As a preacher, I naturally think in alliterative terms—it’s practically part of my DNA. Recently, while reflecting on leadership, I began jotting down five “C” words. Before long, two more emerged. The result? Seven traits that every Christian leader should cultivate.
1. Clarity. You can only lead people in a clear direction. To be clear (see what I did there), sometimes there are greater degrees of clarity in your vision. However, you must have a minimal degree of direction when seeking to lead people somewhere.
2. Conviction. Are there aspects of your ministry, vision, or leadership about which you refuse to compromise? That’s conviction. Leaders don’t give up simply because something is difficult. They have a resolve to do what is right and to achieve God’s vision for those they lead.
3. Courage. Courage is closely related to conviction. Conviction is knowing that you should not give up. Courage is doing what it takes to actually not give up. Godly leaders are not intimidated, bullied, or bribed. They press on in the face of difficulty. They make the hard choices, even losing popularity when necessary.
4. Compassion. Those who lead like Jesus have a heart for people. They love people. They have compassion. Their love stirs them to do more for people. Compassionate leaders want to lead others toward a better future. Leading with compassion models the life, ministry, and leadership of Jesus.
5. Communication. I believe that the most challenging part of my leadership has been communication. Quite simply, people don’t always hear what you think they hear, and they don’t always say what you think they should say. Further, it’s not common for people to ask the right questions. An effective leader will intentionally seek to communicate well and lead others to communicate well.
6. Collaboration. The people of God should learn how to work well together. After all, the church is referred to as a family and a body. Church leaders should bring others together with a common effort to accomplish God’s mission. Collaboration may seem challenging at times (people are sometimes challenging). However, you and your church will accomplish so much more if you learn to work together.
7. Celebration. What are the good things that your church or ministry has done lately? Have you stopped to think about that question? When you celebrate what God is doing through those you lead, you can build momentum, encourage greater faithfulness, and solidify unity in your church or organization. As a leader, take time to celebrate and see how God uses that.
Leadership isn’t easy, but it is essential to the mission of God. As you grow in these seven “Cs,” you’ll lead more like God wants you to lead. Focus on these traits and watch what God does through you.
Want to learn more about leading like Jesus? Check out my book, Leading the Jesus Way: Learning to Lead from the Master—a practical guide to leading like the greatest leader who ever lived.
Posted on October 23, 2025
5 Comments
Thank you, Matt.
If you don’t mind, may I include another C so we can have a powerful 10 C’s .
Capacity refers to the ability to hold, contain, or absorb something (e.g., resources, workload, information). It’s about having the space, resources, or potential to do something.
Care: there is a difference in feeling compassion and caring. Compassion is feeling for people who may be hurting. Caring is going to bat for a group of people who may be unwanted by others at the risk of losing one’s head.
Thanks for the contribution, Mark! That’s another great “C” word.
Matt,
A great contribution for leaders! I would add two “C”s:
Competency: While we may not be experts, or even have a “phenom-capacity” for what we do, we need to demonstrate that we can, indeed, fundamentally lead. We need to demonstrate our skills, some of which you’ve noted, in a way that people will notice and give them a sense of peace that they are in the hands of someone who is reasonably competent. One of my practices has been to ask for people to give me a chance to show them what I can do. Once they see that I can do what I say I can do, life is simply good.
Consistency: People need to see that we are consistent in EVERYTHING. Do we follow through with what we say we are going to do? Is our productivity/performance (I use that word in the very best way) consistent? Are we week from week, Sunday from Sunday faithfully preaching from Scripture? Do we treat everyone equally, disregarding social/economic differences? Consistency reveals our Character – oh wait – maybe there’s a 10th C; or is that implied?
Thanks for a wonderful blog.
LT
Great additions, Larry. Maybe we can get to 10 🙂