1. The leader must be willing to stretch and grow himself and keep on growing. If you stop growing you stop leading.
2. The leader must seek and find leaders and potential leaders to add to the team. "Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch." (Acts 11:25-26)
3. It is very important for the leader to mentor these emerging leaders. They should be exposed to great books (past and present), great places, great events and great people. They should find great ideas in you, the leader. They should be given opportunities that will cause them to stretch and grow, and even fail once in a while. Sometimes we can learn more from a failure than we can from a win.
Effective Mentors Must Be:
- Successful in their area of expertise. If it doesn’t work don’t reproduce it.
- Secure in who they are. (John 1:27) Not intimidated by those who are greater or different to you.
- Generous and able to see potential in others (Prov 20:5; Prov 11:24-25).
- Willing to take a risk on people. Barnabas took a risk on Paul when no one else would (Acts 9:26-27).
- Have a passion for personal growth and maturity.
- Be willing to work hard and sacrifice (Romans 12:1).
- Be willing to step out in faith taking the necessary opportunities and risks.
- Be faithful with that which is another man’s (Luke 16:12).
When should a leader start looking for a replacement? Immediately!
Much of the responsibility is placed on the trainee-Elisha wouldn’t leave Elijah even when Elijah told him to go. Joshua stayed close to and wouldn’t leave Moses; somehow these men knew their destinies were linked together.
Effective Mentors are:
- Good Models for people to follow (1Cor11:1).
- Good Mentors with people, they make deposits into the lives of others.
- Good Motivators of people, knowing how to speak to a person’s potential and draw it out. (2Tim 1:7-8).
- Good Ministers to people, having a servants heart.
- Good Managers of people that know how to make and maintain healthy relationships.
- Good Multipliers of leaders and mentors because they understand the importance of reproduction.
Reproduction is the principle of life. A Church or organization with only one leader soon disappears.
The Apostle Paul said to Timothy, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).
Yours for an Army of effective Long Term Mentors and Leaders.
Dr George Hill
Apostolic Founder and President of Victory Churches International