Spiritual leadership means showing people how to follow God’s ways so they can live out their God-given purpose.
Jesus showed us how to be humble, compassionate, courageous, obedient and willing to empower others.
To grow in spiritual leadership, you should read the Bible, pray, learn from other leaders, practice service and seek the fruit of the Spirit.
Spiritual leadership takes many forms. You could be a pastor caring for a church or an organizational leader influencing a team. You might be a parent leading your children or you could just be a faithful disciple, leading those around you to Christ.
Spiritual leadership isn’t about our position or even authority — it’s about pointing people to God, his ways and his plan. And we do that by following Jesus’ example. Let’s go deeper, together.
What Is Spiritual Leadership?
Spiritual leadership means helping people follow God by pointing them to who he is, guiding them in his plan and showing them how to practice his ways so they can grow in faith, walk in obedience and live out his purpose.
In other words, being a spiritual leader looks like serving others so they can grow in faith. In fact, Jesus said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43-45, NIV).
How do you help others grow in faith? Through your example, your words and your care.
Your example: It’s not about control; it’s about living in a way that visibly follows God. Your life influences and inspires others, showing them what obedience looks like.
Your words: It’s not about criticism; it’s about speaking truth and encouraging those you lead to grow in their God-given gifts. Your words help people believe what God says about them.
Your care: It’s not about leaving people to “figure it out on their own;” it’s about compassion and support. Your care helps them experience God’s love for them.
When people see God’s ways, know their identity in him and feel his love, they can trust God fully, know him deeply and follow his ways. That’s spiritual leadership — making disciples by walking with others as they grow in God.
Everyday Examples of Spiritual Leadership
Spiritual leadership looks different depending on who, how and where you lead. But the goal is the same: pointing people to their heavenly Father, his ways and his plan.
In the workplace: Choosing peace and hope when pressure rises, inspiring your team to do the same.
At home: Choosing patience when your children fail, helping them know they’re loved even in mistakes.
In the church: Choosing humility in unseen tasks (like cleaning the bathrooms), teaching others to serve for God’s glory, not their own.
Biblical Characteristics of a Leader: 5 Traits of Jesus
Your example, words and care can truly inspire those you lead. But how do you get it right? There’s one who came before us as our ultimate example of spiritual leadership — and his name is Jesus.
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. — 1 Peter 2:21, NIV
Let’s explore some important biblical characteristics of a leader. Not just any leader, but Jesus himself.
1. Humility
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others. — Philippians 2:3-4, NIV
Go ahead and read Philippians 2:1-11 (we’ll wait).
The Greek word for humility, tapeinophrosune, means “lowly of mind.” It isn’t about seeing yourself as worthless, but recognizing God’s greatness and our dependence on him so we don’t think of ourselves as better than others. This attitude helps us put others first instead of falling victim to “me, me, me.”
Jesus embodied humility. Though he was King, he chose to serve. He touched and healed those considered unclean, washed his disciples’ feet and gave his life for our sins despite his innocence. He consistently saw the needs of others and put them above his own, even unto death.
Why It’s Important: Humility helps you truly serve those you lead. Instead of feeling less than, people feel valued, seen and supported when you lead with humility. And that’s exactly the way God sees them.
2. Compassion That Inspires Action
Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. — Matthew 20:34, NIV
This is far from the only time Jesus’ compassion is talked about in Scripture. In Matthew 14:14, Jesus heals the sick. In Luke 7:13, Jesus’ “heart went out” to a grieving widow, inspiring him to raise her son back to life. And Romans 5:8 reminds us that even while we were sinners, Jesus died for us.
Compassion led Jesus to action. In fact, that’s the meaning of compassion: to see the suffering of others and take action to stop it. Jesus never ignored needs — he saw them and responded. Whether someone was hungry, sick or simply in need of encouragement, Jesus followed through.
Why It’s Important: Compassion moves you to listen, notice needs and respond with empathy, creating a space where people feel cared for and seen, mirroring God’s active love. They can trust that their needs will be met and that they have support as they walk with him.
3. Courage
Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” — Mark 14:61-62, NIV
In Mark, Jesus had a choice to make: tell the truth and honor God or lie to the Sanhedrin to save his life. With courage and boldness, he declared the truth, fully aware it would lead to his crucifixion.
Jesus lived courageously throughout his ministry. He confronted the Pharisees’ hypocrisy (Matthew 23:1-4), overturned tables to defend his Father’s house (John 2:13-17) and touched and healed those considered unclean (Matthew 8:3).
Jesus acted boldly without fear of backlash, driven by love for his Father and his people. And it’s a courage that ultimately brought redemption.
Why It’s Important: You’ll have moments that demand courage. Addressing conflict. Owning a mistake. Defending someone you lead. These moments require choosing what’s right over what’s easy, even if it costs you. Jesus’ example shows that honoring God creates a path for others to follow him, which is the heart of spiritual leadership.
4. Empowerment of Others
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. — Luke 9:1-2, NIV
Jesus didn’t keep his power to himself. He knew the gospel would spread only if others were equipped to share it. So he chose 12 ordinary men to walk with him, learn from him and carry the mission forward after his ascension.
Acts 2 shows the impact of that empowerment. One of his disciples, Peter, boldly preaches to a crowd of thousands. He explains the Holy Spirit and declares Jesus as the Messiah.
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. — Acts 2:41, NIV
Three thousand. Jesus’ choice to empower others meant the gospel could spread farther, faster and with greater power than any one person could manage alone. And that choice is still changing lives today.
Why It’s Important: Empowering others expands God’s work beyond what you can do alone. When you offer guidance and opportunity, people see their God-given gifts. As they use them, their influence grows, just like the disciples. It might look like letting your child lead family prayer or trusting a team member with a new project. As they learn and grow, they discover strengths they can use to bless others.
See how Compassion raises up and empowers leaders by watching Justine’s story.
5. Obedience to God’s Will
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross! — Philippians 2:8, NIV
If Jesus hadn’t gone to the cross — if he hadn’t been crucified, buried and resurrected — we would face eternal separation from God. No redemption. No forgiveness. No life.
But our heavenly Father had a plan, and he still has one for each of us. He knows what’s best for us today, tomorrow and forever, working all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
Does this mean his plan is easy? No. Does this mean we won’t face pain? Absolutely not. Jesus himself faced unimaginable pain on the cross. Yet he remained obedient, making a way for all of us to find forgiveness and life. Without his obedience, we’d be lost.
Why It’s Important: You can’t lead people toward God if you’re not aligned with his ways and commands. When you choose obedience, you lead others to life. Your surrender becomes an example that inspires others to seek God’s best, leading them to purpose and fulfillment only made possible through obedience.
5 Practical Ways to Grow in Spiritual Leadership
God doesn’t leave us to figure it all out on our own. He walks with us and gives us tools to help us grow in our spiritual leadership. If you’re ready to grow, here are some practical ways to do so.
1. Read the Word
Many spiritual disciplines can help us grow closer to God and learn to lead. Reading Scripture is the best place to start. The Bible’s pages show countless examples of godly leadership and what it looks like in God’s eyes.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few Bible verses on spiritual leadership (no spoilers!):
Matthew 20:26-28.
1 Timothy 3:1-3.
Proverbs 11:14.
John 13:13-17.
Acts 20:28.
Romans 12:3-8.
2. Pray for Guidance
As you lead, you’ll face moments when you’re unsure what to do or say. There will be tough decisions to make and challenging conversations to have. Leaning on God’s guidance helps ensure your next step honors him and those you lead.
Before acting, pray for guidance. Ask God to show you the right next step. One effective way to pray is by praying Scripture. Here’s a prayer of guidance from Psalm 25:4-5 (NIV):
Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
3. Learn From Jesus-Following Leaders
Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” The experience of other spiritual leaders can sharpen your own. Make time to learn from other leaders who are following Jesus in the workplace, at home, in the Church and as disciples.
For example, you can:
Talk to a mentor: Find someone who’s leading well, who you can trust, and ask them to mentor you. Ask them questions, share concerns and learn from their experience.
Listen to a leadership podcast: There are so many great Christian leadership podcasts out there to choose from, such as “The Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast” (which our very own Jimmy Mellado appeared on recently) and “Nuance” by us at Compassion.
Read a book about spiritual leadership: A quick search will bring you to thousands of book options that can teach you practical ways to love and care for those you lead. For example, check out “The Spiritual Life of a Leader” by Boyd Bailey or “Lead Like Jesus” by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges.
4. Practice Service
We’ve talked about key traits of a spiritual leader — humility, compassion and the empowering of others. One of the best ways to grow in all of them is by serving those around you.
Service builds humility by helping you put others first. It builds compassion by opening your eyes to people’s needs. And it builds your ability to empower others by giving you chances to lift others up and help them grow into who God made them to be.
There are countless ways to serve: volunteering for a local ministry, giving to a food pantry, donating to a cause that meets critical needs or even sponsoring a child to share the gospel through holistic care.
See what it means to serve as a spiritual leader by reading Pastor Houn’s story.
5. Seek the Fruit of the Spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. — Galatians 5:22-23, NIV
To become effective spiritual leaders, we must mirror the character of God. And his character is marked by the fruit of his Spirit. So we must cultivate this fruit in our lives, empowering us to emulate the Father to those around us.
How do we do that? By listening to the Holy Spirit and following his lead in all that we do. This may look like choosing self-control when anger strikes. Patience when people test our limits. Gentleness when faced with frustration. Joy when challenges arise.
As we follow the Holy Spirit, we bear fruit. And as we bear fruit, we become living examples, helping others grow too.
Leader, be encouraged: God isn’t looking for perfection but for a heart willing to follow his ways and point others to him. As you grow in humility, compassion, courage, empowerment and obedience, your life becomes a living example of what it means to follow the Father.