Think You're a Leader? Test These 3 Traits.

YouTube Version (If You'd Rather Watch 👉) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSKX2ERuv-s

Today, we’re looking at three traits that great leaders have.

And no, we’re not talking about things like communication, or delegation, or time management.

We’re talking about something much deeper and way more powerful.

As a student of leadership, I can confidently tell you that whether it’s the great leaders of history or great leaders of our modern day, you will 100% find evidence of all of these traits in every great leader.

Now, some people are naturally wired up with these three traits, maybe that’s you, but others have to develop them over time.

What matters is that you walk away from this episode knowing exactly what these three traits are, why they matter, and how you can cultivate them in your own life.

Because here’s the thing, we can’t do anything great with our life and leadership if we don’t fully embrace these three traits.

You might as well throw out any other leadership know-how you have if you don’t fully embrace what we’re going to talk about today.

That’s why this episode is so important.

POINT 1: ACTION

Last year, I visited the Churchill War Rooms in London.

Winston Churchill is primarily known for his leadership as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II and for his efforts in guiding Britain through some of its darkest hours, contributing to the Allied victory.

From 1940 to 1945, the War Rooms served as the command center for Britain's military operations during World War II.

This is where Churchill delivered speeches, held meetings, chain-smoked cigars, and worked with strategists to win the war.

It’s completely underground, hidden away, and it’s entirely made up of these dimly lit corridors and tiny rooms.

Their work was often conducted during air raids thudding above.

In my time there, I was most struck by the Map Room.

The Map Room was staffed day and night. It was in this room that some of the most important strategic decisions of the war were planned.

It was in this room that Churchill spent the entirety of D-Day. And only a handful of people even knew this room existed.

It was from this room that Churchill embodied his own famous words,

"We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender… Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be."

It’s an inspiring place to visit.

I was deeply moved by my experience there.

At the end of the museum tour, I purchased a sign that bore one of Churchill’s daily sayings: “Action this Day.”

For whatever reason, this one line stood out to me.

It messed with me.

Churchill's use of the phrase "Action This Day" is famous for symbolizing his commitment to swift and decisive action.

It became his personal leadership motto, stamped on documents, urging immediate attention and resolution to pressing matters.

Churchill understood that leadership demanded action.

It’s interesting: I walked away from that museum, burdened.

Not primarily by the war that Churchill had to fight, but by the burden of leadership.

Maybe you can relate to that.

The war between good and evil is constantly raging all around us, and you have a part to play in that.

Every day I see that sign, “Action this Day,” I’m reminded of what a leader does.

A leader takes action.

That’s the first trait we need to take away from today.

But this is easier said than done.

It may seem simple, but it’s not.

I think we’d all like to think we're action-oriented people, but if we’re honest, we struggle with it, don’t we?

Taking action is the hard road.

It takes energy, it takes force, it takes intentionality, it takes decision making, it takes confidence, it takes a lot…

You know what doesn’t “take” anything at all?

Being passive.

That’s easy.

Choosing passivity is the path that most people take.

And I don’t blame them.

It keeps you out of trouble, out of criticism, and out of the line of fire.

It keeps you comfortable and keeps the status quo.

But do we really want to sit back and be passive while the world goes to hell?

Is that the life we want?

Or are we going to choose to take action?

A leader takes action.

Now, to be clear, being action-oriented isn’t about being constantly active, or constantly busy, or constantly on the move; it's about intentionality.

It’s about taking the right path rather than the easy path.

It’s about standing in the gap.

And here’s the thing, leadership isn’t just about cultivating this in your own life.

That’s certainly where it all starts, but that’s not what leadership is ultimately about.

A leader’s job is to help others become action-oriented as well.

That’s hard.

But that’s why our second trait is so important.

Let’s turn to that now.

POINT 2: PASSION

Let’s look at another leader who embodies the second trait.

Let’s see if you see any of this trait in yourself.

This particular leader began their journey in a small town where they first witnessed the harsh realities of life for the poor and destitute.

This leader, like Churchill, decided to take action.

But it wasn’t action alone that drove them.

It all began with passion.

A passion to serve the “poorest of the poor.”

And that passion grew so intense that it quickly became a global movement.

In fact, this leader was often criticized for their intensity.

Most people think of intensity and imagine autocratic, dictatorial leaders waving a fat finger around and barking orders.

But I bet they don’t often imagine this particular individual.

And yet, it was precisely this intense passion that made Mother Teresa such a great leader.

And if you’ve ever studied her life and ministry, you know just how passionate she really was.

She founded the “Missionaries of Charity” with just 12 members in 1950, and even after her passing in 1997, her vision continued to expand, serving over a million people annually through hundreds of soup kitchens, children's homes, and clinics worldwide.

With more than 5,000 nuns operating in over 130 countries now, they provide free care to the “poorest of the poor,” including the dying, lepers, and abandoned.

If Churchill showed us the power of action, Mother Teresa showed us the power of passion.

You see, people don’t ultimately follow talented or successful people.

They follow passionate people.

That’s why this is so important.

If you partner the power of action with the power of passion.

Oh. My. Goodness.

But you know, we’re not done; leadership goes beyond just being action-oriented and passionate.

Mother Teresa said, “God has not called me to be successful, He has called me to be faithful.”

And that is our teaser into the third trait great leaders have.

POINT 3: PERSEVERANCE

About ten years ago, I was on a long flight.

I was looking over the movie selection on the plane, and I came across this new movie that had just come out.

It was some kind of war movie.

I knew nothing about it, but I figured I’d give it a try.

Little did I know how transformative that movie would be for me.

I’ll never forget it.

The movie is based on a true story of a medic in World War II, named Desmond T. Doss.

Doss was a man of deep faith and strong conviction.

He so believed in the sanctity of life that he refused to carry a weapon during the war.

Doss’s entire story climaxes in one dramatic night during his wartime service.

It was 1945, at the Battle of Okinawa. It was one of the most intense battles in the Pacific. Heavy casualties.

The American troops were facing some tough resistance. Countless soldiers got injured and were stuck in a vulnerable and dangerous position as evening approached.

But Doss hadn’t given up.

Without hesitation, he ran into the battlefield and began pulling wounded soldiers out of harm's way one by one.

You can imagine the chaos of enemy fire all around, and the fear that any moment could be his last.

But that didn’t stop Doss.

After he pulled one soldier to safety, he’d run back for another.

With each soldier, he would single-handedly have to lower them down a 400-foot cliff to safety using nothing more than a rope as a pulley system.

Time and again, he would carry them out of the battlefield, lower them to safety, and then go back for another, never knowing if he would survive or have the strength to keep going.

But he kept going. Again, and again.

The whole time, he’d pray, asking God to help him save just one more.

In that one heroic night, Desmond Doss is credited with saving over 75 wounded soldiers.

He was awarded the Medal of Honor.

The movie is called Hacksaw Ridge.

You might have some sweaty eyes after it.

The story of Desmond Doss is a powerful example of something perhaps even more powerful than action and passion: Perseverance.

Can you keep going even when you’re going through hell?

What keeps you going?

For Doss, his perseverance wasn’t fueled by a pursuit of money, success, or fame.

It was fueled by something much deeper, richer, and more powerful.

His perseverance was fueled by his faith in God and his belief in the sanctity of life.

He couldn’t fathom leaving a soldier behind.

So he kept fighting, just to save one more.

To persevere through the hardest, darkest moments, we need a deep, powerful reason to keep going.

It can’t be shallow. It can’t be vain.

So, what is your reason?

What keeps you going even through the hard times?

You know, I’m pretty open with this community that I’m a Christian.

My faith in Jesus is my reason.

That’s why I do what I do.

That’s what keeps me going, even in the hard times.

It’s what anchors me.

What’s yours?

Well, my friend.

Lead with action, lead with passion, and lead with perseverance.

As always, keep fighting the good fight.

And I’ll see you again real soon.