British Field Marshal, Bernard Montgomery once said, “Leadership is the capacity and will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence.” We are living in an hour that’s demanding…confident leaders to arise. In this hour of demand leaders need to remember that we teach what we know but we reproduce who we are! When a leader’s identity and actions are consistent, the results they get are consistent, but when they are inconsistent then so are the results. It’s the leaders that set the tone and the pace for the people around them; therefore they need to be what they want to see. That’s why I believe our influence has less to do with our position or title than it does with the life we live. Proverbs 17:2 says, “even a wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame” Why? Because of their credibility. We gain credibility when our life matches our talk. Influencing others is a matter of disposition, not position. Leadership is a choice we make, not a place we sit. And Leadership doesn’t happen in a day…but daily.
Here a few questions I believe every leader should ask themselves.
- Consistency: Are you the same person no matter who’s with you?
- Choices: Do you make decisions based on how they benefit you or others?
- Credit: Are you quick to recognize others for their efforts when you succeed?
- Character: Do you work harder at your image or your integrity?
- Credibility: Have you recognized that credibility is a victory, not a gift.
I am convinced that it when it comes to “modeling desired behavior” you must become what you want to see. We all know that it’s possible to lead without character…history has proven that but character is what makes you a leader worth following. (2 Thess. 3:6-9, 1 Tim.4:12, Titus 2:7) Integrity is not necessary if your aspirations as a leader ends with simply persuading people to follow you but if at the end of the day your intent is for those who follow to respect you then integrity is a must! Accomplishments as a leader will make your name known but your character will determine what people associate with your name. It’s been said and revealed that gifts and determination may dictate potential but it is our character that will determine our legacy.
Just because people have chosen to follow you is not necessarily an indicator that you deserved to be followed. There is a significant difference between having a following and being worth following. There are many gifted, talented, charismatic, and visionary people who have a following but that doesn’t mean their worth following. What separates those who are worthy and the worthless are their values. If leaders don’t develop their character track to sustain them eventually their natural talent will outstrip and outpace their character. If we’re going to be leaders worth following we must be intentional about developing our inner man. Invest in the health of your soul. To ignore the health of your soul is equivalent of planning to fail. It’s the inner man than determines our legacy.
