Real and great men and women who have become true leaders of other people all possess and display a courageous spiritual heart. It is this willingness to think, speak, and act from a platform of mental and physical courage (toughness) that enables such leaders to accomplish such great things with the use of their lives. No committed follower will, over the long run of things, ever continue to follow and support a weak, insecure, or indecisive so-called leader. Leadership is an earned and/or developed accomplishment. Leadership is better taught by example than it is by instruction. People do what people see!

People who are identified as “leaders” by virtue of a vote, or the unanimous tally of follower’s desires, or some sort of declaration by themselves, an individual, or group of other people,…will never amount to much of a true leader, or to too much of what they have the capabilities to produce or create,…as compared to a leader who has earned their leadership role through their active involvement and accomplishments that they have achieved through personal growth and involvement in the activities of the organization as witnessed by the eyes of their assigned or developed or otherwise acquired followers. Leadership is earned through personal performance, support, and decisive courageous action taken by a leader. His actions always speak louder than his words. His decisions, efforts, and work ethic always provides to his followers the needed example and assistance to help them grow and prosper.

The greatest leader who ever walked on this earth was a man named Jesus Christ. He indeed was a servant leader.

Leaders possess real courage. They are not intimidated or bullied around by other people trying to undermine their positions, activities, or desires.

Leaders do not require the comfort and consolation of always having to be praised or edified by outside uninvolved people or organizations.

Leaders are always quite comfortable in their own skin.

Courage is not the absence of fear. Oh no,…rather it is action taken in the face of fear. Courageous leaders always perform the required efforts demanded of them whether they are afraid or not. That is because a real true leader of men or women live their life on the basis of faith,…“on the substance of things hoped for and on the belief in things yet unseen.”

Real true leaders do not need or require other men or women to approve or edify their decisions and actions. They know what is the right thing to do or say and they are ready and willing to do or say the right thing,…whether it is the popular thing or not,…whether it jeopardizes their authority or position or not! They always stand on the Truth!

Leaders know who they really are and where they are really going in life and they are able to convince and/or influence other people to follow them. Forced, demanded, or bullied follower-ship of any type or kind never lasts in the long run of things. It is the followers who give permission to the “leader” that enables their leader to lead them.

Faith, Belief, and Trust by the followers of the leader must coexist if the organization or group is to survive.

Leadership is a renewable resource. A “once-a-leader-always-a-leader” personal philosophy is a short term mindset. For the organization to survive, prosper, and grow, sub-leaders or leaders-in-training must always be in the mode of being tutored and/or trained up to one day soon become leaders of their own groups or organizations. No one person or individual should be the perpetual leader. God’s demonstrated way of great growth and accomplishment for all people and their related organizations is that human beings are to first separate and divide,…so that they can subsequently multiply and grow.

Success requires a successor. There must always be an individual who is being trained and groomed to take-over-the-leadership reins of the entire organization at the appropriate time. If no such person or procedure is in place,…then the organization is doomed to failure in the long run.

Man does not live forever on this earth. Neither should a leader think for a minute that he or she is going to be the declared leader of the organization forever.

God’s Creation (which includes man and woman) was put in place on a temporary footing. God’s whole creation is based and built upon everything entering and then leaving each and every growth stage of their personal, familial, and business lives. Any leader who outstays their effective leadership place, position, or term will always self destruct. That is to say that their followers will one day reach a point where they will no longer give their personal permission for the “too old” existing leader to continue to lead them. The result of this completely avoidable scenario is the complete dissolution and destruction of the entire organization. Remember personal relationships cannot be dictated, contracted, assigned, or transferred. You cannot document or contractually transfer personal relationships or capacities by, between, or among different people.

All effective leadership is earned never assigned or demanded.

Pastor Charles Swindoll once said:

“Courage is not limited to the battle field or the Indianapolis 500 or bravely catching a thief in your house. The real tests of courage are much deeper and much quieter. They are the inner tests, like remaining faithful when nobody’s looking, like enduring pain (great or small) when the room is empty,…like standing alone when you are misunderstood.”

Courage and mental toughness are absolute requirements to being a real and true leader of other people.

Courageous leaders always stand up, speak up, and perform. And then they keep on standing, speaking, and performing for the accomplishment of the right and good things for all people within their organizations.

Leaders who do not or will not do what has just been discussed will simply not endure or be around for a long period of time. They will be replaced as soon as their followers simply choose another leader that they can and will follow. Such a new leader will be a person who knows where he or she is going and who is able to convince other people to follow them.

Please join with me in saying this most important prayer:

“Precious Heavenly Father, Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth,…
praise be to your Holy Name. There are many times throughout this day, and the coming days, when You will call upon me to display my courage in many small ways. Please give me the strength to do what is right, and to overcome fear when it confronts me. Let me be a hero in Your eyes knowing that You are always watching. Help me to remind myself that the courageous acts I perform when only You are watching are what determines my character. Amen.”

Peace and Love to All of You……………….Poppa Bear