As godly men, we appreciate strong, godly leadership. But even more, God calls us to develop Christian leadership qualities in our own lives. The culture around us needs to see what leadership in the Bible looks like—humble, servant-hearted, and rooted in God’s truth—regardless of our titles or positions.
And God has called us to paint an accurate picture for them.
You Are a Leader
As we consider Bible verses about leadership qualities, we can look at two institutions God created: the family and the church. In each case, godly men are recognized as important leaders. At home, husbands and fathers are called to be the primary disciplers of their family members (Deuteronomy 6).
For the church, the apostle Paul wrote a lot about what godly leadership should look like. In two separate letters to younger pastors, Paul provided a list of qualities that should define Christian leaders (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus1:5-9). In each case, Christian leaders are defined by their strong moral compass, generosity, love, and faithfulness.
But don’t let these lists fool you. While Jesus holds church leaders to a high standard, He also expects each believer to live above reproach. You don’t need a fancy title or powerful position to be a leader. You simply need to influence people; and, for godly men, that means nurturing Christian leadership qualities in your life each day.
Learning from Biblical Leaders
When I was in seminary, I learned about the effectiveness of case studies in leadership development. The premise is pretty simple. When you’re trying to solve a problem, you look for an example of a person or organization that has already solved that problem. Then you study their example and look for principles or practices you can replicate in your own situation. Since every leadership situation is unique, you may not do everything exactly like the subject of the case study did; but principles provide a foundation for moving forward.
When it comes to developing Christian leadership qualities, you can find a lot of helpful “case studies” in Scripture. God has been calling leaders for thousands of years, and He has shared many of their stories in the Bible. Even though they lived long ago, the virtues that shaped their lives offer guidance for developing godly leadership today.
Below, I’ve identified 10 godly leaders from God’s Word. You can study their stories more deeply and apply them to your particular situation. And while many of their best character qualities overlap, each of them reveals something special that we can learn about being a godly leader.
Abraham: Walk By Faith
Abraham trusted God even when it didn’t make sense. When God told him to move to a new land, Abraham obeyed. And when the Lord promised to give him a son in his old age and turn that family tree into a great nation, Abraham didn’t flinch. He believed God’s words, and God accepted him as righteous because of his faith (Genesis 12:1-9; 15:1-6).
For Christian men, genuine leadership starts with faith. Of course, the first step to living by faith is accepting God’s offer of salvation through Jesus. Once that piece of the puzzle is in place, we have to live it out each day. Like Abraham, we need to trust God fully, even if it doesn’t always make sense to us.
Moses: Demonstrate Humility
Nobody likes an arrogant, self-centered leader. In contrast, most of us will run through a wall for leaders who demonstrate humility and genuine concern for the people they lead. The Bible says that Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3). That’s quite a statement to make about anyone in a leadership role.
Moses was humble because he understood that he was not really the boss. Yes, he led millions through the wilderness to the promised land, and he performed some incredible miracles along the way. But he never forgot that God was the Source of it all. When you allow God to be first in your life as a godly leader, it’s hard not to live with humility.
Joshua: Meditate On God’s Word
Joshua had some incredibly big sandals to fill. For four decades, Moses had led the people. He had been their faithful prophet and their wise advisor. But now, on the border of the promised land, Joshua represented a new generation of leadership, a generation that would oversee military campaigns and conquer enemies.
As you might expect, Joshua wrestled with self-doubt. He wondered if he was up for the challenge. But both God (Joshua 1:1-6) and the Israelites (Joshua 1:16-18) urged him to be “strong and courageous.” Plus, God challenged Joshua to be a man of His Word (Joshua 1:8). If we spend time studying and meditating on Scripture, we will learn God’s ways. And godly leadership is all about doing things God’s way for God’s glory.
David: Admit Your Mistakes
David’s story of developing Christian leadership qualities sounds like it came from Hollywood. In a true “little guy makes good” narrative, we see David rise from shepherding sheep to leading a nation. And, like other leaders in the Bible, he knew God always was working His plans behind the scenes.
David wasn’t perfect, though. Despite his faith, he made some disastrous personal choices as king (2 Samuel 11–12; 1 Chronicles 21). He suffered for those decisions, and his people suffered as well. But David also understood the power of coming clean, confessing your sin as a leader. Psalm 51 represents the power of a godly leader who is willing to admit when he was wrong and seek forgiveness.
Isaiah: Do The Hard Things
Throughout the Bible, God’s prophets provide a great example of Christian leadership qualities. For example, Isaiah willingly submitted to God’s call on his life (Isaiah 6:1-8). He volunteered before he even saw the job description, which is inspiring. However, the job description was discouraging (Isaiah 6:9-13).
God said no one would listen to Isaiah’s message. For the rest of his life, the prophet would point the people to God, and they would respond by hardening their hearts even more. Bible verses about Christian leadership teach us that obedience means doing the hard things. That will look different for each of us, but frustration can be the common denominator. Thankfully. we can lean into God, knowing that faithfulness is the godly leadership quality He values most.
Daniel: Grow Where You’re Planted
Through no fault of his own, Daniel ended up a long way from home, a Hebrew serving in the court of a Babylonian king. But he didn’t let his situation stymie his spiritual growth or his leadership growth. In fact, Daniel’s godly leadership qualities led to his promotion over others during the reigns of multiple pagan rulers (Daniel 1:19-21; 2:48-49; 6:1-5).
As men committed to godly leadership, we have a responsibility to grow wherever God plants us. For Daniel, that was Babylon. For us, it’s going to be a different context. But guys who pursue Christian leadership principles look to see where God is at work in their circumstances and join Him there.
Nehemiah: Start With Prayer
Nehemiah wanted to help the Jewish refugees in Jerusalem, but he had a problem. He worked for the most powerful man in the world. So, before he did anything else, Nehemiah prayed (Nehemiah 1:1-11). Later, when he got the chance to share his plan with the king, he prayed again (Nehemiah 2:1-5).
Throughout the book of Nehemiah, we see a man who prayed at every turn. Whether it was rebuilding the walls of a city or dealing wisely with troublemakers, Nehemiah asked God for help—and God responded. As godly leaders, we need to immerse ourselves in prayer. Regardless of what the Lord calls us to fulfill, we can’t do it without Him. Prayer keeps us connected and engrains Christian leadership principles into our lives.
Peter: Take Risks
Leadership requires taking chances. While there is wisdom in analyzing our situations and trying to eliminate as much risk as possible, we can never completely escape potential hazards. Since we can’t predict the future, we understand that things could go off the rails.
But Peter’s life and ministry reveal a godly leader who was willing to take calculated risks if they would help people know Jesus better. In the Gospels, Peter walked on the water (Matthew 14:22-33) and confessed Jesus as the Messiah (Mark 8:27-30). In the book of Acts, he stared down the religious leaders who crucified Jesus (Acts 3–5) and put his reputation on the line by sharing the gospel with a Gentile (Acts 10–11). Peter took risks for the glory of God. That’s what Bible verses about leadership challenge us to do as well.
Barnabas: Live Generously
Barnabas was a generous man, and his generosity seeped into his leadership style. Financially, he provided for those in the early church who were not as fortunate (Acts 4:36-37). Personally, he used his time and his reputation to support a new believer with a sketchy past (Acts 9:26-30). That new believer later became known as the apostle Paul.
Godly leadership involves investing in the growth of others. We are stewards of all the gifts that God has given us, and He expects us to use them for His glory. Like Barnabas, Christian leaders serve as channels of His blessings to those we lead through our time, our gifts, and our finances.
Paul: Run With Passion
As mentioned, Paul had a sketchy background that included persecuting Christians. But once he met the Messiah (Acts 9), he pursued Jesus with a passion. His faith in Christ meant he never feared any human, and he never backed down from the obstacles and opponents he faced during his ministry.
Paul’s goal was to avoid being “disqualified” as a minister and as a Christ follower (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). As a result, toward the end of his life, he could say that he had run his race well (2 Timothy 4:12). Since godly leadership is rooted in our relationship with Christ, we need to run with the same kind of passion. We get off the bench, and we leave nothing on the field.
The Ultimate Leader
Of course, the greatest case study for Christian leadership principles remains Jesus Himself. He is the ultimate Leader, and He is the One we strive to imitate as believers. His leadership style should set the standard for all we say and do as godly leaders.
So, how did Jesus lead? By serving others. He told His followers that He did not come to earth to be served (Mark 10:45). Instead, He came to serve in a sacrificial way that eventually took Him to the cross. He provided the greatest example of leadership by providing the greatest example of love (John 15:12-13).
If we’re going to learn and live out Christian leadership qualities, we’re going to serve and we’re going to sacrifice. That’s the way Jesus did it, and that’s the only way we’ll succeed in practicing godly leadership today.
