Leadership Principles

Here is a condensed version from Henry & Richard Blackaby’s book, “Spiritual Leadership” on the 21 Principles For Spiritual Leaders.


21 Principles For Spiritual Leaders

1. No experience, good or bad, is ever wasted.


2. People may apply for various leadership positions, but God is the one who ultimately determines which leadership roles they will have.


3. God’s assignments are always based on character – the greater the character, the greater assignment.


4. The role of spiritual leaders is not to dream up dreams for God, but to be the vanguard for their people in understanding God’s revelation.


5. The real key to God’s promises is not people or physical resources, but God.


6. The definitive measure of leaders’ success is whether they moved their people from where they were to where God wanted them to be.


7. In God’s eyes, how something is done is as important as what is done. The end does not justify the means in God’s kingdom.


8. God has a specific agenda for every person and every organization.


9. The single most important thing leaders should do is pray.


10. The reason there are not more great spiritual leaders in our day is that there are not more men and women willing to pay the price.


11. Effective leaders are sensitive to the nuances of their words.


12. A pessimistic leader is a contradiction in terms.


13. Leaders should pay close attention to their attitudes, for these serve as barometers to the condition of their hearts.


14. Spiritual leaders are not discouraged by their circumstances – they are informed by them.


15. Spiritual leaders make every decision with the awareness that one day they will give an account to God.


16. Once leaders clearly understand God’s will, deciding how to invest their time becomes much easier.


17. God does not give people more than they can handle, but people regularly assume responsibility for things they should not be doing.


18. The quantity of work leaders can accomplish is in direct proportion to their ability to delegate work to others.


19. Spiritual leaders cannot rush in and out of God’s presence.


20. Leaders don’t jump to conclusions. They process the facts and seek to determine the truth of their situation.


21. Spiritual leaders are not haphazard people. They are intentional.



“Where there is no leadership the people fall,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”
Proverbs 11:14