Bible verses on leadership qualities. Leadership qualities bible verses teach us that any true Christian, in name and practice, can be a distinguished leader.
As we’ve seen, most of the successful leaders in the bible showed godly character traits.
Living a Christian life causes us to exhibit godly character traits that mark us as potentially good leaders.
