The #1 Skill Christan Leaders Need

On a recent international trip I was asked in one of the Q and A sessions, “Tom, what would you consider to be the number one skill a Christian leader needs today?”

Interesting question and my answer might just surprise you.

Without a doubt, today’s Christian leader has to be a person of strong character. Colin Powell said, “Leaders need two things – character and strategy. If you can do only one, drop strategy.” A person with character is a person who has integrity, as well as an ethical foundation, a person filled with humility, and a person who has pure motives. Scripture puts it this way, “…a person with clean hands and a pure heart.” As vital as character is, it might be very close to number one; but it is not number one in my mind.

Skill formation, you might think, is number one. Yes, it is vital for the leader to develop practical skills. We must have the skills to develop people, communicate, build teams and solve problems. They are all vital to a leader’s “success” (check out Psalms 78:70-72); however, building your skills is not number one either.

Strategic formation, the “know-how” to be an effective planner, set priorities, cast vision and develop other leaders, is another possible choice for number one. Maybe Jesus explains this best when Mark wrote, “As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon his brother and Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fisherman. ‘Come follow me,’ Jesus said ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’” It is vital for the leader today to bring others along on the journey – but…! Yep, not number one either.

I believe the number one “skill,” if you can call it that, is the skill to be open to the voice of God. I think it is a lost skill for leaders today. In fact, the longer I lead and the longer I am on this leadership journey, the more convinced I am that the majority of my leadership is not driven by my character, skill, or strategic thinking. It has far more to do with my skill - my ability - and willingness - to be open to the “still, small voice” of the Lord. Actually, this voice not small at all, but powerful – more powerful than the other skills I mentioned.

You know what I mean. You’ve felt it - that feeling you get from your heart that says “this is the way,” or “check this out,” or “stop and pray now,” or “go further here,” or “stop and listen to Me.” I think it is a skill because we have to learn to stay open, learn the habit of willingness, to have the constant ability to hear the voice of the Lord. Today, we tend to place so much time on developing our skills, developing a strong character, or developing our strategic plans that we fail to hear His voice.

We must never lose the skill of listening to the voice of God. This skill develops over time and with much practice. When we do not listen to the voice of God in our lives as leaders, the results can be devastating. Often it takes weeks, even years to recover from the mess created or the opportunities missed by not listening and acting on that still small, voice of our Lord in us. Sometimes, we never recover.

In today’s fast pace, rapidly changing world, when everything is “upside down,” when nothing is normal and the world is searching for the new norm, the new reality is that we must as Christian leaders pay attention to the development of listening to God.

In order to consistently cultivate my ability to hear His voice and then to act on it, I must spend more time than ever in communion with my heavenly Father. Time with Him, in today’s world, is not an option or a “I can skip today” – it is a must if we are going to survive as leaders, never mind, move people to higher ground.

So, do not neglect the “mystical side” of leadership – it is the most important side for you and me as Christian leaders.

That, my friend, is the number one leadership issue today from my perspective.


Tom Atema
VP of International Ministries and Strategic Partnerships

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