Yesterday I gave an address on “Positive Leadership” at a URC Conference for Pastors and Elders. In my first point I argued that “A Positive Leader is a Cheerful Leader.”

When people think of you, what image or picture immediately comes into their minds? When they hear your name, it’s as if a little passport picture of you pops out of their mental files. What does that picture look like? Is it glum, sad, hopeless, and depressed? Or is it happy, joyful, and cheerful? Or is it robot neutrality – a Stoic of the Stoics?

The positive leader possesses and projects a happy attitude and appearance. He’s not Mr Happy-Happy-Happy all the time-time-time; he knows there is a time for sobriety and sorrow. But on the whole he is Mr Optimist rather than Mr Pessimist.

Silver linings
He enjoys his work, he looks forward to each day (or most days), and he tries to find the silver lining on the darkest clouds, a smiling face behind the darkest providence.

He faces problems in the church and in individual lives with optimistic hope, trusting that God’s Word and Spirit can make the most impossible situation possible.

Joy of the Lord
His cheerfulness is not a matter of natural temperament, although most people God chooses to be leaders do have a happier disposition. The joy of the Lord is His strength. He builds His happiness out of His knowledge and experience of God. He rejoices in his own salvation by grace, his own fellowship with the Lord, his knowledge of God’s Word, and his divine calling to the ministry.

A sunny character and joy-filled words attract people and empower them. Much easier to follow such a person than someone whose looks like a Tornado and who speaks like an undertaker.

  • Dave Sarafolean

    I’d love to hear what you had to say. Is there a link? If not, is there a PDF?

    • http://headhearthand.org/blog/ David Murray

      A summary is going up in installments.