What is a leader?

We are constantly telling our boys that they are leaders. The other day we asked them who they thought were leaders in their life and I wrote them down. The list ranged from young to old. After that we asked them to name one thing that makes that person a good leader in their eyes. Here is the list:

Kind
Loving
Christian
Doesn't yell
Listens to authority
Gives instruction
Teaches
Puts God before everything
He doesn't smoke
Wise
Trusts in God
Listens to his parents
Puts others before himself
He puts God before himself
Humble
Not afraid to give honor to God
Bold
Lives the right way
Prays
Relies completely on God
Does the right thing even when know one is looking
Sets healthy boundaries
Makes family a priority

After we made this list I said to each of them "YOU are kind, YOU are loving, YOU ..." all the way down the list. I think it is important for my boys to know that being a leader is going to look different for each of them because of their personalities, but there are standards that good leaders live by that make them the same. We are all raising leaders. We need to nurture that in them. Some may lead in front and some may lead from behind. Some are quiet and some are loud. The mightiest leader of all is the humble man who seeks after God's own heart.