Matthew chapter 13
Today we are walking in: Integrating Vision and Values
Habakkuk 2:2
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
VISION
Today we look to the word VISION- H2377 chazown- vision(in ecstatic state), visions (in night), oracle, prophecy (divine communication), vision (as title of book of prophecy) from H2372; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:—vision. to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide, to see, behold, to see as a seer in the ecstatic state, to see, perceive with the intelligence, to see (by experience), to provide
The Torah testifies........
Numbers 24:4
He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
Numbers 24:16
He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
The prophets proclaim.........
1 Samuel 3:1
And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days;there was no open vision H2377.
Jeremiah 14:14
Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision H2377 and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
The writings bear witness.........
1 Chronicles 17:15
According to all these words, and according to all this vision H2377, so did Nathan speak unto David.
Psalm 89:19
Then thou spakest in vision H2377 to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
Chapter 12
Integrating Vision and Values
“Leaders stand for something—vision. Leaders stand on something—values.” —Dr. Myles Munroe
A woman was in the process of cleaning out several boxes in her attic that had been stored there for years—ever since she and her husband had moved into their home to accommodate their growing family of four children, who were now adults. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a box half-hidden behind the chimney. It was covered with dust and was still taped shut.
I wonder what’s in there? she thought. After carefully brushing away the dust, she pulled the yellowed, wrinkled tape off the center groove of the box and opened up the flaps. Inside, she saw several pieces of red cloth, imprinted with an intricate design, wrapped around some unknown objects. Suddenly, a memory flashed into her mind, taking her back three decades, and she instantly remembered what the items in the box were: several jade objects from China that a friend had given her, which she had inherited from her father. The woman had forgotten all about having received them; she had not given them a thought in years.
The next week, she had the items appraised, and she was stunned to find out they were comparable in age and quality to an eighteenth-century jade collection that had been featured on the television program Antiques Roadshow several years earlier. The items in that collection had been valued at as much as one million dollars.
A Long-Forgotten Treasure
In many ways, character in our contemporary culture has become like the long-forgotten treasure the woman in the above scenario found inside the dusty box. She hadn’t known what a precious heirloom was in her own house, because she’d abandoned it to a corner of her attic for decades.
Likewise, our society has increasingly relegated values and moral standards to the “attics” and “basements” of our culture. Many people don’t realize what a treasure our society has lost, because it is out of their moral range of vision. The only way character can come back into their line of sight is for them to see a clear manifestation of it in the lives of leaders like you and me. Then, they will be able to recognize the infinitely valuable gift that has been waiting for them all along, so they can receive it and manifest it in their own lives.
It is up to us to initiate the process of restoring character to our culture. Yahusha of Nazareth said that “the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”1 Similar to the merchant who sold everything he owned to obtain the pearl “of great value,” we need to make the reintroduction and development of character our number one priority.
There must be a rediscovery, reprioritization, and resurgence of character among the leaders of the world’s emerging and industrial states alike, so that we can begin to see the restoration of a culture of character in leadership. Teachers, professors, and educational administrators—from grade schools through universities and other institutions of learning—must reprioritize their programs and curriculum to teach students how to develop and refine their character and to understand why character is essential for individuals, communities, and nations.
We need to make the reintroduction and development of character our number one priority.
We must likewise see a commitment among leaders in all fields of endeavor to transform their own conduct, rededicating themselves to high standards and noble values of genuine leadership. Consequently, we need a new breed of leader who will embrace and manifest a culture of accountability—to himself, to his constituency, and, most important, to the Creator Himself, who extended to us the privilege of representing Him as leaders in the earth.
The Intersection of Vision and Values
We could sum up the entire message of this series in the following way: Leaders stand for something—vision. Leaders stand on something—values. And, of these two elements, values are of higher importance. As we have noted throughout the preceding teachings, if a leader does not have an active commitment to his values, moral standards, principles, discipline, and ethical code, all of his endeavors will be weakened—and may even be nullified. Since character must be our number one priority in leadership, let’s review how vision and values are permanently interrelated in the life of a principled leader.
1. Vision Is an Interpretation of Values
Your vision interprets your values in the sense that it reflects and communicates them. For example, suppose your vision is to help young people who are members of gangs that are undermining your community to become engaged in positive activities that will build up the community, instead. Your vision communicates that you value the lives of young people, and that you value improving the quality of life in your community.
Similarly, an organization’s vision reflects its corporate values. For instance, suppose the vision of a home-based business was to create exquisitely embroidered garments to sell to specialty stores, the proceeds of which would supplement the family’s income. This vision communicates that that the business, through its owner, values creativity, quality, enterprise, and financial stability.
Therefore, when leaders in politics, religion, education, business, economics, sports, and other fields invest their time and money in a vision, that vision can be used as a measure for assessing their principal values. Yahusha of Nazareth said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”2
2. Vision Is Protected by Values
Your vision is only as safe as the values that undergird it. If you cherish a great vision but don’t value the principles that would enable you to realize it, you may as well not pursue that vision. There needs to be a marriage of purpose and principles. You have to know your purpose, but you must live by your principles. In this sense, vision may be compared to the head, and values to the heart. We should take the advice of an ancient proverb that says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”3
It has been said that “the process is as important as the product,” and this is certainly true in regard to fulfilling one’s vision. Years ago, my organization decided to construct a large building called the Diplomat Center. I envisioned how it would be used to teach people about their purpose as leaders. So, I was excited about it, and I was caught up with securing the property, raising the money, and working long hours to see it come to fruition. However, one day, I sensed that Yah was saying to me, “I am not pleased with you.” I was confused, so I asked, “What are You talking about? I’m doing Your will. You told me to build the building.” He said, “You’re not leading the people. You are driving them.” It broke my heart to realize that I had been driving the people who were involved in the vision, rather than inspiring them.
Then, I felt Yah saying, “You have passion, and passion is good, but you have no compassion. Stop everything. I want you to get your balance back.” Deeply convicted, I went into a brief season of solitude in order to regain the balance between my passion and my compassion. The people in my organization were supposed to love this project, not just endure it. So, after reflecting on the situation, I had to go to the people and publicly ask them to forgive me for breaking the law of compassion. I explained to them that, from that point on, we would work together. My confession changed the whole spirit of the organization. People donated more money toward the project, and they also dedicated their time and their skills to see it accomplished.
The ethical issue I had to deal with was that I had been standing for something—the idea of how the new building would support the organization’s vision—but I hadn’t been standing on the values that were needed for the process of carrying it out. Having character, therefore, requires more than discovering what you were born to do and pursuing the fulfillment of your vision; it involves pursuing the fulfillment of your vision in a way that corresponds with ethical principles.
Individual leaders and organizations alike should protect themselves against ethical breaches by setting strong values for themselves. For example, an organization’s governing board should decide what types of policies it will and will not sanction. A business should determine what standards it will not compromise on. A family should decide what media content it will and will not allow into its home. A corporate entity that has not established values for itself lacks moral protection. It is like a city without walls from ancient times that has left itself vulnerable to deadly attack by enemy armies.
Having character involves pursuing the fulfillment of your vision in a way that corresponds with ethical principles.
Vision Without Values—a False Attempt at Reaching Destiny
When a leader pursues his vision without having established values, he is attempting to reach his destiny without the necessary component of discipline. For example, regardless of how great a leader’s vision might be— whether it is to build a family, a ministry, a business, or a country—the entire process must be balanced by clear, strong values that guide his conduct. As we have seen, no matter how wonderful your anticipated destiny might be, if you don’t have discipline, you will short-circuit that destiny and be in danger of losing it completely.
One of my close friends is a distinguished gentleman named Dr. Richard Demeritte Jr. He and I met years ago when he was the ambassador to England from the Bahamas. He has also served as the ambassador to the European Union. When we were talking together one time, he told me a time-honored value his father had conveyed to him: “When in doubt, do what’s right.” This statement provides extremely valuable yet easy-to-remember ethical advice. When you are faced with a moral choice, just do what’s right! A leader of character should always live that way.
The Power of Character to Create Leaders of Principle
In the introduction to this series, we examined principles that showed how crucial leaders are to the development and well-being of a culture. For instance, we noted that nothing advances without leadership and nothing is corrected without leadership. Let’s now review what we’ve learned about the importance of character to the development of leaders equipped to help bring about a cultural course correction and to advance our societies through ethical principles.
1. Character Gives Leaders Credibility
The only avenue for gaining credibility with people so that they will respect our leadership is to develop genuine character. When we demonstrate character, people will not only make deposits in our “trust account,” but they will also advance us “credit” as an investment in our future. They will follow us in faith—and every deposit and investment they make will strengthen the credibility of our character. If we continue to be consistent, they will keep following us. We must build a stable and honorable life if we want people to believe what we say about ourselves and our vision. How committed are you to leading with credibility?
2. Character Gives Leaders Moral Force
Character—not power—is the force of true leadership. If a person has moral force, he doesn’t need to put physical or emotional pressure on people to make them do what he wants. The moral force of a leader is potent because it has the capacity to influence others.
When you develop into a person of strong character—dependable and stable —that is when you become a true force in leadership. For example, your followers may be deeply impressed by your ability to stay steady under pressure. Consequently, your very presence will bring peace to them, because they will know they can rely on you. People will be influenced by you when they are inspired by you, and inspiration comes from character. Are you focused on power—or on moral force?
“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.” —Mark Twain
3. Character Ensures That Leaders Maintain Trustworthiness
Trust is a privilege given to the leader by his followers; therefore, a leader must maintain that trust over time and keep it up-to-date. Some companies will spend billions of dollars to protect the longevity of their good name and reputation after a defect or malfunction is discovered in one of their products. They issue a recall and may develop advertising campaigns to alert and reassure their customers, even though doing so entails tremendous cost.
For example, if a toy company hears that a child has gotten hurt because of a defect in one of its products, it will recall the toy, and it will refund its customers in full. To maintain its character, it will spend money to help rectify its mistake. I remember a particular recall of meat due to contamination by E. coli bacteria. The company that supplied the meat immediately stopped its sale, at a loss of likely millions of dollars. But it wasn’t too high a price to pay to protect its good name and prevent additional sickness and potential death among its customers.
So, if many companies will go to that kind of effort to protect the integrity of their name in the marketplace, why do many leaders fail to protect the integrity of their names among their followers by ignoring ethical principles? We can’t set a price tag on having a good name. Are you willing to pay the costs of self-control, discipline, and delayed gratification in order to establish and maintain true character?
4. Character Legitimizes Leaders
It is character that gives people a legitimate right to lead others. Leaders without character are “illegal,” because they are asking people to place their faith in an untrustworthy source. No one has a right to lead if he cannot be trusted, and it would be inappropriate for him to ask people to follow him. If he does, it’s as if he is running a scam, because con men are individuals who ask people to trust them, even though they will never deliver what they promise, but will, instead, steal something from them. There are many people throughout our world today who are powerful con men—but they call themselves “leaders.”
Is that statement too harsh? I don’t think so, because leaders without character who violate people’s faith inevitably take away some quantity of their valuable personal assets—things like trust, security, peace of mind, and hope. This is why, when people become disappointed over the poor ethical conduct of a leader they have followed, many of them become angry. They take it personally, because they have committed much of themselves to the leader and his vision. The leader’s conduct and its aftereffects constitute a major abuse of the great gifts the people have invested—their time, energy, talents, resources, and commitment—which they have poured out based on their trust.
For example, suppose someone has been a member of a particular ministry for ten years, bringing her children to Sunday school to be taught good principles, and donating generous financial support. If it were then disclosed that the ministry’s pastor was having an extramarital affair with another member of the congregation, this ministry member might not only be shocked but also very angry, thinking, How could he have done that to my money, my time, my children! She takes it personally because she has invested valuable aspects of her life in the ministry based on the leader’s presumed character. But his conduct canceled the legitimacy of his leadership. Depending on how the other leaders at the ministry handle the matter, she may feel that she can no longer stay a member of that congregation.
As we have seen, many people today respond to leaders based on what they promise more than on what they value. We need to shift the condition of our support from promises to proven character. The condition should be: “Don’t just tell me what you can do for me—show me who you really are. If you clearly demonstrate that you have character, I will give you my trust.”
How about you? When people place their faith in you as a leader, are they relying on a trustworthy source—or an untrustworthy one?
5. Character Establishes Integrity in Leaders
We have learned that character is built through tests over time and that having integrity involves the integration of one’s thoughts, words, and actions. Thus, a leader’s integrity can be established only over the course of time, which allows for this integration to occur. For this reason, leadership should not be given to people who have not yet been tested and tried. They must have a clear history of experiences as evidence that they have demonstrated stability, trustworthiness, and competence over time.
An emerging leader, therefore, must be tested to see if he can stand up under pressure: How stable is he when circumstances are not going well? Can he handle the weight of disappointments? To this end, an individual who is young or untried should be given responsibility gradually, so that he can develop and manifest character with each level of accountability. This principle is the reason I emphasized the core character quality of responsibleness in the previous teaching. If a person does not develop this quality, he cannot become a principled leader. I give many people in my organization challenging responsibilities because I want them to be able to grow and become qualified to accept leadership positions. Therefore, it’s important for us not only to build our own character, and not only to look for demonstrated character in other leaders, but also to help our followers develop their character so they may become trusted leaders, as well.
Leadership should not be given to people who have not yet been tested and tried.
Vision Gives Meaning to People...
Many leaders think that their goal should be to get people to believe in them. On the contrary, the goal of leaders should be to get people to believe in themselves—to provide an avenue through which they can discover meaning for their lives and manifest their purpose through their personal vision. Helping people to do this requires balance on the part of the leader, because, when people are inspired by a leader’s passion, they often confuse the vision with the leader in their minds. In this way, they think they are being drawn to the person. As we have seen, a leader of principle takes the focus off of himself and puts it on the vision. It is the vision—not the leader—that gives people meaning. And it is the vision that will sustain the people’s conviction, because that is where they will find their significance in serving their gift to others.
What we have just discussed shows how important it is for us as leaders to act on our convictions and not neglect our vision. When we pursue our own purpose, we actually help other people to find theirs. We should reflect on that responsibility, because the opposite scenario can also occur. Think about it: If we don’t maintain our passion for our vision, the people may also lose their energy for their vision. When we feel like giving up and start talking about quitting, the people may also begin to lose their sense of purpose. When we lose our focus, or our commitment to strong character, the people may lose their way in life. Therefore, we must keep vision and values prominent in our lives—other people are depending on us! Who are you currently helping to find meaning and purpose for their own lives through your vision?
...and Values Preserve That Vision
It is imperative that people stay focused on the vision rather than on the leader, because of the danger that a cult of personality will develop. You must never allow people to become so attached to you that they begin to idolize you. How many organizations today have become defunct because they were run by leaders who were “worshipped” by their followers, so that everything fell apart when the leaders had a major moral failure? Leaders need to watch their pride in this respect, because pride can destroy them and their vision. Pride is what makes leaders think they should be idolized. They being to think the vision is all about them, that it’s built around them, that its success is all up to them.
Let us guard against such attitudes. If we don’t want to be humiliated by failure, then we should volunteer right now to humble ourselves. As I emphasized in the previous teaching, humility is another core quality of principled leaders. Cultivating an attitude of humility will help leaders protect themselves and their vision.
Never forget that you and your vision have great significance. “Your” people—the people who are associated with your vision, or will be associated with it—need you. Your character is vital to them. For their sake, as well as your own, commit to be a leader of principle.
A New Beginning for Character
The purpose of this series has been to introduce you to yourself—to your intrinsic significance and your character alike. I want history to write a good account of your life on earth. Please don’t become one of those leaders who begins well and starts a good work, only to have a moral failure or become sidetracked before reaching his destiny. Instead, be a great leader who stays true to his convictions and fulfills his purpose and vision according to strong values; one who never betrays the followers who have placed their trust in him.
You have learned many principles and guidelines for character in these pages. But knowledge and understanding of character and its principles are not enough. If we do not act on what we know, it is the equivalent of never having learned it. These principles won’t operate in our lives unless we apply them. It is by applying them that we have access to the power of character in leadership. At the back of this series are Character Development Worksheets that will help you to evaluate your current beliefs, convictions, values, moral standards, and discipline, so that you can become intentional about the development of your character.
Perhaps you were not raised with much instruction in morals and ethics. If that is the case, you have likely struggled with character issues that now affect multiple areas of your life—your relationships with other people, your job, and the pursuit of your personal purpose. Because a foundation of character was not established in your life at an early age, you didn’t have the resources and wisdom to deal with the various ethical issues you encountered once you reached your teenage years and beyond. I encourage you to use this series as a new beginning for the establishment of strong character in your life.
Principles of character won’t operate in our lives unless we apply them.
May we all dedicate ourselves to a new beginning for character—in our own lives, in our families, in our communities, and in our nations. I encourage you to share these principles of character with your children and other family members, your friends, your staff, and your colleagues. The power of character needs to be taught in the halls of government and the boardrooms of every country in the world. No leader should enter into politics, business, education, economics, education, religion, the arts, professional sports, or any other realm until he has established personal moral standards. I believe that ethical principles should be included in premarital counseling courses, as well, to encourage new husbands and wives to become principled leaders who build their homes upon the strong and enduring foundation of character.
Doing nothing about the crisis of character in our world is not an option, because the future of leadership and our culture is at stake—and the world will not transform itself. Our Creator established character as the foundation of human leadership and success. Let us make a lasting commitment to stand on vision and to stand for values.
How to “Fall Up”: Restoration After Character Failure
The streets of history are littered with the remains of wasted lives—the lives of powerful, talented, skillful, and educated leaders who collapsed under the weight of their achievements, success, notoriety, influence, and power because they lacked an ethical foundation that could have carried them to their destiny. Many of these onetime great leaders undervalued the priority and power of character in their lives. They traded faith for fame, principles for power, and moral respect for reputation.
It is tragic to observe the dishonorable descent of such leaders who, by their own indiscretion, irresponsibility, lack of discipline, and abuse of privilege sell their integrity for temporary pleasures and destroy their character. Sadly, I have personally known and observed many leaders, with great potential to impact the world for good and make a difference in their generation, disintegrate right before my eyes as their outstanding leadership talent and skills dissolved in the murky waters of a life without noble character. Many of them believed that their past accomplishments, achievements, and reputations could compensate for the trust they had lost, but they were greatly mistaken.
Human beings are thus prone to succumb to the lure of power, fame, notoriety, and the adulation of the masses, and many people fall in disgrace by neglecting to secure a strong, durable character. Consequently, we need to ask the following questions: Can a leader survive and recover from a character failure? Is there a way back to the road of leadership success?
Leaders are normally trained in how to succeed, but they are rarely taught how to fail effectively—by learning from their mistakes and making changes to avoid repeating them in the future. They fall down, but they don’t know how to “fall up” after failing.
When a leader fails, he is often rejected by those whom he has been leading because of this breach of faith. Although a leader’s legacy can be dismantled by defective character, one of the greatest tragedies in the world is when someone with tremendous potential fails morally and then feels he can never be restored. Failing in leadership is not as grave as failing to deal with that failure effectively. If you’ve fallen, you must make personal changes that will enable you to “fall up,” transforming your life from the inside out.
Remember that a leader’s ability to function successfully in his role of influencing others for a great cause in the interest of humanity is what I call the “trust factor.” Trust is the currency of true leadership and is the power that is deposited into the leader’s influence account. The only way to protect this deposit of trust is to establish strong character. If an individual wants to secure his leadership, he must make protecting and maintaining his account of trust his principal responsibility. It can take years for a leader to build this account—but only minutes of irresponsibility to deplete it and even cancel it.
The following are the steps to restoration, reconciliation, and reclamation after you have experienced a moral failure or otherwise “fallen” in your leadership role:
1. Admit your need for help.
2. Confess your violation of trust.
3. Identify a true and reliable authority in your life to be accountable to.
4. Practice complete submission to that authority without condition.
5. Obey the advice, counsel, and instruction of that authority without condition.
6. Accept full responsibility for your fall.
7. Agree never to attempt to defend yourself or your act of indiscretion.
8. Agree to allow the authority to represent and speak on your behalf to your constituency and the greater community.
9. Practice total submission to the discretion of the authority with regard to your readiness to return to public service.
10. Establish a permanent relationship with the authority for the purpose of ongoing accountability.
If a leader follows these steps, he can find healing and restoration. The safest course to take when you fall is to submit yourself to a qualified human authority.
Again, failure is not the termination of a leader’s call, assignment, gifts, or talents. It must be seen as a detour, an interruption, and even an attempt to cancel destiny. If you have fallen down, it’s time for you to “fall up” and seek restoration.
Make sure you take time out from your other responsibilities to evaluate what went wrong. Some leaders who fail keep on going as if nothing had happened. You will need to seek forgiveness from those you have let down, but then you must develop self-control, steadiness, maturity, and all the other values of principled leadership. Trust the Creator to restore you to leadership when you are ready for it. There is life after “the fall,” but you must follow the process of restoration in order to receive its benefits.
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