01/05/2026
Leading With Integrity
Some people shy away from leadership because of feelings of insecurity or they simply lack confidence. Others want to be leaders because of ego and they just love the control of being able to tell others what to do. Neither of these traits are found in great leaders. In order to lead you need to esteem others higher than yourself and create an environment where people feel free to share their ideas. If it is not safe to disagree, it is not an environment focused on growth - it’s an environment focused on control and leaders who don’t listen, will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say. The truth is, great leaders are hard to find. The best leaders lead with love and strive to bring out the best in others. A great leader must be willing to make tough decisions. The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate. Perry Belcher, a successful businessman, put it this way, “Nothing will kill a great employee faster than watching you tolerate a bad one.” A leader has to set high standards and uphold them. Abraham Lincoln had some advice for people who follow leaders: “Be with a leader when he is right. Stay with him when he is still right. But, leave him when he is wrong.” It’s not safe to blindly follow anyone - except for God! The Bible is filled with examples of great leaders who were successful because they were obedient to God. There’s a story in the Bible where Paul gave explicit job requirements when searching for leaders who would serve as elders. Titus 1:6-9 says, “An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” Wow! That’s a long list of expectations that in today’s standards would be considered unattainable. But it shows God criteria for godly leadership and the importance of leading with integrity.
