The word leader often carries a heavy weight. For many women, it conjures images of glass ceilings, podiums, or high-stakes corporate boardrooms. If that doesn’t look like your life, you might be tempted to say, “I am just not a leader.”
However, leadership is not defined by a title or a stage; it is defined by influence. Whether you are navigating the halls of a workplace, the aisles of a grocery store, the pews of a church, or the rooms of your own home, you are leading someone. As a follower of Christ, your calling is to “shine like stars” (Phil. 2:15) in whatever corner of the world He has placed you.
If you are wondering how to move from “accidental” influence to intentional, Christ-centered leadership, here are seven signs that you are a leader.
Signs You are a Leader
1. You Anchor Your Identity in Divine Purpose.
A true leader understands that her why is more important than her what. God did not place you in this specific era of history or this specific zip code by accident. He meticulously wove together your spiritual gifts, natural talents, and unique personality to meet the needs of the culture around you.
Leadership begins when you realize it’s more about the kingdom than it is about you. When you spend time with the Lord daily, you stop asking “What do I want to do?” and start asking “Who have You called me to be?”
2. You Model the “Upside-Down” Heart of a Servant.
The world defines leadership through power and prestige, but Jesus redefined it through a towel and a basin. In Matthew 20, Jesus made it clear: to be great, you must be a servant.
A Christ-centered leader leads with compassion and authenticity. This doesn’t mean becoming a doormat or neglecting “soul care,” but it does mean laying down your preferences for the good of others. When you prioritize the growth of those around you over your own ego, you are moving in the footsteps of the greatest Leader.
3. You Prioritize Spiritual Transformation Over Tasks.
It is easy to get caught up in the doing of ministry or work, but a leader focuses on the becoming. Every environment you enter—from the office to the gym—is a mission field.
When you lead through the Spirit, you overflow with the fruit mentioned in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. People are drawn to that fruit. Eventually, your quiet influence turns into vocal discipleship. You become a source of help for spiritual matters, leading others toward Bible study, accountability, and the life-changing community of the gospel.
4. You Lead with the Exit in Mind.
The ultimate test of leadership is what happens when you are no longer in the room. A kingdom leader understands she is a temporary steward, not a permanent owner. Like the apostle Paul, who poured his life into Timothy, a leader invests her knowledge into the next generation.
Paul’s mandate in 2 Timothy 2:2 is the gold standard: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (NIV).
Contrast Paul with the generation of Joshua. While Joshua was a great leader, Judges 2:10 records a tragic breakdown: after his generation passed, “another generation rose up who did not know the LORD.” A leader ensures the fire doesn’t die with her; she hands off the baton with intentionality.
5. You Have Eyes to See the Potential in Others.
If you want to invest in the future, you must become a talent scout for the kingdom. A leader doesn’t just see people for who they are; she sees them for who they could be in Christ.
Do you notice the quiet woman in the back with a gift for hospitality? Do you see the young professional with a knack for teaching? Part of your calling is to:
- Strengthen their sense of calling.
- Invite them to serve alongside you.
- Release them to take the reins while you provide support from the sidelines.
6. You Balance Vision with Remembrance.
Leadership requires looking in two directions at once.
- Looking forward: You embrace God’s vision. You pray for a holy imagination to see what He wants to accomplish through your life and your community.
- Looking backward: You remember God’s faithfulness. In the Old Testament, leaders raised Ebenezer stones—memorials of help.
When the present gets difficult, a leader looks back at those “stones” of past deliverance. This historical perspective provides the endurance needed to keep pressing toward the future vision.
7. You Guard Your Private Intimacy with God.
Of all the signs you are a leader, this is the most critical. You cannot give what you do not have. Jesus stated that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).
Your public influence will never outpace your private devotion. If you are not spending time in the Word—studying, praying, and listening—your leadership will eventually run dry. As Oswald Chambers profoundly noted: “The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and oneness with Him.”1
The Verdict: Are You a Leader?
The answer is a resounding yes.
These signs you are a leader show us the question is not if you are leading, but where you are taking people. Your effectiveness and the legacy you leave behind depend on what you do with your influence today.
Take a moment today to ask the Lord to sharpen your spiritual eyes. Whether you are changing diapers, managing a team, or mentoring a friend, do it with the heart of a leader who knows she is serving the King of kings. The icing on the cake is the deep, abiding joy that comes from being exactly who God created you to be.
Now that you know the signs you are a leader, check out this article on how to walk in humility and confidence as a leader.
About Chris Adams
Chris Adams is an author, speaker, blogger, and women’s ministry consultant. She retired in 2017 after serving over twenty-two years as the Women’s Ministry Specialist at Lifeway Christian Resources in Nashville, Tennessee. Chris helped pioneer women’s ministry as we know it today and compiled three women’s leadership books: Women Reaching Women, Transformed Lives, and Women Reaching Women in Crisis.
Prior to her employment at Lifeway, she was the special ministries coordinator at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, overseeing women’s ministry and missions education.
When Chris is not consulting, speaking to women, or training women’s ministry leaders, you can find her reading, being with family, or spending time at the beach. She married Pat in 1971, and they have twin daughters, two sons-in-law, fourteen grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. She recently became a Yorkie mom again for the third time. A self-proclaimed chocolate connoisseur, Chris is famous for her toffee.
Work Cited
- Oswald Chambers, “Worship,” My Utmost for His Highest, January 6, https://utmost.org/updated/worship/.
