The biblical hero Nehemiah learned about a significant need. He was told that the wall surrounding the city of Jerusalem was in shambles, and the people were unable to protect themselves and prosper. So, he decided to rebuild the wall. (The Old Testament book of Nehemiah tells the story.)
Nehemiah became a great leader. If you want to become a leader, I recommend studying his life.
To become a leader, you need four things.
1. Character
You need to develop character. This requires knowing what is true and what is good. It requires rejecting what is not good (vices). It requires doing what is good with the right motives. It requires loving the right things in the proper order. It requires taking God seriously and seeking his will for your life.
Developing character is hard work, but it is necessary if you want to live and lead well.
2. Vision
You need to develop vision. This means becoming aware of what matters most, including what is true and what is good, and what needs to be done.
One way to gain vision is to read about leaders. This has been done for thousands of years. You can pick up a biography about a leader, and learn about their successes, failures, strengths, weaknesses, and how they learned from their mistakes.
I recommend reading about all kinds of leaders, including: missionaries, business leaders, scientists, pastors, and politicians. This will grow your vision.
3. Responsibility
You need to take responsibility. They are not passive. They take action and are proactive. The Bible is full of leaders who took responsibility and did hard things because they saw what needed to be done.
4. Charisma
You need to develop charisma. However, I do want to be careful here. Most people get charisma wrong. They think it requires appearing or sounding cool. They think it’s a kind of stage presence. They think it’s all about people skills, or always having the right thing to say. But rightly understood, charisma is a God-given gift that can be developed with effort. At it’s core, charisma comes from a genuine concern for the needs of those around you.
Leadership opportunities
While you are in middle school, I recommend looking for simple ways to serve people. Start noticing needs. Start looking for ways to help people. Here are some ideas:
- Volunteer at a kids’ camp
- Learn how to teach younger kids something useful at a scouting or adventure camp
- If you know a subject well, help a younger student learn it
- Become a coach in a youth league
The better you get at identifying needs and helping others, the more likely you will become a leader.