10 Easy Ways to Know You’re Not a Leader

I’ve been watching people a lot recently. Some in person. Some on TV. I’ve been looking for signs of leadership. You need to know, I’m surrounded by great leaders. Because of that, I know what leadership looks like. You also need to know that I fall in the group that believes God has gifted some to be leaders. Which means some have gifts that don’t include leadership. And, that’s a good thing. We need a great mix of gifts to have an impact in ministry or in any organization. It would be bad if we only had leaders.

As I’ve been watching for leaders to emerge these last several weeks, though, I’ve noticed that there are several types of people. Some are genuine leaders. Some are in leadership positions, but they aren’t really leaders. Some aren’t in a leadership position but think they should be. All of this has got me thinking about leadership, and, well, signs that indicate you’re not really a leader. You may be able to help me add and subtract from this list. Here are the:

10 Easy Ways to Know You’re Not a Leader

1. You’re waiting on a bigger staff and more money to accomplish your vision.
2. You think you need to be in charge to have influence.
3. You’re content.
4. You tend to foster division instead of generating a helpful dialogue.
5. You think you need to say something to be heard.
6. You find it easier to blame others for your circumstances than to take responsibility for solutions.
7. It’s been some time since you said, “I messed up.”
8. You’re driven by the task instead of the relationships and the vision.
9. Your dreams are so small, people think they can be achieved.
10. No one is following you.

Like I said, there are probably others that you can add to the list to improve it. Maybe you can help me do that. Let’s be on the lookout for leaders. What sets them apart?