I’m fascinated by how writers, thinkers, educators, pastors, Christian leaders, and others understand and describe leadership. I find author Marcus Buckingham's understanding of what a leader is and does resonating with me. He, along with many others, provides this definition of a leader:

“A leader is a person who rallies others to a better future.”

A leader rallies others

For quite a while I have been teaching who the leader is, where the leader is going, and what the leader does to bring others along on the journey. Buckingham explicitly mentions two of the three and is probably assuming the third. That is to say he is assuming a “leader” is the kind of person who has the ability to see a better future and has the ability to rally others to it because of some personal traits and gifts he possesses.

A Christian leader must first see a better future for whatever endeavor he is involved in, and have some God-given ability to rally people toward that future.

I have no idea if Marcus Buckingham is a Christian, but nevertheless think he captures the essence of Christian leadership in his definition. If he is missing anything, it would be who this leader is in his core: his character, his cross and resurrection-focus, his walk with the Lord.

No perfect definition for leadership

Perhaps no short combination of words in defining leadership will be perfect and include everything. I believe a Christian leader, in any context, must first see a better future for whatever endeavor he is involved in, and have some God-given ability to rally people toward that future.

Have Dave Kraft speak at your church about Leaders Who Last.