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When we look for those we would like to develop as leaders in our church, we can be drawn to the obvious heavy lifters such as those who seem to be natural leaders, or those who have a lot of personal charisma. Yet the qualities which can help sustain an institution over time have little to do with personality.

Some years ago we moved to a new house close enough to our old one that we shifted most of our things ourselves. My daughter recruited some of her high school friends to help with the heavy lifting. I said to her, "It's too bad your friends aren't football players." "Yes," she said. "They're all computer geeks." But as they worked I was amazed by their strength and stamina. Youth was part of it, but I also discovered several of them study martial arts. We didn't need football players.

Here's what I've begun to look for in those I want to help become more visible leaders:
 
1. an ability to be themselves
2. an ability to clearly say what they think even if others disagree (and even if I disagree)
3. a commitment to the institution yet a flexibility about what it might become
4. a sense of humor

At the end of our moving day, as I was expressing my appreciation to the kids for all their hard work, one of them said, "It was a fun day!" The willingness to take on the task at hand with enthusiasm, even if it is challenging, is a huge gift to the leader and to the organization.

The football players with big muscle and big personality have their place. When the professional piano movers arrived, filling the doorway, we were glad to see their size. The piano was out the door in what seemed like five minutes. But our culture gives so much attention to that big-muscle model of leadership other approaches can seem beneath our notice. The quick fix is not the only way, and the magic results are difficult if not impossible to sustain. Many years ago when I became the focus of a big crisis in a church where I was serving as an intern, the moderator of the church was a kind, mild-mannered man. I was amazed and touched by the strength of character he showed and the support I received from him. That was my first hint that leadership was less about personality than about the ability to take a stand.

Remember that we can't expect more from those we mentor into leadership than we expect of ourselves. We, too, must cultivate the ability to be ourselves and to define our own position to others, our commitment to the institution, and our sense of humor.

Rev. Margaret J. Marcuson works with church leaders who want to learn an easier, more effective way to lead. The author of Leaders Who Last: Sustaining Yourself and Your Ministry (Seabury, 2009), she can be reached at Margaret@margaretmarcuson.com.