There is a story about a woman called Dorcas in the Christian Holy Bible (Acts 9:36-42). This woman was well known in her community. She exhibited relevant leadership traits through her service to the community. Now there was a challenge in the community, but no one was accepting to face the challenge: The widows and the poor had no clothes to wear. She took the initiative to clothe them regularly. 

Let us look at the leadership qualities exhibited by Dorcas:

Leaders are problem solvers. The main duty of leaders is to solve problems. There are problems everywhere in our world today. Problems in our families, our communities, our nations, workplaces, etc but unfortunately there are few problem solvers. Just like Dorcas who identified the problem in her community and provided solutions, we can also identify problems wherever we are and solve them as leaders.

Leaders serve others. Leadership is service. Our world today is in dire need of leaders because we have misunderstood the main essence of leadership. Leadership is not positional but service to the people. Dorcas devoted her life to serving her people by making their clothes. What can we do in our homes, communities, and workplaces to serve people?

Leaders do simple things that make an impact. Leaders are not necessarily people who do extraordinary things. Leaders are people who do ordinary things extraordinarily. Making clothes for widows and poor people might have been something simple but Dorcas did it extraordinarily, such that it made an impact in the lives of the people. As leaders, look for simple needs in your family or community then meet them extraordinarily, and you will be impacting people’s lives. 

Leaders bequeath legacies. The greatest hallmark of leaders is the legacies they leave behind. Dorcas’ legacy was recorded in the Bible. We might not have had the opportunity to have our legacies recorded in the Bible, but we should strive to do the remarkable as leaders in our families or communities, or workplaces. Things that can never be forgotten for their good relevance or would serve as a useful memorial for us. 

Leadership is all about sacrifices. Leaders live to serve others. Dorcas could have made a lot of money for herself by selling the clothes, but she sacrificed enriching herself to serve the widows and the poor people. What are you ready to sacrifice as a leader to serve others so you can impact as many lives as possible? 

Written by Eric Ellington Agyedenah

Source: Leadership lessons from the life of Dorcas.