David Bowman has served in a variety of leadership positions and would describe himself as a life-long learner.

"First and foremost, stay close to God's heart and seek Him each day and in every decision. Realize He is the one who equips us to help, encourage, and serve others ... and He has placed us in the position of leading and serving."

I spent many years of my Christian walk subconsciously assuming God wanted every part of my life except for my career (after all, I worked for a bank). Eventually, my controlling nature led to a level of pride that God would no longer tolerate.

"God has never given up on me or my development, even when I resisted. I'm grateful for the pruning in my life, and I hope all leaders would be open to that."

"The hardest leadership lesson I've ever learned is that leadership is often lonely. Those whom you lead often have difficulty relating to who you are as a person apart from your role."

Over the years, God has shown me the importance of humility, hustle and centering.

What's the hardest leadership lesson you've ever learned? "Years ago I attended a church growth conference at a megachurch. I came back brimming with great ideas that I knew we needed to implement."