Skilled leaders know the importance of spending time with key followers, especially in the early stages of their time together. Read John 1:35-39.

When John the Baptist publicly recognized Jesus as the Lamb of God, two of his disciples heard him and followed Jesus. Jesus saw them following Him and invited them to come with Him and according to verse 39 they “spent that day with Him.” Jesus did more than spend time with these men; He opened Himself allowing them to have a relationship with Him.

Generosity is a desirable core truth for any leader. Read Luke 9:10-17.

Jesus’ message and His ability to heal people from sickness and disease attracted crowds. There were times when Jesus teaching was so captivating the crowds demanded more by simply refusing to leave. At one point, He had approximately 5,000 people follow Him into a deserted place. As evening drew near, Jesus’ disciples came to Him and asked Him to send the crowds away so they could find food and lodging in surrounding villages. Jesus simply told His team to give them something to eat.

Effective leaders assume responsibility for their team’s wellbeing even when their personal life is putting them under enormous pressure. Read Mark 14:32-42.

Jesus is in Jerusalem just prior to His crucifixion. Jesus has eaten His last meal with His disciples and they have gone outside the city walls to spend the night outdoors in a garden known as Gethsemane. Jesus was aware it was His time to become the sacrificial Lamb of God and He was preparing Himself for His coming death at the hands of the religious leaders and the Roman soldiers. Jesus took a few of His closest friends a short distance from the other disciples and asked them to watch and pray with Him. Verse 33 says, “He began to be deeply distressed and troubled.” Luke 22:44 tells us that His perspiration became drops of blood. His personal situation made Him vulnerable to fear and discouragement. He was counting on His friends for support.

Skilled leaders encourage their team by recognizing their contributions. Read Mark 12:41-44.

Jesus was in Jerusalem in what would be the last few days of His earth-bound life. During those days He spent some time in the Temple interacting with the people. On one of those occasions He was watching people put their offering into the treasury box. When Jesus saw a poor woman drop in two coins that would not equal a penny, but were all she had to live on, He called His disciples to Him and pointed out this woman’s sacrificial gift, giving her a great compliment. Jesus understood the importance of celebrating other’s sacrifices.

It is critical that a leader constantly restate the organizational goals. Read Mark 4:1-20.

Jesus told a lot of parables (short simple stories intended to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson) during His communication with both His team and the general public. We discover these parables had a specific purpose when Jesus explained them to His closest teammates, but there are alternate truths that come out of these parables without destroying the original reason the story was told. In the parable of the sower Jesus talked about a sower of seed (the Word of God) and also the result when that seed landed on a certain type of soil (the hearts of the people). His point was that all may hear but not all will act upon the Word and only a few will have fruitful results from the truths they heard.