A common mistake is to assume a person becomes a leader when they have a leadership position. Read 1 Samuel 16:6-10.

In his notes in The Maxwell Leadership Bible John Maxwell asks the question “How Do You Recognize a Leader?”

One of my mom’s 10,000 sayings was “you can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.” Leaders who fail to display generosity should ask themselves if they really love the people they lead. Read Ruth 2:8-4:10.

Boaz was a leader that modeled generosity. He owned a large field and employed reapers to gather his harvest. According to Jewish law, when the harvesters had finished, the less fortunate were allowed to “glean” in the field, taking whatever the harvesters had left behind. Ruth was one of the “gleaners” in Boaz’s field.

The actions of effective godly leaders demonstrate their basic understanding that faithfulness precedes fruitfulness, character precedes conduct and responsibilities precede results. Read Ruth 1-4.

The book of Ruth reminds leaders that God honors the qualities of loyalty, commitment and integrity. Ruth remained committed to doing the right thing, and God surprised her by meeting her every need and more. The book of Ruth illustrates that when leaders focus on doing what is right, God will bless the fruit of their labor. The book of Ruth is testimony to the fact that leaders need to put “being” before “doing.”

Throughout the book of Judges, during the 200 years when Israel was without a central leader, God raised up a leader during their most intense moments of need. During the next days as we study the leadership traits of these leaders (Judges), there is one trait that each of them had in common. God always uses individuals who are servant leaders. Read Matthew 20:25-28.

A leader must never forget that God calls them to serve. If it is true that “…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” then every leader should see themselves as a servant leader.