Eight Traits of Legacy Leaders

Two weeks ago, I wrote on the six levels of leadership based on research I gathered while writing my book Breakout Churches. With today's article, I want to examine the eight traits we found in Legacy Leaders.

To review, the six levels of leadership were:

The Called Leader The Contributing Leader The Outwardly-Focused Leader The Passionate Leader The Bold Leader The Legacy Leader

I am reluctant to articulate the characteristics in a step-by-step fashion for fear that some may take the information and reduce it to a quick-fix formula and that others may see this approach as human-centered, denying the reality of a sovereign God. Neither of these potential concerns reflects my intent. Nevertheless, a very clear pattern developed in the research.

Keep in mind that it is the total and the composition of these traits that distinguish Legacy Leaders from comparison leaders. Since the research was on churches, these are specific to pastors, but many, if not all, may be applied in the business world as well. These are also ordered logically rather than by importance.

1. Fierce Biblical Faithfulness

Legacy Leaders do far more than merely believe the truth claims of Scripture; they also passionately live out their beliefs. In our research, we found many leaders that claimed to believe the Bible as the inerrant, infallible Word of God. But far too often we found little fruit or ministry that backed up that belief. Belief in the authority of Scripture is requisite for church leaders. But Legacy Leaders both believe and act upon their belief.

2. Tenure

Legacy Leaders are willing and even want to have long-term ministries in one setting. Many churches are mired in unhealthy structures and traditions that cannot be reversed in a short period. Legacy Leaders have a long-term view of ministry and are ever persistent in moving the church forward.

3. Confident Humility

Part of this was evidenced in the leadership jump from Level 3 to Level 4. That seemed to be the point we noticed leaders becoming confident in their ability to lead. But the more important aspect, humility, was evidenced in the jump from Level 5 to Level 6. We found Legacy Leaders' confidence centered on what God was doing in their lives and less on their own inherent abilities.

4. Acceptance of Responsibility

Many leaders face difficult decisions and deal with difficult people. But the contrast between a Legacy Leader and others is stark. Weak leaders blame people and circumstances. Legacy Leaders refuse to blame their circumstances or competitors. They accept the responsibility that comes with being a leader and see God's possibilities in even difficult situations.

5. Unconditional Love of People

Despite the pains and trials they experience, Legacy Leaders express a love for their people. Many view the model of Christ's unconditional love to be emblematic for their own ministries. And although they cannot match the love of Christ in its depth, they can demonstrate it in their unconditional acceptance of all their followers.

6. Persistence

An obvious parallel exists between persistence and long tenure. Persistence differs in that it includes the fulfillment of goals regardless of the time needed to complete the task. Persistent, never-say-die leadership is a key difference found in Legacy Leaders. Giving up may be tempting to them, but it's never an option.

7. Outwardly-Focused Vision

Legacy Leaders don't just grasp vision, communicate vision, and implement vision. They consistently have a vision that is outwardly-focused. The key component of their vision is to reach those not yet a part of what they are leading. The vision they communicate inevitably reflects the priority of having others join in their mission.

8. A Desire for a Lasting Legacy

One of the key distinguishing marks of a Legacy Leader is the desire to see their organization do well and make a difference beyond the time of their leadership. The ambition and drive of these leaders cannot be denied. And that ambition is not limited to their personal successes. They are ambitious for their organization to be thriving and healthy well beyond their time of service and beyond even their lifetimes.

Again, this list is not exhaustive, but these eight traits are vital to excellence in leadership.