Leadership Development - Some Additional Characteristics to Look for in Emerging Leaders

 

       This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

Our topic for 2026 is Leadership Development. In my past two episodes, I’ve shared some characteristics that I look for in potential emerging leaders. Most important to me are an identity firmly rooted in Jesus Christ and humility. Last time I shared about the importance of someone’s history or track record and the importance of their skills or abilities.

Today, I want to share some thoughts about three additional qualities I look for in emerging leaders. These are initiative, a desire to learn and grow, and a teachable spirit. I think that I can see how these complement each other.

* Initiative is defined as “the ability to assess and initiate things independently.” Those with a leadership mindset do not wait to be told what to do. They do things. Now, a key to this is that they do the “right” thing, and that is where the “assess” part of this definition comes into play. To refer back to my previous podcast, does the person have a history of making accurate assessments and then taking the right action? I’m reminded of the sons of Isaachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32. They were “men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.”

* Secondly, a strong desire to learn and grow is vital to the development of emerging leaders.  You may have heard it said that “leaders are learners,” and I believe this is quite true. As I am on the lookout for emerging leaders, I pay attention to see which men and women have inquisitive minds and an interest in learning about new subjects or developing new skills. They do not shy away from the hard work and the time required to grow in both their capability and their capacity.

* Closely related to my second point is the importance of new leaders being teachable. Proverbs 1:5 instructs us to “let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.” Young leaders must have the humility (I spoke about this last month) to listen and learn, AND they need to be discerning about the counsel they receive. As I observe and assess new leaders, one of the things I look for is to see who their mentors are. Who is advising them? Do they have good role models to follow?

I will continue my thoughts on characteristics to look for in emerging leaders in my next podcast.  

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.