Healthy Leaders | Issue 31
Introducing the 5Cs of healthy leadership.
Welcome to Issue 31 of Healthy Leaders. In this issue: the 5Cs of healthy Christian leadership.
Hello friends,
Welcome back to our ongoing conversation1 on healthy Christian leadership and leader development.
All of us have some idea of what an exemplary Christian leader looks like, either because we’ve known them personally, have heard about them from others, or have read about them in the Bible.
So here’s the most important question: what characteristics do these leaders have? Take a moment to write as many of these characteristics down as you can. You could even drop a few of them into the comments.
Now let’s hear from Malcolm.
According to our ConneXions “5C” Model, a healthy Christian leader knows God (Christ), was formed and lives in supportive and accountable community (Community), has integrity (Character), knows the purpose of God and presents it with credibility, clarity and passion (Calling), and has the necessary gifts, skills and knowledge to lead the people in the accomplishment of this purpose (Competencies) — and is continually growing in all five areas.
So, how are you doing in each of these areas?
You might know exactly which area you need to work on, but if you’re looking for clarity, we recommend our 5C Checkpoint tool. It uses 57 tested indicators to help you evaluate your spiritual life, relationships, character, vision, and competencies — helping you to get a clear picture of your strengths and the areas in which you need to grow.
Here’s the good news: regardless of where you are with each of these 5Cs, you can grow.
For one participant in our trainings, a youth leader in Cameroon, calling was the primary area he wanted to work on – but he got more than he bargained for. He initially approached one of our team members to find out how he could know God’s will for his life as a Christian and a leader. He had been struggling for a long while to figure out his calling and how he could serve the Lord Jesus. He wanted fulfilment in serving God, but could not identify how to find it.
Here’s what he had to say after the first part of the training:
“I have been trying by my own effort and conventional ways to both know what God has called me to do, and to do it. After all of these years I still felt unsatisfied with what I had done so far. I thank God for the Healthy Leader Program. It has opened my eyes to the key to leadership and every other thing in life and ministry. I now know that for me to know my calling and serve my community well I must depend fully on God, maintain and nurture my union with Christ, and enjoy daily fellowship with Him.”
Notably, for this leader, his sense of calling was actually rooted in His growth in Christ — the first and most essential of the 5Cs. All of the other Cs revolve around this one.
“I have learned that the only way to not get exhausted in leadership is to never replace or exchange my fellowship and intimacy with God for whatever task, opportunity, or goal I wish to achieve. I am so happy to have discovered the one thing that gives leadership success and stamina – union with Christ. I am making every effort now to be in union with Christ and depend on Him, so that out of these I will lead His people well.”
Our prayer for this brother and for every Christian leader we encounter is that they would truly live out the reality of union with the Lord Jesus, and influence others to live likewise!
What about you?
We’d love to hear which areas you decide to work on in particular — and if you share them with us, chances are we’ve got a design specifically for that area!
Until next time, we’re with you!
— Chris
Recommended Resources
Thanks to our friends at Fifty-Four Collective for putting together a comprehensive set of video courses for growing healthy organizations, starting with this series of courses on leadership by Malcolm. We’ll be using some of their videos and some of our own. Be sure to check out what they’re doing!