Identifying and Becoming a Good Leader

In a world where leadership is often misunderstood, we need to distinguish between real gold and fool's gold. Good leaders are valuable like gold - useful and precious. But if you can't tell the difference between what's authentic and what merely appears valuable, you end up with nothing or worse - a life that stinks.

Job, an influential biblical leader, once said: "When he has tried me, I shall come forth as refined gold, pure and luminous." This profound statement reveals an important truth: leaders aren't born, they're discovered and refined.

Why Should I Care About Leadership?

You might think, "I have no interest in being a leader. That's not my calling." But leadership isn't just about managing others. Your top priority is to lead yourself through the maze of decisions, choices, and opportunities that come before you every day.

Your words are a choice. Do you have the leadership posture to choose your beliefs, your words, or even when to be silent? The book of James says that the person who can make the right choices with their tongue is a perfect person.

Is Leadership Just About Influence?

Some define leadership as influence. Ken Blanchard said, "The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority." But influence can be deceptive. Many people influence the masses but aren't good leaders - they're pawns in selfish strategies to exploit others.

Consider this comparison: Kim Kardashian is considered a renowned influencer with millions of followers. Jesus, on the other hand, has been given all authority in heaven and on earth with eternal influence. Who would you consider the more successful leader?

Influence isn't bad - it just shouldn't steer the boat. Being popular doesn't equal being valuable. Being influential doesn't mean being authentic. Being powerful doesn't prevent you from being tragically wrong. Being intelligent doesn't make you wise.

What Is the Gold Standard for Leadership?

We need a standard for good leadership that transcends fallible systems, human intellect, and religion. A gold standard based on absolutes.

If gold gets refined, then leaders get refined too. It's the necessity of elimination. Proverbs 17:3 says, "The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold. But the Lord tries the hearts."

God is an expert at eliminating impurities that interfere with the gold of our design - the gold of fulfillment, joy, and peace. What God eliminates from a heart makes it work better, stronger, and unleashes the happiness it was destined for.

Why Do Good People Sometimes Not Lead Good Lives?

Leaders lead a good life. Notice I didn't say good people lead good lives. That's not necessarily true. We've all seen good people not lead a good life. Why? Leadership is missing.

Too often, good people refuse to eliminate what's not gold. Refinement doesn't seem tolerant or nice. This passive approach demands a busy schedule - doing nice things, but not right things.

Admiral Chester Nimitz famously said, "When in command, command." Too many people have no command over their life, dreams, desires, hopes, or habits. Christians who have zero command in their life contradict their faith. Jesus said in Luke 10:19 that he's given us authority and power over the enemy to command.

How Does Culture Define Good Leadership?

Culture often defines a leader as "good" when measured by a narrow profile, such as financial profitability. By that standard, there are many "good leaders" on platforms like OnlyFans making huge profits from immoral content, or businesses profiting from addictive substances.

We need the gold standard for good leaders that crosses the boundaries of time, trends, and subjective morality. Without God, people chase gold to buy a good life, even if it means enslaving their neighbor.

What Makes Someone a Good Leader?

Good leaders lead a good life. They command their life, and it shows. They're not controlled by public approval, media metrics, or popularity. Character costs something, and elimination reveals the gold.

Jim Rohn said, "Either you run the day or the day runs you." Good people often let the day run them - they're busy, too busy. Their schedule runs them. Good people have good excuses. But good leaders lead good lives.

Jesus said you recognize them by their fruits - what comes out of them. This is what we call "having the goods." Do you have the goods? Don't fake it.

What Is Imposter Syndrome in Leadership?

Nothing smells worse than the toxic infection called imposter syndrome. When you don't know who you are and haven't settled your identity, leadership becomes a prop instead of an opportunity, a pursuit instead of a purpose.

Leadership is not an apron to hide your lack, insecurity, or fraud. Good leaders use what they have to help direct, advance, promote, and serve others.

Struggling with imposter syndrome, an infected leader will often resort to using position fraudulently to distract from their insecurities. They push, bully, demand, behave condescendingly, and use threats to get above others.

Good leaders don't need employees jumping at their demands. They recognize the inherent value of people over position, standing, or status.

Why Is Discernment Essential for Leadership?

Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Since you have rejected knowledge, so I will reject you." In life, there are zero points for ignorance.

Too often, people wait for life to lead them, inspire them, pull back the curtain, and show them some wonderful destiny. It's like sitting in an expensive car, waiting for it to take you to the right place. Life must be led. You're called to lead your life.

God gives each of us a canvas to fill every day with decisions that become the painting of our lives. You must lead your life because one day we will all stand before God, and your life will not be your daddy's fault or your mama's mistake. You're going to own it.

How Do I Find the Gold in My Life?

Leo Tolstoy said, "Truth, like gold, is not to be obtained by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold." The fine art of elimination.

Once you remove all the likes, the crowd, the systems, the money, endorsements, and all that's left in the room is the person and their character - now you have the valuable stuff the assayer can weigh out on the scale of life.

Sooner or later, you must reconcile yourself to the truth that identity is the gold. There's no substitute for who you are. In Genesis 1, God gives humanity His image before He gives mankind a purpose. Without identity, you put authority in the wrong place and demand service from others instead of leading by giving to others.

Key 1 for Good Leaders: Discernment

Discernment is the power of truly uncovering the golden life and discovering your true identity. It's a gift and a skill to be developed. It's not just seeing something but perceiving and understanding. It's the difference between identifying gold or trading your life for fool's gold.

Jesus said in Mark 4:23-25, "If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend... The measure of thought and study you give to the truth you hear will be the measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to you."

Life Application

Today is the day to activate discernment in your life. You have some elimination to do, and it will require the Holy Spirit's ministry of discernment along with courage to do the right thing.

Ask yourself these questions: 

• What "fool's gold" am I currently pursuing in my life?
• What impurities is God trying to eliminate from my heart?
• Am I truly leading my life, or am I letting circumstances lead me?
• In what areas do I need to take command rather than remain passive?

Your challenge this week is to identify one area where you need to exercise leadership in your own life. It might be your thoughts, your words, your time management, or your relationships. Take command of that area and begin to lead intentionally rather than react passively.

Remember, you're made to lead a good life. It's not about what you add, but what you're willing to eliminate to discover the great potential God has hidden in your design.