So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

Acts 6:2-6

The instruction was clear; this was not an application process. Chose seven men who are "known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom." These leaders were observed based on what they had lived out in front of others. Pay attention to what is going on here: leaders are observed and chosen, not chosen and observed. The way a man lives his life, in private or public, matters as much before a leadership position is gained as it does while leading others.

Are you up for the challenge of evaluating yourself and the leadership potential you have? Start by making numerous objective observations about your life, stepping back to assess yourself. This means doing an "inductive" study of your life. Notice actions, themes, time spent, focus, and priorities to name a few. Then ask yourself, "does this reflect being full of the Spirit and wisdom?" Your current life is your resume for future leadership. Set a course now and stop waiting for the opportunity to present itself.

DO THIS TODAY: Observe your life and make one change to increase your leadership.