Part 3 of 4: Zero-Based Competencies in Leadership Development
By Partner Phil Stevenson
This is the third part of a four-part series, being published in subsequent months. Stay tuned for additional articles! View Part 1 Here and View Part 2 Here.
In August of 2025, I wrote an initial blog for the Barnabas Brief on “Zero-Based Leadership Competencies.” “Zero-Based” competencies are foundational to any leadership development process. All leadership development must begin with these.
I identified six: Interpersonal relationships. The ability to communicate. Personal development. Servant-leadership. Self-awareness. Personal responsibility. In Part Two of my Barnabas Brief on “Zero-Based Leadership Competencies,” I dug a bit deeper on interpersonal relationships and the ability to communicate. In the third of four, I will elaborate on personal development and servant leadership.
Here is Part Three of the “Zero-based Competencies.”
Personal Development
The underlying principle of personal development is that you must develop yourself before you can effectively develop others. Personal growth, by necessity, precedes other growth. You cannot invest in others what you do not have.
Your ability to develop yourself begins within yourself. James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, stated: “Talk to yourself, don’t listen to yourself.” He was referring to how our inner voice can misinform us. It is vital to remind yourself that you can grow, develop, and change — for the better.
In your personal development journey, two questions have the power to inform you.
Where have you come from? This is a question of evaluation and review. You can review who and what have influenced you. You can determine the circumstances that have led you to where you currently are. You have come from somewhere. It is good to know where that was.
Where are you going? This is a question of revitalization. You need to know where you are going. It is the anticipation of what is to come that allows you to build resolve in the present. Your past does inform your present, but it does not have to deform your future. Evaluate but do not stagnate.
Servant-Leadership
Servant-leadership is to be other-oriented. Jesus taught this principle when he said, “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant." (Mark 10:43).
The principle of a leader who serves is often misunderstood. This is especially true in an American culture that values strong, forceful, Type-A leaders. How can someone genuinely lead and serve? Are these not mutually exclusive? Are they not contradictions?
The response is no! They are not contradictions. The leader who genuinely serves will be a difference-maker in the lives of all those they influence.
Bill George, former CEO of Medtronics, states, "We need authentic leaders who are committed to stewardship of their assets and to making a difference in the lives of the people they serve." A leader who serves does so proactively, practically, and purposefully.
It is in proactive, practical, and purposeful serving that leaders engender loyalty. It is in such serving that leaders exemplify genuine strength. A serving leader equips people for greater effectiveness. A serving leader can increase capacity through effective people development.
About The Author: Phil Stevinson
Phil retired from ministry leadership within the Wesleyan Church in July 2023. In his 48 years of ministry, he has pastored three churches. He served in various denominational positions, including District Youth President and Director of Church Planting for the Pacific Southwest District, Western Area Youth Director, District Superintendent of the Wisconsin District, and Assistant District Superintendent of the Pacific Southwest District. At retirement, he was serving as District Superintendent.
Phil has an undergraduate degree from San Diego State University in Psychology, a graduate degree from Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California, and a Doctor of Ministry from Talbot School of Theology.
He has written seven books: The I in Team: The Leader’s Impact on Effective Systems (2025), You Can Do More Than You Think You Can (2024), The Ripple Church: Multiplying Churches, Five Things Anyone Can Do To Lead Effectively, Five Things Anyone Can Do To Start a New Church, Five Things Anyone Can Do To Help Their Church Grow, and How to Become a Ripple Church. He co-authored, with Dr. Gary McIntosh, Building the Body: 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church.
He and his wife Joni, live in Roseville. They have three grown kids and 8 grandkids.