Oswald Sanders, in his classic book, Spiritual Leadership, offers this mind-stretching sentence . . . "God prepares leaders with a specific place and task in mind." A specific task and place? Doesn’t that sound like you and your church? Why not think of creative ways to apply this list to you and your church board?
 
•         Discipline—A leader is a person who has learned to obey a discipline imposed from without, and then has taken on a more rigorous discipline from within. Those who rebel against authority and scorn self-discipline—who shirk from the rigors and turn from sacrifices—do not qualify to lead (p. 52).
 
•         Vision—Those who have most powerfully and permanently influenced their generation have been "seers"—people who have seen more and farther than others—persons of faith, for faith is vision. A leader must be able to see the end results of the policies and methods he or she advocates (p. 56).
 
•         Wisdom—If knowledge is the accumulation of facts, and intelligence the development of reason, wisdom is heavenly discernment. It is insight into the heart of things. Wisdom involves knowing God and the subtleties of the human heart ( p. 57).
 
•         Decision—When all the facts are in, swift and clear decision is the mark of a true leader. A visionary may see, but a leader must decide (p. 58).
 
•         Courage—God calls leaders to be of good courage and not to capitulate to fear. Courage is that quality of mind which enables people to encounter danger or difficulty firmly, without fear or discouragement (p. 59).
 
•         Humility—Christ told his disciples to turn away from the pompous attitudes of the oriental despots, and instead take on the lowly bearing of a servant. The spiritual leader will choose the hidden path of sacrificial service and approval of the Lord over the flamboyant self-advertising of the world (p. 61).
 
•         Integrity and Sincerity—God wants His people to show a transparent character, open and innocent of guile. Paul spoke of his failures and successes with an openness few of us are prepared to copy (p. 62).