A Leader with Lasting Impact
This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position.” A church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach.
1 Timothy 3:1-2
A LEADER WITH LASTING IMPACT
We live in a culture that often measures leadership by competency: your talent, your skill level, how well you can perform, produce, and deliver results. Skill and talent are important; however, God’s blueprint for leadership begins somewhere entirely different.
Don’t miss this:
In 1 Timothy 3:1–2, Paul describes the qualifications for a church leader. Yet these same qualifications apply in coaching, scouting, and even to corporate CEOs. What’s striking is that the first several requirements in this passage have nothing to do with skill, talent, ability, or competence. Instead, they focus entirely on character and relationships.
• Character
“Above reproach,” “faithful,” “self-controlled,” “wise,” “good reputation.” These speak to who you are when no one is watching, how consistent your integrity is, and how well you steward the trust others place in you. Character is the foundation of influence. Without it, the platform collapses.
• Chemistry (Relationships)
“Enjoy having guests,” “faithful to his wife.” Leadership isn’t just about leading or managing people; it’s about liking people. It’s about loving people. It’s about genuinely caring for people. A leader who can’t connect with others will struggle to inspire them. They don’t prioritize getting to know their team members. They’re distant. They’re absent. Kindness, empathy, and genuine care for those you lead are non-negotiable.
• Finally, Competency
“Able to teach.” Skills matter, but they come after character and chemistry. A leader can have incredible ability, talent, and skill, but without integrity and relational trust, that ability will have no lasting impact.
-
Character – Who you truly are before God.
-
Chemistry – How you care for and connect with people.
-
Competency – What you can do with excellence.
Listen closely: All leaders are different. There is diversity. However, all great leaders lead with character (who you are when no one is looking) and chemistry (relationships). Failure is inevitable, but when you build your leadership around character and chemistry, your leadership won’t just impress—it will endure, with lasting impact and sustained influence.
Character—Chemistry—Competency
Three qualifications that lead to lasting impact as a leader.
Love God. Love People. Live Sent.
Be Worth Being.
Kevin
Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 44 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.