Some people just always seem to make things happen. Others seemingly have to be prodded at every turn. Guess which type is most often tapped for leadership and promotion.

A trendy business magazine targeted at upwardly-mobile corporate workers recently devoted an entire issue to this question: What does it take to be a star where you work? It’s a valid question for anyone who wants to advance and grow.

Of course, not everyone is cut out for management. Moving up the corporate ladder isn’t necessarily God’s plan for every individual. But if advancement is in your heart, it should be reassuring to know that the Word of God has the answers that can make you a star in the workplace.

Henry Ford once said, "I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers." It’s true. The best organizations and the best leaders are constantly looking for people who can become leaders themselves. Raising up new leaders is one of the most vital tasks for any company that wants to thrive in the new economy.

The question remains: what kind of person most often gets tapped for promotion and increased responsibility? The fact is, there are attributes, attitudes and actions you can learn that will make you a candidate for promotion.

When you examine the lives of those who rise to positions of responsibility, you find some common characteristics. For example, when a wise leader looks to raise up new leaders, they look for people of action...people who simply make things happen.

I’m talking about proactive, self-starting individuals who deliver results. When the book of Proverbs repeatedly mentions the quality of boldness, it has such a person in mind.

"The wicked flee when no one is pursuing but the righteous are bold as a lion." (Proverbs 28:1) Charles Lindburgh once said, "All glory comes from daring to begin." Clearly, the willingness to take reasonable risks is one of the attributes wise leaders look for in those they raise to positions of leadership. That’s why French Prime Minister George Clemenceau once said, "A man who has to be convinced to act before he acts, is not a man of action."

Another rare and precious trait is that which the book of Proverbs calls diligence. "The hand of the diligent will rule, But the slack hand will be put to forced labor. (Proverbs 12:24)"

"The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty. (Proverbs 21:5)" Charles Dickens reflected this quality when he said, "Whatever I have tried to do in my life, I have tried with all my heart to do it well. Whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself completely." Here Dickens has articulated a success formula that will work for any individual in any setting.

A person who possesses both the qualities of boldness and diligence will make things happen. They’ll see opportunities others overlook and seize them. And once started, they will stay with it until the job is completed with excellence.

Be such a person and you’ll discover the rewards of being an effective leader.

Make Today Count,

Steve Johnson