Romans chapter 3
Today we are walking in: How Character Develops, Part III: What We Serve
Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
The Torah Testifies.............................
*****
The prophets proclaim...............
Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.
The writings bear witness.............
2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword
Chapter 5
How Character Develops, Part III: What We Serve
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”1 —Yahusha of Nazareth
We’ve been exploring the process of character development, which we could also refer to as our “philosophical journey”—how our beliefs, convictions, and values develop, as well as where they take us in life. Once we formulate our values, we translate them into specific personal moral standards, or principles, that express in what manner we will commit to live. The combination of our values comprises our personal standpoint, from which our morals are derived.
Moral Standards, or Principles
One dictionary definition of moral is “of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior.” Principle can be defined as “a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption.” Moral standards, therefore, have to do with our beliefs about right and wrong behavior, based on the fundamental assumptions, or laws, that we have adopted.
True leaders esteem time-honored moral standards. Many contemporary leaders may recognize moral standards, but they do not esteem them. They do not hold them in high regard. How many leaders truly ask themselves, “Is this decision or opportunity that is open to me moral?” or, “Is what I’m about to do ethical?”
Unfortunately, people’s concepts of “right” and “wrong” have become hazier today, contributing to the ethical crisis among our leaders. Yet, as we will see in teaching 7, this confusion often occurs as a mental or emotional response, more than as a response from the core of a person’s inner being— the seat of his conscience, which responds to moral absolutes.
We must make a commitment to follow honorable principles. Leaders of character live by standards, not by expediency. Many people today are under great pressure to be expedient—to serve the needs or demands of a given moment or situation, rather than to serve their unique purpose in life and to do so according to moral standards. In my view, what we call “political correctness” is often a contemporary form of expediency that leads people to compromise their values.
Leaders of character live by standards, not by expediency. Leaders are individuals who live by a set of principles that they will not compromise, even for the sake of expediency. They are able to do so because they have declared independence from the expectations of others. They are more concerned with manifesting their true selves than with “proving” themselves to others. In this regard, we could refer to a leader’s commitment to time-honored principles as “ethical correctness.” That should be the standard for twenty-first-century leaders.
Moral Standards Come from Within
Yahusha of Nazareth said,
Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man unclean. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.2
Immoral actions begin in the heart, or the subconscious mind. For example, individuals often practice lies before they tell them. People generally premeditate stealing, lying, committing adultery, or engaging in other unethical behavior. Then, they wait for an opportunity to do so, and when it arises, they take it. Some people may not specifically be “waiting” for an opportunity. However, they have imagined the act in their minds, and this weakens their willpower. Consequently, when the opportunity presents itself, they are much more likely to succumb, and actually do it.
In this sense, a thief was a thief before he stole something; a liar was a liar before he told an untruth. Everything a person does is rehearsed before it’s manifested, because it comes from the core values and morals he has constructed for himself.
Moral Standards Are Personal Decisions
Being intentional about the moral standards by which we will live always involves making personal decisions. Standards are not just principles we think are “good ideas” we would do well to follow. Why? Because we can live our entire lives thinking that something is a good idea—but never follow it. So, moral standards are not just what we intellectually affirm to be right and beneficial; they are principles that we have made an active decision to follow.
Our beliefs determine our actions as they become our standards for living. Whatever we truly believe in, we will serve. This is a crucial point that each of us needs to take to heart: We must determine beforehand what we will serve. If we don’t, we will allow our impulses, our circumstances, or other people’s opinions to control us. We will never fulfill our leadership purpose and convictions if we haven’t already decided to serve the values and moral standards that align with them and by which they can be accomplished.
It is easy for leaders to get caught in the trap of holding a double standard— not following the principles that they require or expect others to follow. For example, if parents are to exercise moral leadership in their homes, they must set an example for their children. Many young people today are frustrated because their parents expect them to behave according to ethical principles while the parents are engaging in unethical and immoral conduct— unsportsmanlike behavior, gossip, lying, cheating, abusing alcohol, and the like. Then parents wonder why, for instance, their daughter becomes pregnant at age thirteen, or their son gets arrested for drunk driving at age seventeen. They attempt to correct their children, when they themselves have allowed the children to become corrupted because they haven’t instructed them in values or set a clear example of what it means to be an ethical leader.
Moral leadership doesn’t always require many words. A principled leader can walk into a room of people and change the whole environment just by being there. Character has an atmosphere that goes with it. That is why I have said that character, or moral force, is the key to inspirational leadership. When you have moral force, you will inevitably inspire people. And that moral force comes from your convictions, which are translated into values and moral standards that set an example for others.
A principled leader can walk into a room of people and change the whole environment just by being there.
Examples of Personal Moral Standards
How can you establish moral standards for yourself? After you have developed a written statement of your values, you should also write down your personal principles for living. In the previous teaching, we discussed the example of a person who values the institution of marriage. Here is how that personal value could translate to a written moral standard for someone who is married: “I value the institution of marriage, so my corresponding personal moral standard, or principle for living, is that I will be faithful, and remain faithful, to my spouse.”
We also used the example of esteeming the quality of honesty. Here is how that value could translate to a moral standard for a businessperson: “I esteem the quality of honesty; therefore, my corresponding moral conviction, or principle, is that I will always tell the truth to my customers and never overcharge them or bill them for services that were not performed.”
Here is another example in relation to an individual who values the benefits of a strong and healthy physical body: “I value having a strong body that will enable me to live longer, be more productive, and enjoy life better. My corresponding moral conviction, or principle, is that I will maintain a fit body by regularly eating healthy foods and exercising, and by not abusing alcohol, drugs, or other addictive substances.”
Discipline
Once we have determined our moral standards, written them down, and declared them to others, what does it take to keep them? We will explore this theme in more depth in a later teaching on how character is tested. But first, to be intentional about our character—following through with our established standards—requires exercising personal discipline. If we have genuine convictions, we will be motivated to discipline ourselves for the purpose of remaining aligned with those convictions.
Setting Priorities and Making Choices
Just as moral standards begin with our thinking, discipline begins with our mind. Being disciplined involves setting priorities for yourself that determine your choices and direct your behavior. Two dictionary definitions for discipline are “a rule or system of rules governing conduct or activity,” or “orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior.” When you have a “rule” that governs your activity, or when you have “prescribed” conduct for yourself, it means that you previously made some choices that you have determined will guide your activities and behavior.
Priorities are the key to effective decision-making. You must identify priorities in relation to achieving your vision and establishing the principles by which you will conduct your entire life, including how you will spend your time and money. Prioritizing places useful limits on your decisions— limits that will enable you to become the leader you were meant to be. You first determine what is beneficial for you, and then you order your life in ways that train and prepare you, and provide for the fulfillment of your purpose.
The Divine destiny connection, the chain that links us together.
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Thursday, December 5, 2024
HOW CHARACTER DEVELOPS, PART II: WHAT WE VALUE
Romans chapter 3
Today we are walking in: How Character Develops, Part II: What We Value
Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
The Torah Testifies.............................
*****
The prophets proclaim...............
Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.
The writings bear witness.............
2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword
Chapter 4
How Character Develops, Part II: What We Value
“A people who values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.” —Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th president of the United States
The type of character that is ultimately produced in a person’s life is determined by the nature of his beliefs and the focus of his convictions, both of which are expressed in his values.
Many people today are confused about values. In a number of nations, values have been shifting. People aren’t sure which values they should continue to hold in high esteem and which they should let go of. Some of the changes in values have been beneficial, while others have been detrimental, contributing to a breakdown of ethical standards in various societies.
Moreover, because many people do not stop to consider what they really believe, and what convictions they hold, they may not be fully aware of what their values are. Instead of establishing their own value system, they act primarily on the viewpoints and sentiments of others, such as family members, friends, coworkers, and celebrities or other opinion makers.
Determining One’s Own Values
We all necessarily begin life guided by the views and advice of others. However, as we grow physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, and spiritually, we must make our own decisions about what we believe, what our convictions are, and what we value. If we don’t, we will not be able to develop into leaders of character who are guided by internal motivations.
At any stage of our lives, it is a wise practice for us to seek the counsel of two or three people we trust before making a major decision. Yet suppose we receive conflicting advice? If we have no established parameters on which to make a final conclusion or decision, we will never gain a sure footing in life and will continually waver between opinions. Our values and behavior will be based mainly on others’ preferences. While it is important to keep an open mind about complex issues, we have to establish a belief system and determine what values we will stand for.
What Are Values?
To help us comprehend the nature of values, let’s look at two related definitions. Values are...
Ideas, principles, and qualities on which you personally place high worth. A value is a belief— in something or someone—that you esteem, on its own merits. For instance, you may value the idea of giving charitable aid to families whose wage earner has been laid off from work, or the principle of “equal justice under law,” or the quality of courage.
Standards or ideals that determine your conduct or policy. To use a simple example, suppose you own a diamond ring, and you know the market value of diamonds and want to protect your asset. The value you place on your diamond ring will both predict and affect your behavior toward it. If you truly value it as a possession, you will keep it clean and put it in a safe place when you’re not wearing it. You may even check on it periodically to make sure it has not been lost or stolen.
Properties of Values
Next, let’s note several properties connected with values.
1. Values Grow out of Personal or Corporate Philosophy
Again, our beliefs and convictions are always the starting place for the development of our character, which is established through our values.
2. Values Are More Important than Rules
If an individual has strong, positive values, he doesn’t require a lot of external laws and rules to govern his life. He doesn’t need to be monitored by someone else who makes sure he does what he should be doing. He monitors himself. And because his values are based on his internal motivations, they have both stability and longevity.
The best kind of rules are meant to make us aware of standards that are right and beneficial for us, so that we can make a personal decision to observe them. They are not intended to be an end in themselves. On the other hand, arbitrary rules that people are forced to comply with will lack power because they will not be internalized by them.
If an individual has strong values, he doesn’t need a lot of external laws and rules to govern his life.
3. Values Can Build Others Up or Tear Them Down
Depending on whether a person’s values are derived from positive or negative beliefs, they will be helpful or harmful to the one who holds them— and to others. This point may seem obvious, but many people don’t consider the effect their values have on their daily lives.
For example, a leader can value the idea that the financial “bottom line” is the only thing that matters. Accordingly, instead of inspiring his employees, he harasses them in an attempt to attain greater productivity.
The organization Leadership IQ conducted a study involving more than five thousand leaders over the period of August 2012 to January 2013. When asked about their leadership style, 39 percent of the leaders preferred to use an “intimidating” style—a factor the study attributed to “economic fatigue” related to the global financial crisis. Apparently, in an attempt to spur workers to make more money for the company, many managers employed intimidation.1
Another study that examined the leadership implications of the economic crisis concluded that leadership based on principles of character was “prevalent in the firms that weathered and even prospered during the crisis.”2 This study indicates how different values can produce different results. Good productivity is a legitimate goal for a leader; however, the path to achieve it is to lead with character, valuing the contributions of each participant and encouraging him to use his gifts to the fullest.
Values ultimately motivate our conduct, and many of our actions are not morally neutral—they have either positive or negative consequences for ourselves and others.
4. Values Are Personal—but They Are Never Private
This point, which I mentioned briefly in teaching 1, corresponds with the previous point. It highlights the fact that our values inevitably have some impact on others.
Many families, communities, and countries are being destroyed today as people’s negative values are manifested in their ill treatment of others. For instance, if an individual doesn’t place a high value on the institution of marriage—and on his own marriage, in particular—he may think it’s acceptable to engage in an extramarital affair. By so doing, he can devastate the lives of his spouse and children. In the process, he may also experience losses—of his friends, his home, and other important aspects of his life.
In contrast, if a person places a high value on the institution of marriage, and has committed himself to this value, it will keep him from having an extramarital affair, even if he may be tempted to do so. His dedication to his marriage will impact not only his life but also the lives of his spouse and children.
5. Values Outlive Goals
Goals are temporary aims that a leader has determined are necessary to enable him to reach a greater objective. Values, on the other hand, are timeless. Once a leader reaches a specific goal in the process of pursuing his vision, he can set other goals that align with his values.
6. Values Send a Message
Your stated values communicate what you claim to stand for. But the values you demonstrate by your actions reveal what you truly stand for and whether your stated values have real substance and meaning.
We should take time to consider what ethical messages we are sending to others. For example, by his words and actions, an individual can indicate to other people that he is open to engaging in unethical behavior. As a result, someone who is looking for a “partner in crime” to participate with him in dishonorable conduct, such as lying or cheating, will feel comfortable in approaching him. However, if the individual has made it clear through his words and actions that he is a person of character who will not lie or cheat, the dishonorable person will not approach him but will pass over him and look for someone else to recruit.
7. Values Attract Similar Values
Likewise, it is generally the case that people who hold particular values are drawn to other people who hold the same values. Applying this point to personal relationships, we know that friendships are forged among people who have similar interests and preferences.
My close friends and associates share my values. There are other people with whom I am unable to associate. My experiences with them have revealed that they don’t value the things I value; in fact, sometimes they value things that I believe are detrimental. That doesn’t mean that I intentionally snub them. Yet, as a leader, I have to protect my character, and a close tie with them would not only be ethically unhealthy for me but it might also give the impression to others that I support their values.
Values are so important that they should be the basis of our key associations. The same point applies to corporate relationships—for example, companies doing business with one another and governments making agreements and treaties with other countries and supporting various international causes. When considering an association, leaders should ask themselves, “What overt or underlying values are involved in this decision? What binding alliances am I making?”
Global terrorism is on many people’s minds today, and terrorists use various methods to promote their causes. When a terrorist straps a bomb to his body and detonates it in a crowded public square, killing innocent people (as well as himself), it indicates that he values his message more than he respects human life. Some people in the world would support his action, because they share a similar priority. Yet the terrorist’s demonstration does not lead me to be sympathetic to his cause, and I cannot accept his justification for his actions, because he doesn’t respect what I value.
Values should be the basis of our key associations with others.
8. Values Shape Corporate Entities
The social norms and the environment of a corporate entity are established by the values of its leaders and the shared values of its members—creating a corporate culture. In a later chapter, we will discuss the role of core values in relation to a business, an organization, a nation, or any other group.
9. Values Manifest in Corporate or Public Life
A person’s values will eventually be revealed by the way he conducts himself, and the manner in which he treats others, in the group of which he is a part. For example, if one of his values is honoring the purposes and inherent gifts of other people, he will not gossip about others or try to undermine their success. If another of his values is respecting the property of others, he will not steal from his company, his coworkers, or his fellow citizens. If yet another of his values is esteeming the quality of honesty, he will not lie to others or exaggerate the facts of a matter to his own advantage.
How Values Function in Our Lives
All true leaders adhere to a value system by which they consider options for conduct, make decisions, and take action. A leader of character is identified by the positive values that he considers worthy, and by which he has determined to live. For positive values to make a difference in your life and leadership, you must progress through the following steps:
1. Identify Your Values
Carefully think through what you truly value and then express your values in writing. Writing down the ideas and behaviors on which you place high worth will help you to identify and clarify them. In addition, if your values are recorded in written form, you can put them in an accessible place (such as a folder in your desk or a file on your laptop), so that you can continually refer to them as you exercise your leadership.
Keep in mind that identifying and articulating your values is usually not accomplished in one sitting. It takes a thoughtful evaluation of your purpose, convictions, and vision for the future. And, as you increasingly come to understand your inherent purpose and gifts, you should refine the written statement of your values.
2. Believe in Your Values
Values are not ideals to which a leader gives mere mental assent, because they are an indispensable part of his ability to live a life of purpose and character. Therefore, you should embrace values you can truly believe in and have confidence in—those you affirm and desire to live by.
3. Receive Your Values
A leader believes in his values to the point that he “receives” them. That is to say, he internalizes them, so they can become a vital part of who he is. You receive your values by reviewing them often, thinking about them, and affirming their place in your life. As King Solomon said, “As [a person] thinks in his heart [subconscious mind], so is he.”
4. Live Out Your Values
As a result of the preceding steps, a true leader adheres to his values. They become his parameters, or framework, for living. A person of character measures everything against those parameters. For example, if you ask him to take some action or participate in a cause, he will evaluate whether doing so would be in alignment with his purpose and values. If not, he will decline.
As a leader, you must not only believe in and internalize your values but also put them into practice, if they are to guide your life. Periodically take time to evaluate if you are living according to your stated values.
5. Share Your Values
A leader must be able to share his values with others in the corporate entity of which he is a part—whether it is a family, a business, an organization, a nation, or another group. Remember that a personal vision can be fulfilled only in conjunction with other people’s visions as they share a common purpose. Similarly, corporate values are effective only when they become the personal values of all the members. Every member of an organization needs to be in general agreement with the corporate values. We will discuss this point in more depth in a later chapter.
Therefore, if you are the leader who sets a corporate vision, you should remind people often of what is valuable to the community and what is valuable to you personally. These values should not be a secret to those who are involved. Values must not only be heard but also “seen”—in other words, demonstrated, especially by you.
If you study the life of Jesus of Nazareth, you will notice that He kept restating His values to His disciples and the crowds who came to hear Him speak—values concerning human life and human worth; values about what He considered of greatest significance. He said things like, “Seek first the kingdom of Yah and His righteousness.”3 By using the word “first,” He was indicating priority. The kingdom of Yah, or the influence of heaven on earth, was what He valued above everything else. He believed that the kingdom of Yah would bring about the restoration of human beings and the reestablishment of the worth of every human life.
A leader must remind his followers often of what is valuable to the community and to him personally.
6. Allow Your Values to Motivate and Regulate Your Conduct and Policies
A leader’s framework of values becomes his measure not only of whether he will do something but also how he will conduct himself while doing it. No matter what our values may be, they guide our behavior and our policies— both private and public.
Today, many leaders lack a framework for evaluating the suitability and consequences of their conduct and policies. Since values create character, a leader who does not have strong, positive values will be vulnerable to failing ethically and producing flawed policies. However, a leader who has established strong values for himself will exercise leadership that is ethically sound, as well as inspirational.
A Personal Commitment to Beliefs and Values
Let’s consider again the case of Mahatma Gandhi. He challenged the powerful, well-established policies of the British Empire, by which it had made India its colonial territory, and he eventually enabled India to become an independent nation, free of British rule. Gandhi held certain values that he refused to give up—including his commitments to the equality of all people and to a policy of nonviolence—despite great pressure to conform, as well as other stresses and demands. He wasn’t motivated by other people’s approval of him, and he was willing to sacrifice his life for his beliefs.
Do you know how Gandhi’s struggle for equality began? He was born and raised in India, and he studied law in Great Britain. Afterward, he traveled to South Africa to work as a lawyer. When he arrived, he bought a first-class train ticket, boarded a train, and sat down in his cabin.
The following is a paraphrased account of what occurred next. When the conductor came by to check the passengers’ tickets, he looked at Gandhi and asked, “What are you doing in here?” Gandhi answered, “What do you mean? I paid to sit here.” The conductor said, “No, you can’t sit here.” When he asked why, the man replied, “Because people like you are not supposed to sit in first class.” He protested, “But I have a first-class ticket.” “It doesn’t matter what you have,” he was told. “You aren’t supposed to sit here. In South Africa, first class is only for white people.”
In effect, the conductor was saying, “We don’t value you as being equal to us.” It was a value issue. When Gandhi refused to leave, the conductor called for security. Gandhi was pulled out of the seat that he’d paid for, and dragged off the train.
This denial of a value he held dear was the beginning of Gandhi’s journey to becoming an inspirational leader who effected great change through the moral power of his beliefs and convictions. Again, it is hard to find leaders in our day who will refuse to relinquish their values in the face of pressure to compromise.
Today, many people give up their values because they want people to like them or because they fear recrimination or even physical harm. We are very “safety-conscious”; we don’t want to upset anyone, and we don’t want to have to sacrifice our time, our temporary pleasures, or our perceived reputations. Consequently, we accept circumstances and policies that we disagree with. We complain—but fail to act. As a result, we are of little use to our generation.
Leadership is not about comfort. It is about discomfort—discomfort with an ineffective, incomplete, or unjust status quo, and with one’s own tendencies toward ease and complacency. Remember that whatever we accommodate, we will either embrace or be destroyed by.
True leaders have a personal commitment to their beliefs and values, and this is why they are willing to act when they see those beliefs and values violated. Remember the quotes from Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela in teaching 2, in which they declared that they were willing to die for their beliefs? Sadly, many of us would not even be willing to get up a little earlier in the morning to pursue what we say we believe in and want to accomplish —let alone die for it.
Leadership is not about comfort but about discomfort with our desire for ease and complacency.
Ask yourself honestly, “What is the strongest motivation in my life and leadership right now?” Is it perhaps fame or status? What do you value more than your convictions? Is it money? Let me assure you that it would be much better for you to eat a slice of bread with your ethical convictions intact than to eat a juicy steak with compromise. Long after that steak dinner would have been forgotten, you would still remember the slice of bread you ate because you stood for what you believed in.
Life is short—you might as well live for something valuable!
What Values About Leadership Have We Accepted?
In the previous teaching, we discussed traditional philosophies that have contributed to the concepts of leadership many people hold today. To recap, these were (1) the “birth trait” theory, (2) the “chosen by the gods” theory, (3) the “charismatic personality” theory, and (4) the “external factors” theory —that leaders are born primarily through education or by dealing with certain situations with specific criteria and stimuli.
We will now examine three values that our culture has adopted in relation to leadership, as a result of our acceptance of these traditional philosophies. Consciously or subconsciously, we often consider the following values of leadership to be more important than character and the elements of character. 1. We Value Talent over Character
Many people regularly place their confidence in a leader’s talents, above all other considerations. To understand the implications of this misplaced value, let’s clarify the difference between talent and character.
Talent is a person’s inherent gifts and abilities, as well as his skills, knowledge, and expertise.
Character is a person’s personal submission to the discipline of adhering to principles that protect his talents and gifts.
As we have discussed, every human being is born with a unique gift or set of gifts. We gain additional skills, abilities, knowledge, expertise, and experience as we use our gifts and interact with the world, but the gifts themselves are innate. In contrast, we are not born with character. Some people’s personalities may include a natural bent toward certain positive attributes, such as patience. But character must be intentionally valued and developed.
Overawed by Glamour
Too often, we allow ourselves to become so impressed with a person’s talent that we choose to overlook his character flaws when making an investment in him as a leader. We must learn not to be overawed by spectacular talent. We can enjoy and appreciate someone else’s gifts, but we should not expect his talent to be a reflection of the whole person.
There seem to be certain celebrities and politicians who continue to receive the public’s approval and favor, no matter how discreditable their conduct. At such times, there are usually various reasons for this continued support. For example, in the case of a politician, one likely reason would be people’s strong ties to a particular political party. Nevertheless, we live in a culture so enamored of famous people that the public often chooses to ignore their character defects, even though to do so is ethically unhealthy for both them and society.
Unfortunately, when we ignore the issue of character, we often reinforce in the minds of these leaders the perception that they will never be held responsible for their actions or for the poor examples they are setting. These leaders see that most people care only about their talent or appearance, and aren’t concerned about whether they have moral standards. In this way, the public encourages them to disregard the development of their character—and may even contribute to their eventual downfall.
A Fickle Public
On the other hand, leaders should realize that the public can sometimes be very fickle about whom it admires. Certain individuals might be gifted, famous, and wealthy, but when their character defects come to light, they can instantly lose both popularity and favor. Suddenly, people no longer want to pay them money to exercise their gifts, or vote for them for public office, or buy tickets to be entertained by them. Why? The people felt betrayed when they realized that the gifted person’s private life didn’t correspond with his public persona. People often feel shocked and deceived when such revelations occur, because they have overemphasized the value of the person’s talent, charisma, and glamour. They erroneously believe that people with these qualities should automatically have character, as well.
It is more important to be faithful than to be famous.
Some people take the position that a person’s public life is not related to his private life (often because they don’t think through their stance thoroughly enough). We’ll explore the problems with this position in a later chapter. For now, we should remember that character is who we are when no one is watching. If you want to make an impact on the world with your leadership gifts, it is essential to shore up your gifts with strong character that can handle the pressures and temptations of life.
Talent Without Character
A person who has talent but lacks character can be unstable and unreliable. Some people have ability, but they don’t have “availability.” They’re gifted, but they can’t be counted on to contribute their gift consistently. Nothing is more frustrating to people who are involved in a joint endeavor—such as a business, a professional sports team, a film crew, a civic organization, or a college study group—than dealing with someone who is extremely talented but undependable. They cannot predict if the person will be present at the designated times to carry out his responsibilities. If he doesn’t show up, their endeavor can be jeopardized.
Talent without character is like a shooting star. It shines brightly for a moment but then is gone. Sometimes, people come on the public scene who have a brilliant intellect, a sparkling personality, or dazzling good looks. They seem to have all the right ingredients for success. But then, sometime later—it may be two weeks, a year, or several years—they seem to drop out of sight, and we wonder where they went. We find out that they quickly “burned out” due to a character issue that destroyed their reputation and potential.
In contrast, character is like the sun—it shines consistently and reliably. At night, the sun illuminates another region of the world, even though we can’t see it. On days when we experience cloudy skies or pouring rain, the sun is still shining from its consistent position in the solar system. People with character have these qualities of consistency and reliability. Consequently, they have a positive effect on the lives of those around them.
Distracted and Derailed
When leaders focus solely on their talent, ignoring issues of character, it can derail their purpose and distract other people from matters of true importance. Most people acknowledge that former U.S. president Bill Clinton was a good manager and a tremendous communicator. Whether they agree with his politics or not, they recognize his leadership abilities. Two of his accomplishments were balancing the federal budget and reducing the national debt.
Clinton was the most influential man on earth—a player on the world scene. He is well-educated and has talent and skills. I have met him on several occasions. If you were to walk into his presence, you would be disarmed, because he has powerful charisma. I believe that if someone who hated him talked with him for three minutes, he would end up liking him.
Yet while Clinton was president, his character flaw caused people to lose respect for him as a leader and brought him ridicule. It could even have cost him his position. Not only did he have sexual liaisons with a White House intern, but he also lied about it under oath, leading to his impeachment by the House of Representatives. The credibility of the most powerful man in the world was greatly damaged by his involvement with a young intern. Because of congressional and public uproar over his personal life, as well as the accompanying media frenzy, some of Clinton’s policies and plans were hindered, and he and the country were unnecessarily distracted from national goals and concerns.
In my opinion, Clinton succumbed to one of the greatest dangers of leadership power and success—in essence, he believed he was above his own character. He was in such a position of power and authority that he thought his indiscretions would be shielded from discovery and protected from any consequences. That was a great personal deception. He didn’t understand that he was only as safe as his character, and that protecting his character should have been one of his top priorities.
Because he allowed his character flaw to control him, no matter how much time passes, and no matter what other accomplishments he achieves, people will always remember the scandal that occurred during his presidency. His character defect and its aftermath are part of his permanent legacy. This is what happens when we value talent over character.
How would you like to be remembered?
2. We Value Reputation over Character
Another false value we have internalized is that a good reputation is more important than having genuine good character. We have made our public image a higher priority than our personal or corporate responsibleness. In doing so, we have failed to recognize the critical need to safeguard our integrity.
Let’s examine the difference between reputation and character: Reputation is what others think about you. Character is the truth about you.
Reputation is who you are in public. Character is who you are in private.
Each of us has a reputation—it is the perception other people have of us. People often “sell” an enhanced picture of themselves to others; they promote a public image that is not who they really are. Then, they sometimes start to believe the invention rather than the reality. It is ethically hazardous for us to be more concerned with what others think of us than with what we know to be true about ourselves.
Mere reputation does not have the ability to sustain you, because it is not based on reality. We should never trust our reputation, because it has the capacity to deceive us.
We must also avoid promoting a false image of ourselves, because life has a way of eventually bringing our private self to the public stage. Who you truly are will manifest itself somewhere along your life’s journey, and it can destroy the image of “you” that others have bought into. Therefore, make sure you won’t mind if who you are in private becomes public. Finally, remember this: Hardly anyone is able to die with his privacy intact.
Leaders should not seek to protect their reputation—they should seek to protect their character.
Reputation is not something you have to pursue. It will be a by-product of your character. People will respect you for your character, so you never have to strive to maintain or protect your reputation. If your goal is to defend your reputation, you will move away from ethical considerations. Again, the best thing to do is to focus on maintaining your character and protecting your integrity. The more you develop your character, the less concerned you will be about your reputation.
3. We Value Position More Than Character
A third flawed value we have accepted is that position is more important than character—specifically, our disposition. By disposition, I mean a person’s nature and outlook—including his sense of purpose and his self- concept. As we have discussed, an individual’s position, rank, or status in an organization does not automatically equate to genuine leadership. Many people are more concerned with pursuing a high position in government, business, or the nonprofit sector than with having an honorable disposition. They choose to focus on outward status rather than on the quality of their inner life. I would much rather understand what motivates a person than hear what his latest title is, because his title really tells me very little about him.
One dictionary definition of disposition is “the tendency of something to act in a certain manner under given circumstances.” That’s a good description of character, too, one that we will look at more closely in a coming chapter. When we know someone’s true character, we can usually predict what he will do in a given situation. That is vital knowledge to have about a leader or a potential leader.
Therefore, instead of seeking an elevated position in life, we should develop a strong disposition. We can begin by asking ourselves questions such as these:
Have I placed more value on my status or title than on my character?
What perceptions do I have about myself, other people, and the world? Are they aligned with my purpose? Do they reflect the values I claim to have?
What is my true nature, apart from my reputation?
What values will I refuse to deny because, to do so, I would violate my ideals and ethics?
Living Value-Directed Lives
As a result of the false ideas about leadership that our culture has accepted, we have too hastily given roles of leadership and responsibility to people without considering the ramifications of their turning out to be unprincipled leaders. For example, when we are looking for someone to head an organization, we usually choose someone on the basis of his experience and knowledge alone. (When we recognize that we are competent in a specific area, we often believe that this fact, in itself, qualifies us for leadership, too!) When we vote for someone for political office, we often choose someone just because he is well-known, well-spoken, or physically attractive. Yet focusing on these values exclusively, rather than seriously considering people’s character, has done us and the world a great disservice. It has inevitably played a part in the ethical and moral scandals we are seeing among our leadership.
As leaders, we have a responsibility to live with utmost integrity. Our convictions must remain intact, no matter how much we may be tempted to compromise our honesty or to give in to our physical appetites. We must remember that people are looking to us and putting their faith in us. For the sake of our leadership, let us endeavor to live responsible lives based on strong values. We can do this as we identify, believe, receive, live out, and share our values, and as we allow them to motivate and regulate our conduct and policies.
Today we are walking in: How Character Develops, Part II: What We Value
Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
The Torah Testifies.............................
*****
The prophets proclaim...............
Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.
The writings bear witness.............
2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword
Chapter 4
How Character Develops, Part II: What We Value
“A people who values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.” —Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th president of the United States
The type of character that is ultimately produced in a person’s life is determined by the nature of his beliefs and the focus of his convictions, both of which are expressed in his values.
Many people today are confused about values. In a number of nations, values have been shifting. People aren’t sure which values they should continue to hold in high esteem and which they should let go of. Some of the changes in values have been beneficial, while others have been detrimental, contributing to a breakdown of ethical standards in various societies.
Moreover, because many people do not stop to consider what they really believe, and what convictions they hold, they may not be fully aware of what their values are. Instead of establishing their own value system, they act primarily on the viewpoints and sentiments of others, such as family members, friends, coworkers, and celebrities or other opinion makers.
Determining One’s Own Values
We all necessarily begin life guided by the views and advice of others. However, as we grow physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, and spiritually, we must make our own decisions about what we believe, what our convictions are, and what we value. If we don’t, we will not be able to develop into leaders of character who are guided by internal motivations.
At any stage of our lives, it is a wise practice for us to seek the counsel of two or three people we trust before making a major decision. Yet suppose we receive conflicting advice? If we have no established parameters on which to make a final conclusion or decision, we will never gain a sure footing in life and will continually waver between opinions. Our values and behavior will be based mainly on others’ preferences. While it is important to keep an open mind about complex issues, we have to establish a belief system and determine what values we will stand for.
What Are Values?
To help us comprehend the nature of values, let’s look at two related definitions. Values are...
Ideas, principles, and qualities on which you personally place high worth. A value is a belief— in something or someone—that you esteem, on its own merits. For instance, you may value the idea of giving charitable aid to families whose wage earner has been laid off from work, or the principle of “equal justice under law,” or the quality of courage.
Standards or ideals that determine your conduct or policy. To use a simple example, suppose you own a diamond ring, and you know the market value of diamonds and want to protect your asset. The value you place on your diamond ring will both predict and affect your behavior toward it. If you truly value it as a possession, you will keep it clean and put it in a safe place when you’re not wearing it. You may even check on it periodically to make sure it has not been lost or stolen.
Properties of Values
Next, let’s note several properties connected with values.
1. Values Grow out of Personal or Corporate Philosophy
Again, our beliefs and convictions are always the starting place for the development of our character, which is established through our values.
2. Values Are More Important than Rules
If an individual has strong, positive values, he doesn’t require a lot of external laws and rules to govern his life. He doesn’t need to be monitored by someone else who makes sure he does what he should be doing. He monitors himself. And because his values are based on his internal motivations, they have both stability and longevity.
The best kind of rules are meant to make us aware of standards that are right and beneficial for us, so that we can make a personal decision to observe them. They are not intended to be an end in themselves. On the other hand, arbitrary rules that people are forced to comply with will lack power because they will not be internalized by them.
If an individual has strong values, he doesn’t need a lot of external laws and rules to govern his life.
3. Values Can Build Others Up or Tear Them Down
Depending on whether a person’s values are derived from positive or negative beliefs, they will be helpful or harmful to the one who holds them— and to others. This point may seem obvious, but many people don’t consider the effect their values have on their daily lives.
For example, a leader can value the idea that the financial “bottom line” is the only thing that matters. Accordingly, instead of inspiring his employees, he harasses them in an attempt to attain greater productivity.
The organization Leadership IQ conducted a study involving more than five thousand leaders over the period of August 2012 to January 2013. When asked about their leadership style, 39 percent of the leaders preferred to use an “intimidating” style—a factor the study attributed to “economic fatigue” related to the global financial crisis. Apparently, in an attempt to spur workers to make more money for the company, many managers employed intimidation.1
Another study that examined the leadership implications of the economic crisis concluded that leadership based on principles of character was “prevalent in the firms that weathered and even prospered during the crisis.”2 This study indicates how different values can produce different results. Good productivity is a legitimate goal for a leader; however, the path to achieve it is to lead with character, valuing the contributions of each participant and encouraging him to use his gifts to the fullest.
Values ultimately motivate our conduct, and many of our actions are not morally neutral—they have either positive or negative consequences for ourselves and others.
4. Values Are Personal—but They Are Never Private
This point, which I mentioned briefly in teaching 1, corresponds with the previous point. It highlights the fact that our values inevitably have some impact on others.
Many families, communities, and countries are being destroyed today as people’s negative values are manifested in their ill treatment of others. For instance, if an individual doesn’t place a high value on the institution of marriage—and on his own marriage, in particular—he may think it’s acceptable to engage in an extramarital affair. By so doing, he can devastate the lives of his spouse and children. In the process, he may also experience losses—of his friends, his home, and other important aspects of his life.
In contrast, if a person places a high value on the institution of marriage, and has committed himself to this value, it will keep him from having an extramarital affair, even if he may be tempted to do so. His dedication to his marriage will impact not only his life but also the lives of his spouse and children.
5. Values Outlive Goals
Goals are temporary aims that a leader has determined are necessary to enable him to reach a greater objective. Values, on the other hand, are timeless. Once a leader reaches a specific goal in the process of pursuing his vision, he can set other goals that align with his values.
6. Values Send a Message
Your stated values communicate what you claim to stand for. But the values you demonstrate by your actions reveal what you truly stand for and whether your stated values have real substance and meaning.
We should take time to consider what ethical messages we are sending to others. For example, by his words and actions, an individual can indicate to other people that he is open to engaging in unethical behavior. As a result, someone who is looking for a “partner in crime” to participate with him in dishonorable conduct, such as lying or cheating, will feel comfortable in approaching him. However, if the individual has made it clear through his words and actions that he is a person of character who will not lie or cheat, the dishonorable person will not approach him but will pass over him and look for someone else to recruit.
7. Values Attract Similar Values
Likewise, it is generally the case that people who hold particular values are drawn to other people who hold the same values. Applying this point to personal relationships, we know that friendships are forged among people who have similar interests and preferences.
My close friends and associates share my values. There are other people with whom I am unable to associate. My experiences with them have revealed that they don’t value the things I value; in fact, sometimes they value things that I believe are detrimental. That doesn’t mean that I intentionally snub them. Yet, as a leader, I have to protect my character, and a close tie with them would not only be ethically unhealthy for me but it might also give the impression to others that I support their values.
Values are so important that they should be the basis of our key associations. The same point applies to corporate relationships—for example, companies doing business with one another and governments making agreements and treaties with other countries and supporting various international causes. When considering an association, leaders should ask themselves, “What overt or underlying values are involved in this decision? What binding alliances am I making?”
Global terrorism is on many people’s minds today, and terrorists use various methods to promote their causes. When a terrorist straps a bomb to his body and detonates it in a crowded public square, killing innocent people (as well as himself), it indicates that he values his message more than he respects human life. Some people in the world would support his action, because they share a similar priority. Yet the terrorist’s demonstration does not lead me to be sympathetic to his cause, and I cannot accept his justification for his actions, because he doesn’t respect what I value.
Values should be the basis of our key associations with others.
8. Values Shape Corporate Entities
The social norms and the environment of a corporate entity are established by the values of its leaders and the shared values of its members—creating a corporate culture. In a later chapter, we will discuss the role of core values in relation to a business, an organization, a nation, or any other group.
9. Values Manifest in Corporate or Public Life
A person’s values will eventually be revealed by the way he conducts himself, and the manner in which he treats others, in the group of which he is a part. For example, if one of his values is honoring the purposes and inherent gifts of other people, he will not gossip about others or try to undermine their success. If another of his values is respecting the property of others, he will not steal from his company, his coworkers, or his fellow citizens. If yet another of his values is esteeming the quality of honesty, he will not lie to others or exaggerate the facts of a matter to his own advantage.
How Values Function in Our Lives
All true leaders adhere to a value system by which they consider options for conduct, make decisions, and take action. A leader of character is identified by the positive values that he considers worthy, and by which he has determined to live. For positive values to make a difference in your life and leadership, you must progress through the following steps:
1. Identify Your Values
Carefully think through what you truly value and then express your values in writing. Writing down the ideas and behaviors on which you place high worth will help you to identify and clarify them. In addition, if your values are recorded in written form, you can put them in an accessible place (such as a folder in your desk or a file on your laptop), so that you can continually refer to them as you exercise your leadership.
Keep in mind that identifying and articulating your values is usually not accomplished in one sitting. It takes a thoughtful evaluation of your purpose, convictions, and vision for the future. And, as you increasingly come to understand your inherent purpose and gifts, you should refine the written statement of your values.
2. Believe in Your Values
Values are not ideals to which a leader gives mere mental assent, because they are an indispensable part of his ability to live a life of purpose and character. Therefore, you should embrace values you can truly believe in and have confidence in—those you affirm and desire to live by.
3. Receive Your Values
A leader believes in his values to the point that he “receives” them. That is to say, he internalizes them, so they can become a vital part of who he is. You receive your values by reviewing them often, thinking about them, and affirming their place in your life. As King Solomon said, “As [a person] thinks in his heart [subconscious mind], so is he.”
4. Live Out Your Values
As a result of the preceding steps, a true leader adheres to his values. They become his parameters, or framework, for living. A person of character measures everything against those parameters. For example, if you ask him to take some action or participate in a cause, he will evaluate whether doing so would be in alignment with his purpose and values. If not, he will decline.
As a leader, you must not only believe in and internalize your values but also put them into practice, if they are to guide your life. Periodically take time to evaluate if you are living according to your stated values.
5. Share Your Values
A leader must be able to share his values with others in the corporate entity of which he is a part—whether it is a family, a business, an organization, a nation, or another group. Remember that a personal vision can be fulfilled only in conjunction with other people’s visions as they share a common purpose. Similarly, corporate values are effective only when they become the personal values of all the members. Every member of an organization needs to be in general agreement with the corporate values. We will discuss this point in more depth in a later chapter.
Therefore, if you are the leader who sets a corporate vision, you should remind people often of what is valuable to the community and what is valuable to you personally. These values should not be a secret to those who are involved. Values must not only be heard but also “seen”—in other words, demonstrated, especially by you.
If you study the life of Jesus of Nazareth, you will notice that He kept restating His values to His disciples and the crowds who came to hear Him speak—values concerning human life and human worth; values about what He considered of greatest significance. He said things like, “Seek first the kingdom of Yah and His righteousness.”3 By using the word “first,” He was indicating priority. The kingdom of Yah, or the influence of heaven on earth, was what He valued above everything else. He believed that the kingdom of Yah would bring about the restoration of human beings and the reestablishment of the worth of every human life.
A leader must remind his followers often of what is valuable to the community and to him personally.
6. Allow Your Values to Motivate and Regulate Your Conduct and Policies
A leader’s framework of values becomes his measure not only of whether he will do something but also how he will conduct himself while doing it. No matter what our values may be, they guide our behavior and our policies— both private and public.
Today, many leaders lack a framework for evaluating the suitability and consequences of their conduct and policies. Since values create character, a leader who does not have strong, positive values will be vulnerable to failing ethically and producing flawed policies. However, a leader who has established strong values for himself will exercise leadership that is ethically sound, as well as inspirational.
A Personal Commitment to Beliefs and Values
Let’s consider again the case of Mahatma Gandhi. He challenged the powerful, well-established policies of the British Empire, by which it had made India its colonial territory, and he eventually enabled India to become an independent nation, free of British rule. Gandhi held certain values that he refused to give up—including his commitments to the equality of all people and to a policy of nonviolence—despite great pressure to conform, as well as other stresses and demands. He wasn’t motivated by other people’s approval of him, and he was willing to sacrifice his life for his beliefs.
Do you know how Gandhi’s struggle for equality began? He was born and raised in India, and he studied law in Great Britain. Afterward, he traveled to South Africa to work as a lawyer. When he arrived, he bought a first-class train ticket, boarded a train, and sat down in his cabin.
The following is a paraphrased account of what occurred next. When the conductor came by to check the passengers’ tickets, he looked at Gandhi and asked, “What are you doing in here?” Gandhi answered, “What do you mean? I paid to sit here.” The conductor said, “No, you can’t sit here.” When he asked why, the man replied, “Because people like you are not supposed to sit in first class.” He protested, “But I have a first-class ticket.” “It doesn’t matter what you have,” he was told. “You aren’t supposed to sit here. In South Africa, first class is only for white people.”
In effect, the conductor was saying, “We don’t value you as being equal to us.” It was a value issue. When Gandhi refused to leave, the conductor called for security. Gandhi was pulled out of the seat that he’d paid for, and dragged off the train.
This denial of a value he held dear was the beginning of Gandhi’s journey to becoming an inspirational leader who effected great change through the moral power of his beliefs and convictions. Again, it is hard to find leaders in our day who will refuse to relinquish their values in the face of pressure to compromise.
Today, many people give up their values because they want people to like them or because they fear recrimination or even physical harm. We are very “safety-conscious”; we don’t want to upset anyone, and we don’t want to have to sacrifice our time, our temporary pleasures, or our perceived reputations. Consequently, we accept circumstances and policies that we disagree with. We complain—but fail to act. As a result, we are of little use to our generation.
Leadership is not about comfort. It is about discomfort—discomfort with an ineffective, incomplete, or unjust status quo, and with one’s own tendencies toward ease and complacency. Remember that whatever we accommodate, we will either embrace or be destroyed by.
True leaders have a personal commitment to their beliefs and values, and this is why they are willing to act when they see those beliefs and values violated. Remember the quotes from Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela in teaching 2, in which they declared that they were willing to die for their beliefs? Sadly, many of us would not even be willing to get up a little earlier in the morning to pursue what we say we believe in and want to accomplish —let alone die for it.
Leadership is not about comfort but about discomfort with our desire for ease and complacency.
Ask yourself honestly, “What is the strongest motivation in my life and leadership right now?” Is it perhaps fame or status? What do you value more than your convictions? Is it money? Let me assure you that it would be much better for you to eat a slice of bread with your ethical convictions intact than to eat a juicy steak with compromise. Long after that steak dinner would have been forgotten, you would still remember the slice of bread you ate because you stood for what you believed in.
Life is short—you might as well live for something valuable!
What Values About Leadership Have We Accepted?
In the previous teaching, we discussed traditional philosophies that have contributed to the concepts of leadership many people hold today. To recap, these were (1) the “birth trait” theory, (2) the “chosen by the gods” theory, (3) the “charismatic personality” theory, and (4) the “external factors” theory —that leaders are born primarily through education or by dealing with certain situations with specific criteria and stimuli.
We will now examine three values that our culture has adopted in relation to leadership, as a result of our acceptance of these traditional philosophies. Consciously or subconsciously, we often consider the following values of leadership to be more important than character and the elements of character. 1. We Value Talent over Character
Many people regularly place their confidence in a leader’s talents, above all other considerations. To understand the implications of this misplaced value, let’s clarify the difference between talent and character.
Talent is a person’s inherent gifts and abilities, as well as his skills, knowledge, and expertise.
Character is a person’s personal submission to the discipline of adhering to principles that protect his talents and gifts.
As we have discussed, every human being is born with a unique gift or set of gifts. We gain additional skills, abilities, knowledge, expertise, and experience as we use our gifts and interact with the world, but the gifts themselves are innate. In contrast, we are not born with character. Some people’s personalities may include a natural bent toward certain positive attributes, such as patience. But character must be intentionally valued and developed.
Overawed by Glamour
Too often, we allow ourselves to become so impressed with a person’s talent that we choose to overlook his character flaws when making an investment in him as a leader. We must learn not to be overawed by spectacular talent. We can enjoy and appreciate someone else’s gifts, but we should not expect his talent to be a reflection of the whole person.
There seem to be certain celebrities and politicians who continue to receive the public’s approval and favor, no matter how discreditable their conduct. At such times, there are usually various reasons for this continued support. For example, in the case of a politician, one likely reason would be people’s strong ties to a particular political party. Nevertheless, we live in a culture so enamored of famous people that the public often chooses to ignore their character defects, even though to do so is ethically unhealthy for both them and society.
Unfortunately, when we ignore the issue of character, we often reinforce in the minds of these leaders the perception that they will never be held responsible for their actions or for the poor examples they are setting. These leaders see that most people care only about their talent or appearance, and aren’t concerned about whether they have moral standards. In this way, the public encourages them to disregard the development of their character—and may even contribute to their eventual downfall.
A Fickle Public
On the other hand, leaders should realize that the public can sometimes be very fickle about whom it admires. Certain individuals might be gifted, famous, and wealthy, but when their character defects come to light, they can instantly lose both popularity and favor. Suddenly, people no longer want to pay them money to exercise their gifts, or vote for them for public office, or buy tickets to be entertained by them. Why? The people felt betrayed when they realized that the gifted person’s private life didn’t correspond with his public persona. People often feel shocked and deceived when such revelations occur, because they have overemphasized the value of the person’s talent, charisma, and glamour. They erroneously believe that people with these qualities should automatically have character, as well.
It is more important to be faithful than to be famous.
Some people take the position that a person’s public life is not related to his private life (often because they don’t think through their stance thoroughly enough). We’ll explore the problems with this position in a later chapter. For now, we should remember that character is who we are when no one is watching. If you want to make an impact on the world with your leadership gifts, it is essential to shore up your gifts with strong character that can handle the pressures and temptations of life.
Talent Without Character
A person who has talent but lacks character can be unstable and unreliable. Some people have ability, but they don’t have “availability.” They’re gifted, but they can’t be counted on to contribute their gift consistently. Nothing is more frustrating to people who are involved in a joint endeavor—such as a business, a professional sports team, a film crew, a civic organization, or a college study group—than dealing with someone who is extremely talented but undependable. They cannot predict if the person will be present at the designated times to carry out his responsibilities. If he doesn’t show up, their endeavor can be jeopardized.
Talent without character is like a shooting star. It shines brightly for a moment but then is gone. Sometimes, people come on the public scene who have a brilliant intellect, a sparkling personality, or dazzling good looks. They seem to have all the right ingredients for success. But then, sometime later—it may be two weeks, a year, or several years—they seem to drop out of sight, and we wonder where they went. We find out that they quickly “burned out” due to a character issue that destroyed their reputation and potential.
In contrast, character is like the sun—it shines consistently and reliably. At night, the sun illuminates another region of the world, even though we can’t see it. On days when we experience cloudy skies or pouring rain, the sun is still shining from its consistent position in the solar system. People with character have these qualities of consistency and reliability. Consequently, they have a positive effect on the lives of those around them.
Distracted and Derailed
When leaders focus solely on their talent, ignoring issues of character, it can derail their purpose and distract other people from matters of true importance. Most people acknowledge that former U.S. president Bill Clinton was a good manager and a tremendous communicator. Whether they agree with his politics or not, they recognize his leadership abilities. Two of his accomplishments were balancing the federal budget and reducing the national debt.
Clinton was the most influential man on earth—a player on the world scene. He is well-educated and has talent and skills. I have met him on several occasions. If you were to walk into his presence, you would be disarmed, because he has powerful charisma. I believe that if someone who hated him talked with him for three minutes, he would end up liking him.
Yet while Clinton was president, his character flaw caused people to lose respect for him as a leader and brought him ridicule. It could even have cost him his position. Not only did he have sexual liaisons with a White House intern, but he also lied about it under oath, leading to his impeachment by the House of Representatives. The credibility of the most powerful man in the world was greatly damaged by his involvement with a young intern. Because of congressional and public uproar over his personal life, as well as the accompanying media frenzy, some of Clinton’s policies and plans were hindered, and he and the country were unnecessarily distracted from national goals and concerns.
In my opinion, Clinton succumbed to one of the greatest dangers of leadership power and success—in essence, he believed he was above his own character. He was in such a position of power and authority that he thought his indiscretions would be shielded from discovery and protected from any consequences. That was a great personal deception. He didn’t understand that he was only as safe as his character, and that protecting his character should have been one of his top priorities.
Because he allowed his character flaw to control him, no matter how much time passes, and no matter what other accomplishments he achieves, people will always remember the scandal that occurred during his presidency. His character defect and its aftermath are part of his permanent legacy. This is what happens when we value talent over character.
How would you like to be remembered?
2. We Value Reputation over Character
Another false value we have internalized is that a good reputation is more important than having genuine good character. We have made our public image a higher priority than our personal or corporate responsibleness. In doing so, we have failed to recognize the critical need to safeguard our integrity.
Let’s examine the difference between reputation and character: Reputation is what others think about you. Character is the truth about you.
Reputation is who you are in public. Character is who you are in private.
Each of us has a reputation—it is the perception other people have of us. People often “sell” an enhanced picture of themselves to others; they promote a public image that is not who they really are. Then, they sometimes start to believe the invention rather than the reality. It is ethically hazardous for us to be more concerned with what others think of us than with what we know to be true about ourselves.
Mere reputation does not have the ability to sustain you, because it is not based on reality. We should never trust our reputation, because it has the capacity to deceive us.
We must also avoid promoting a false image of ourselves, because life has a way of eventually bringing our private self to the public stage. Who you truly are will manifest itself somewhere along your life’s journey, and it can destroy the image of “you” that others have bought into. Therefore, make sure you won’t mind if who you are in private becomes public. Finally, remember this: Hardly anyone is able to die with his privacy intact.
Leaders should not seek to protect their reputation—they should seek to protect their character.
Reputation is not something you have to pursue. It will be a by-product of your character. People will respect you for your character, so you never have to strive to maintain or protect your reputation. If your goal is to defend your reputation, you will move away from ethical considerations. Again, the best thing to do is to focus on maintaining your character and protecting your integrity. The more you develop your character, the less concerned you will be about your reputation.
3. We Value Position More Than Character
A third flawed value we have accepted is that position is more important than character—specifically, our disposition. By disposition, I mean a person’s nature and outlook—including his sense of purpose and his self- concept. As we have discussed, an individual’s position, rank, or status in an organization does not automatically equate to genuine leadership. Many people are more concerned with pursuing a high position in government, business, or the nonprofit sector than with having an honorable disposition. They choose to focus on outward status rather than on the quality of their inner life. I would much rather understand what motivates a person than hear what his latest title is, because his title really tells me very little about him.
One dictionary definition of disposition is “the tendency of something to act in a certain manner under given circumstances.” That’s a good description of character, too, one that we will look at more closely in a coming chapter. When we know someone’s true character, we can usually predict what he will do in a given situation. That is vital knowledge to have about a leader or a potential leader.
Therefore, instead of seeking an elevated position in life, we should develop a strong disposition. We can begin by asking ourselves questions such as these:
Have I placed more value on my status or title than on my character?
What perceptions do I have about myself, other people, and the world? Are they aligned with my purpose? Do they reflect the values I claim to have?
What is my true nature, apart from my reputation?
What values will I refuse to deny because, to do so, I would violate my ideals and ethics?
Living Value-Directed Lives
As a result of the false ideas about leadership that our culture has accepted, we have too hastily given roles of leadership and responsibility to people without considering the ramifications of their turning out to be unprincipled leaders. For example, when we are looking for someone to head an organization, we usually choose someone on the basis of his experience and knowledge alone. (When we recognize that we are competent in a specific area, we often believe that this fact, in itself, qualifies us for leadership, too!) When we vote for someone for political office, we often choose someone just because he is well-known, well-spoken, or physically attractive. Yet focusing on these values exclusively, rather than seriously considering people’s character, has done us and the world a great disservice. It has inevitably played a part in the ethical and moral scandals we are seeing among our leadership.
As leaders, we have a responsibility to live with utmost integrity. Our convictions must remain intact, no matter how much we may be tempted to compromise our honesty or to give in to our physical appetites. We must remember that people are looking to us and putting their faith in us. For the sake of our leadership, let us endeavor to live responsible lives based on strong values. We can do this as we identify, believe, receive, live out, and share our values, and as we allow them to motivate and regulate our conduct and policies.
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
HOW CHARACTER DEVELOPS, PART I: WHAT WE BELIEVE
Romans chapter 3
Today we are walking in: How Character Develops, Part I: What We Believe
Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
The Torah Testifies.............................
*****
The prophets proclaim...............
Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.
The writings bear witness.............
2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword
Chapter 3
How Character Develops, Part I: What We Believe
“We lead out of our beliefs.” —Dr. Myles Munroe
As I observed the 2024 presidential campaign in America, I noted that the candidates declared, “You have a choice of which America you want.” They kept using the word choice. Other presidential campaigns have used similar language. The candidates were presenting two different ideas, or philosophies, to the voters. To put it very simply, the choice they were offering was between “big government” and “big business.” The personal beliefs of the candidates became the public policy they pursued as leaders.
The same principle is true for all leaders. We lead out of our beliefs.
The Progression of Character Development
All people follow generally the same course as they develop character, whether that character ultimately ends up positive or negative. The process occurs like this:
Our beliefs lead to our convictions.
Our convictions produce our values (which are tied to our attitudes and perceptions).
Our values form our morals, or principles.
Our morals/principles lead to corresponding personal conduct. Especially in the case of positive character, morals and principles also prompt us to exercise personal discipline for the purpose of remaining aligned with our convictions.
Our conduct/disciplined actions manifest as our ethics.
Our ethics result in our character.
Our character determines our lifestyle.
In teaching 2, we examined the process by which a person becomes a leader, including the development of convictions based on his purpose. In this chapter, we will look more closely at the manner in which we form our beliefs and convictions. And, for the next three chapters, we will explore traditional perceptions of leaders and leadership, as well as how we can direct the development of our character so that we may become—and remain— ethical leaders.
Philosophy, or Beliefs
Our philosophy, or belief system, has been formulated throughout our lives by our responses to various influences on us. Those influences include our families, our friends, our heritage/background, our physical and social environments, our education, our religious affiliation, our knowledge, the media we have been exposed to, our associates, our coworkers, and so forth. Our beliefs come from the ideas we have been exposed to or have developed from our observations and analyses, and which—and this is most important— we have received as truth.
Some of the ideas we accept may be false or incomplete. But if we believe they are true, they still become incorporated into our personal philosophy, helping to construct the foundation on which we build our lives. That is why, if a person wants to change his belief system, he has to change his ideas about himself and/or his ideas about the world.
We develop character, therefore, as a result of our personal philosophy, including what we believe about the meaning of life, the nature of the world, and how we should relate to other people.
If a person wants to change his belief system, he has to change his ideas about himself and/or his ideas about the world.
What Ideas Have We Accepted?
I am convinced that one of our greatest weaknesses as leaders today is that our philosophical training about who we are as human beings—including our inherent purpose as leaders—has been severely deficient. Our environment and other influences have produced defects in our thinking due to some of the flawed philosophies that have been perpetuated by our culture, which we have accepted. If we want to become leaders of character who make a positive difference in the world, we need to take a serious look at what ideas we have received, how those ideas have shaped our philosophy of life, and what beliefs and attitudes we may need to change.
For example, if a leader has accepted the concept “It’s everyone for himself in this world,” he will always put himself before other people, with the result that he may neglect, mistreat, or even abuse his followers. True leaders always place the highest value on the dignity of all humankind. Personally, I believe that if you don’t respect other people, you should not be in leadership. The world already has too many problems to take on another leader who disregards the intrinsic value of human beings.
A leader’s personal beliefs about himself and the nature of the world will inevitably be revealed in his public policy. By “public policy,” I do not refer only to governmental programs and laws. I use the term in a broad sense, to indicate the policies, directives, instructions, and guidance of leaders toward those who follow them. A leader’s public policy reflects how he views, interacts with, and affects the lives of other people as he carries out his leadership.
“As a Person Thinks in His Heart, so Is He”
Let us look at another proverb from the perceptive King Solomon: “As [a person] thinks in his heart, so is he.”1 Many people misquote this saying by leaving out the word “heart.” But Solomon did not say, “As a person thinks, so is he.” To me, the word “heart” is the most important word in this statement. It denotes the center of our reasoning. I believe the “heart” is equivalent to what psychologists today call the “subconscious mind.” So, we could paraphrase Solomon’s saying in this way: “As a person thinks in his subconscious mind, so is he.”
As the term indicates, our subconscious mind exists behind our conscious mental functions. It is where everything that we believe is “stored,” much like information is stored on a computer hard drive. When you are using a particular program on your computer, you don’t see all the programs and files that exist on your hard drive. You see only what you are working with at the moment, whether it is a word processing system, a spreadsheet, or a game— or several programs at the same time. The rest of the programs and files exist, and some may even be active, but you’re not consciously aware of them. Yet if you intentionally open a new file or maximize a screen to view a program you are running (for instance, to check the status of an ongoing system update), you bring that other portion of the hard drive to the attention of your conscious mind, where you can consider it.
In a similar way, we can bring the thoughts that are in our “heart,” or subconscious mind, to the surface of our conscious mind for reflection and assessment so that we can begin to evaluate what we really believe—and why.
Most people live according to the ideas that reside in their subconscious mind. That’s why it’s so important for us to understand not just what another person is saying but what is stored in his belief system. For example, you may have had the experience of thinking that a person had all the makings of a good leader—until he was promoted! Then the negative qualities started to manifest. Abraham Lincoln said, “If you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” I would augment that apt comment by saying that if you want to know the true character of a person, give him one or all of the following: (1) power, (2) position, or (3) money. The way in which an individual uses any of these resources will reveal what exists at the core of his inner life.
We can sum up what we have discussed so far in this way: Our beliefs govern who we are, as well as the path along which we are traveling in life. It’s not what we say, but what we genuinely believe, that directs our lives and our leadership.
Ask yourself, “What foundational beliefs direct my life?”
Convictions
Our established belief system gives rise to our convictions. This point is similar to what we discussed in the last chapter in relation to discovering one’s purpose—that when a leader fully believes in his inherent purpose and gifting, it leads to conviction. We can’t “receive” character from something outside of us. The groundwork of character is established when we personally hold to an idea so completely that, for us, it becomes a deep principle worth sacrificing for.
Character is measured by the depth of what we claim to believe. Again, you can learn all the skills, methods, and styles of leadership, but they won’t mean much if you have no real convictions that guide your life—or if you sell out your convictions. If your belief system is weak, you will find yourself to be inconsistent in your standards and vacillating in your ethics. You may choose the honorable course one day, but the next day engage in ethically questionable behavior.
Ask yourself, “What strong convictions do I hold?”
Character is measured by the depth of what we claim to believe.
Traditional Leadership Concepts: Legacies of Philosophy
Based on the process we have been looking at, we can understand how, through shared beliefs, certain concepts of leadership have taken hold in our nations and permeated the world’s cultures. The generally accepted images of leaders and leadership that many people have today are derived from particular philosophical ideas. We have absorbed these ideas as naturally as we have absorbed other ways of thinking and living from our culture, such as the manner in which we celebrate holidays and the colloquialisms we use. Yet most of us haven’t stopped to consider how our beliefs about leadership have been affected by prevailing cultural ideas.
The theoretical foundation for many of our beliefs about leadership, especially in Western nations, was derived from the ideas of several renowned philosophers from ancient Greece. These ideas were disseminated widely through the influence of the vast Roman Empire.
The Roman Empire existed for nearly eight hundred years, from about 250 b.c. to a.d. 476. It was the most powerful empire in history. At its height, Rome ruled over virtually the entire known world. No nation or empire since then has equaled its power and influence. The Romans admired the Greeks, and their thinking was greatly influenced by Greek philosophy. The Greeks held the idea that there were superior and inferior races. When Rome invaded Greece and took over that great empire, the Romans adopted this philosophy. They ruled with the idea that Romans were superior to the rest of the peoples of the world. As we will see, the basis of their perceived superiority was that they had certain distinctive traits, and that they had been chosen by the “gods” to be the leaders.
The Romans’ philosophy led them to accept the idea that subjugating other peoples was a good and acceptable practice. As their empire extended across the world, their ideas about races and peoples influenced how they treated their subjects and how their subjects came to think about themselves. The essence of these ideas still affects us today.
I have read the writings of Plato and Aristotle, and the thoughts of Socrates. While they said many helpful things, I am astonished that people still accept much of what they believed about leadership, because, in my view, their basic theories are flawed.
Let us examine some of our widely accepted theories of leaders and leadership that come from Greek philosophy.
1. The “Birth Trait” Theory
This theory holds that some humans are born with unique qualities that earmark them for leadership, while the majority of people—who do not possess these traits—are destined only to follow and be subordinate. Aristotle said that from the hour of a person’s birth, he was marked for either leadership or subjection. Aristotle promoted the concept that we sometimes express today in these words: “Leaders are born, not made.”
I have investigated the traits that the Greeks and Romans valued, and they were things like the shape of one’s nose, the color of one’s eyes and hair, the fairness of one’s skin, and one’s height. If you didn’t happen to have the preferred manifestations of these traits through genetics, you were automatically relegated to a lesser status—to servitude.
Earlier, we discussed how people often choose leaders based on the leaders’ appearance and stature, rather than for their character or even their abilities. Various studies have clearly indicated that personal traits, as well as circumstances, do contribute to the kind of leadership a person exercises. Yet while a person’s leadership may be affected by his physical traits and other factors, these do not constitute the whole picture of leadership.
Moreover, some people today have the idea that only individuals with certain traits can be leaders, reinforcing the ancient belief that leaders are superior to the rest of the population. Yet, as we discussed in chapter 2, every person exercises leadership in a particular area of gifting. We all have a unique gift or gifts, and none of us is intrinsically “superior” to others—even when they are under our authority or oversight.
2. The “Chosen by the Gods” Theory
Another Greco-Roman theory that corresponds to the “birth trait” theory is that leadership is reserved for a favored few whom the “gods” selected for elite positions over the masses. The “chosen ones” are to control, manage, and direct the lives, aspirations, fortunes, and futures of those who are “not chosen.”
To the people living in the Roman Empire, this meant that if the gods didn’t choose you to be a leader, you were destined to spend your life as a slave or a servant. So, if you were not a Roman—a member of the elite race—your lot in life was to be second class. You could never rise to the caliber of someone worthy of real leadership.
This theory supports the idea of a class system. If you believe the gods choose some people to be rulers and others to be slaves, then if you happen to be among the slaves, it wouldn’t matter if you earned five PhD’s and knew more than all the other leaders combined—you would always be seen as inferior and existing primarily for the benefit of those who were born leaders. In most countries, up until modern times, people did not move from a lower class to a higher one. If they were born to parents who belonged to the nobility or upper class, they remained in that station throughout their lives. If they were born to parents who were servants, they couldn’t aspire to be anything but a servant.
We still see this attitude today in many nations among those who think that a person’s “pedigree,” social status, and education at exclusive schools alone qualify him to be an elite leader. Those whose lineages are from “lesser” origins, and whose social standing and education are not as prestigious, cannot aspire to the highest and most influential leadership roles.
3. The “Charismatic Personality” Theory
This theory promotes the idea that only certain individuals who possess a unique measure of “charisma”—who are extroverted and charming, have superb communication skills, and so forth—are leaders.
Charisma is a Greek word meaning “favor” or “gift.” So again, the idea was that certain people were endowed by the gods with gifts that made them superior to others. Today, when they encounter someone who has charisma and charm, many people automatically assume he is a leader or destined to become a leader.
A person with a charismatic personality can use his natural gift while exercising his leadership, but it will not make him a true leader—neither will it sustain him as a leader. Note that each of the above theories has nothing to do with a leader’s character, only his personal features or natural abilities. Furthermore, according to these theories and their offshoots, many people today who are active leaders in business, economics, education, religion, science, and many other fields could never have been leaders.
4. The “External Factors” Theory
In addition to the above ideas from the Greeks and Romans, our culture has other traditional views of leadership that focus mainly on external factors. One such view is that leaders are formed as they learn to deal with particular circumstances: If you put a person in a certain situation with specific criteria and stimuli, he will emerge as a leader.
While outside circumstances play a critical role in shaping the character and abilities of leaders (a topic we will explore later), this theory does not generally emphasize a leader’s inner purpose, beliefs, and convictions—all of which are essential for successful leadership.
Another idea is that leaders are developed by studying leadership at a college or university, or by participating in other leadership courses and training. Many people believe that if a person has earned an MBA or attended leadership conferences, he is qualified to lead others.
I am not opposed to leadership training—I train leaders all the time. Yet many leadership courses do not cover some of the essential elements of leadership development, such as we discussed in teaching 2. In addition, education and training alone are not sufficient means for becoming a leader— especially if a person does not merge his training with the knowledge of his unique purpose and the exercise of his intrinsic gifts.
A Perpetual Influence
Let us look briefly at how the Greek and Roman ideas of leadership found their way to us. When the Roman Empire eventually fell apart, it became many local states and kingdoms, which developed into the countries we know today. Much of Europe is made up of former colonies of the Roman Empire, and through the influence of various European nations on their own colonies, Greco-Roman philosophies, including those about leadership, spread even farther.
Assumed Superiority
When some of these European nations starting obtaining their colonies, they embraced the idea of the superiority of certain races, in which the oppressor believes he is superior to the oppressed. Over the years, this concept solidified as the idea that a leader is superior to his followers. This damaging philosophy is still taught in a number of our colleges and universities, seminaries, and leadership training schools, which produce many of the leaders of our nations.
This is why, when university graduates and professionals obtain positions of leadership, many of them automatically feel superior to others. They may not consciously realize they have this attitude; it may exist in their subconscious minds. However, it manifests in their attitudes toward their leadership roles and in their relationships with other people—especially their followers, employees, or subordinates.
Sometimes, the worst thing you can do is give someone a title, because suddenly he thinks, I am better. I am privileged. Whether the title is president, executive, senior partner, supervisor, director, manager, pastor, or anything else, it becomes a problem for many people because their minds are still influenced by these false philosophies of leadership.
I find this to be the case among people all over the world. I often speak to groups in developing countries. Of the approximately 7 billion people on earth, about 5 billion of them live in nations that were formerly colonies of European powers. In these nations, the belief system remains that only
particular people have the right to lead, and the rest of the masses, who don’t have special traits, charisma, and so forth, can never be leaders.
Sometimes, the worst thing you can do is give someone a title, because suddenly he thinks, I am better. I am privileged.
The “Black Crab Syndrome”
The sad fact is that those who have been oppressed don’t seem to take on a different mind-set once they throw off their oppression and experience a measure of freedom. They suddenly adopt the same philosophy and attitudes toward their own people that had been used against them. For example, they may think, My skin color is lighter than yours, so I must be better. Why do people do this? Because it is the model of authority and power they have learned from their culture and by their personal experiences, so that it is ingrained in their thinking and attitudes.
Thus, they act according to the “black crab syndrome,” which keeps their emerging societies from becoming places where all people are valued and encouraged to better themselves. The black crab syndrome is a phenomenon named after the behavior of real crabs. Suppose you caught or purchased some live black crabs to serve at a party. You plan to prepare them later on that day, and you need to store them somewhere. You could just place the crabs together in a barrel, and you wouldn’t even have to put a lid on top of the container. You could be assured that none would escape. Why? Because the other crabs wouldn’t allow a single crab to climb over the rest to reach the opening at the top. If a crab were to climb up so that it got close to the top, the others would pull him back down again. Yet if the crabs would only allow each other to reach the top, many could go free.
This mind-set of not wanting someone else to get ahead of you, and therefore not helping him and even actively working to keep him down—or pulling him down when he begins to succeed—is also prevalent among people in developed nations. Everyone is afraid that someone else will become better off than he is or gain more advantages than he has.
Thus, the leadership mind-sets of the Greeks and Romans still rule us. We think we need to be superior to others in order to feel special, chosen, and safe.
Misfocused Priorities
Due to the above views that we have inherited through our culture, the professors and other instructors who teach leadership courses and seminars at our universities, institutes, and workshops usually focus on such aspects of leadership as these: power, position, titles, skills, gifts, talents, educational qualifications, knowledge, and personality. They do this because these are the ideas that they were taught or otherwise assimilated into their belief systems.
Therefore, in both formal and informal settings of leadership training and practice, we continue to overemphasize certain concepts of leadership while neglecting the most important—character. Again, many of the above ideas are factors in leadership, but they do not define what it means to be a true leader. Most important, they do not produce a true leader.
Perhaps 90 percent of the people we consider leaders found their way into their leadership position based on the traditional leadership theories we’ve discussed. They possess outstanding gifts and skills, they hold impressive academic credentials, they were born into wealthy and/or prestigious families, they exercise some form of natural power and influence, or they have appealing physical traits. While directors, managers, human resources personnel, and electors may have considered the leaders’ character when hiring or voting for them, it likely wasn’t the first, second, or perhaps third consideration for many of them.
I want to emphasize again that natural attributes and acquired skills have not prevented numerous leaders from failing at their responsibilities and falling from their former heights due to indiscretion, greed, or hubris—thereby destroying their own potential. In the introduction to this series, we looked at a number of famous people who possessed traits that, according to traditional thinking, should have guaranteed their success as leaders, yet they fell. You probably know of other leaders who had all the indications of promising lives and careers but forfeited their positions.
“To educate a man in the mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.” —Theodore Roosevelt
The Path to Character
What we believe about leaders and leadership has a tremendous effect on what type of leader we become and whether we will fulfill our inherent leadership purpose. It determines whether the path we embark on, guided by our personal beliefs and convictions, will lead us to develop honorable character that will support our leadership or will lead us to develop character flaws that will undermine it.
In the next teaching, we will continue to study the process of character development by looking at the nature and role of values.
Today we are walking in: How Character Develops, Part I: What We Believe
Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
The Torah Testifies.............................
*****
The prophets proclaim...............
Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.
The writings bear witness.............
2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword
Chapter 3
How Character Develops, Part I: What We Believe
“We lead out of our beliefs.” —Dr. Myles Munroe
As I observed the 2024 presidential campaign in America, I noted that the candidates declared, “You have a choice of which America you want.” They kept using the word choice. Other presidential campaigns have used similar language. The candidates were presenting two different ideas, or philosophies, to the voters. To put it very simply, the choice they were offering was between “big government” and “big business.” The personal beliefs of the candidates became the public policy they pursued as leaders.
The same principle is true for all leaders. We lead out of our beliefs.
The Progression of Character Development
All people follow generally the same course as they develop character, whether that character ultimately ends up positive or negative. The process occurs like this:
Our beliefs lead to our convictions.
Our convictions produce our values (which are tied to our attitudes and perceptions).
Our values form our morals, or principles.
Our morals/principles lead to corresponding personal conduct. Especially in the case of positive character, morals and principles also prompt us to exercise personal discipline for the purpose of remaining aligned with our convictions.
Our conduct/disciplined actions manifest as our ethics.
Our ethics result in our character.
Our character determines our lifestyle.
In teaching 2, we examined the process by which a person becomes a leader, including the development of convictions based on his purpose. In this chapter, we will look more closely at the manner in which we form our beliefs and convictions. And, for the next three chapters, we will explore traditional perceptions of leaders and leadership, as well as how we can direct the development of our character so that we may become—and remain— ethical leaders.
Philosophy, or Beliefs
Our philosophy, or belief system, has been formulated throughout our lives by our responses to various influences on us. Those influences include our families, our friends, our heritage/background, our physical and social environments, our education, our religious affiliation, our knowledge, the media we have been exposed to, our associates, our coworkers, and so forth. Our beliefs come from the ideas we have been exposed to or have developed from our observations and analyses, and which—and this is most important— we have received as truth.
Some of the ideas we accept may be false or incomplete. But if we believe they are true, they still become incorporated into our personal philosophy, helping to construct the foundation on which we build our lives. That is why, if a person wants to change his belief system, he has to change his ideas about himself and/or his ideas about the world.
We develop character, therefore, as a result of our personal philosophy, including what we believe about the meaning of life, the nature of the world, and how we should relate to other people.
If a person wants to change his belief system, he has to change his ideas about himself and/or his ideas about the world.
What Ideas Have We Accepted?
I am convinced that one of our greatest weaknesses as leaders today is that our philosophical training about who we are as human beings—including our inherent purpose as leaders—has been severely deficient. Our environment and other influences have produced defects in our thinking due to some of the flawed philosophies that have been perpetuated by our culture, which we have accepted. If we want to become leaders of character who make a positive difference in the world, we need to take a serious look at what ideas we have received, how those ideas have shaped our philosophy of life, and what beliefs and attitudes we may need to change.
For example, if a leader has accepted the concept “It’s everyone for himself in this world,” he will always put himself before other people, with the result that he may neglect, mistreat, or even abuse his followers. True leaders always place the highest value on the dignity of all humankind. Personally, I believe that if you don’t respect other people, you should not be in leadership. The world already has too many problems to take on another leader who disregards the intrinsic value of human beings.
A leader’s personal beliefs about himself and the nature of the world will inevitably be revealed in his public policy. By “public policy,” I do not refer only to governmental programs and laws. I use the term in a broad sense, to indicate the policies, directives, instructions, and guidance of leaders toward those who follow them. A leader’s public policy reflects how he views, interacts with, and affects the lives of other people as he carries out his leadership.
“As a Person Thinks in His Heart, so Is He”
Let us look at another proverb from the perceptive King Solomon: “As [a person] thinks in his heart, so is he.”1 Many people misquote this saying by leaving out the word “heart.” But Solomon did not say, “As a person thinks, so is he.” To me, the word “heart” is the most important word in this statement. It denotes the center of our reasoning. I believe the “heart” is equivalent to what psychologists today call the “subconscious mind.” So, we could paraphrase Solomon’s saying in this way: “As a person thinks in his subconscious mind, so is he.”
As the term indicates, our subconscious mind exists behind our conscious mental functions. It is where everything that we believe is “stored,” much like information is stored on a computer hard drive. When you are using a particular program on your computer, you don’t see all the programs and files that exist on your hard drive. You see only what you are working with at the moment, whether it is a word processing system, a spreadsheet, or a game— or several programs at the same time. The rest of the programs and files exist, and some may even be active, but you’re not consciously aware of them. Yet if you intentionally open a new file or maximize a screen to view a program you are running (for instance, to check the status of an ongoing system update), you bring that other portion of the hard drive to the attention of your conscious mind, where you can consider it.
In a similar way, we can bring the thoughts that are in our “heart,” or subconscious mind, to the surface of our conscious mind for reflection and assessment so that we can begin to evaluate what we really believe—and why.
Most people live according to the ideas that reside in their subconscious mind. That’s why it’s so important for us to understand not just what another person is saying but what is stored in his belief system. For example, you may have had the experience of thinking that a person had all the makings of a good leader—until he was promoted! Then the negative qualities started to manifest. Abraham Lincoln said, “If you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” I would augment that apt comment by saying that if you want to know the true character of a person, give him one or all of the following: (1) power, (2) position, or (3) money. The way in which an individual uses any of these resources will reveal what exists at the core of his inner life.
We can sum up what we have discussed so far in this way: Our beliefs govern who we are, as well as the path along which we are traveling in life. It’s not what we say, but what we genuinely believe, that directs our lives and our leadership.
Ask yourself, “What foundational beliefs direct my life?”
Convictions
Our established belief system gives rise to our convictions. This point is similar to what we discussed in the last chapter in relation to discovering one’s purpose—that when a leader fully believes in his inherent purpose and gifting, it leads to conviction. We can’t “receive” character from something outside of us. The groundwork of character is established when we personally hold to an idea so completely that, for us, it becomes a deep principle worth sacrificing for.
Character is measured by the depth of what we claim to believe. Again, you can learn all the skills, methods, and styles of leadership, but they won’t mean much if you have no real convictions that guide your life—or if you sell out your convictions. If your belief system is weak, you will find yourself to be inconsistent in your standards and vacillating in your ethics. You may choose the honorable course one day, but the next day engage in ethically questionable behavior.
Ask yourself, “What strong convictions do I hold?”
Character is measured by the depth of what we claim to believe.
Traditional Leadership Concepts: Legacies of Philosophy
Based on the process we have been looking at, we can understand how, through shared beliefs, certain concepts of leadership have taken hold in our nations and permeated the world’s cultures. The generally accepted images of leaders and leadership that many people have today are derived from particular philosophical ideas. We have absorbed these ideas as naturally as we have absorbed other ways of thinking and living from our culture, such as the manner in which we celebrate holidays and the colloquialisms we use. Yet most of us haven’t stopped to consider how our beliefs about leadership have been affected by prevailing cultural ideas.
The theoretical foundation for many of our beliefs about leadership, especially in Western nations, was derived from the ideas of several renowned philosophers from ancient Greece. These ideas were disseminated widely through the influence of the vast Roman Empire.
The Roman Empire existed for nearly eight hundred years, from about 250 b.c. to a.d. 476. It was the most powerful empire in history. At its height, Rome ruled over virtually the entire known world. No nation or empire since then has equaled its power and influence. The Romans admired the Greeks, and their thinking was greatly influenced by Greek philosophy. The Greeks held the idea that there were superior and inferior races. When Rome invaded Greece and took over that great empire, the Romans adopted this philosophy. They ruled with the idea that Romans were superior to the rest of the peoples of the world. As we will see, the basis of their perceived superiority was that they had certain distinctive traits, and that they had been chosen by the “gods” to be the leaders.
The Romans’ philosophy led them to accept the idea that subjugating other peoples was a good and acceptable practice. As their empire extended across the world, their ideas about races and peoples influenced how they treated their subjects and how their subjects came to think about themselves. The essence of these ideas still affects us today.
I have read the writings of Plato and Aristotle, and the thoughts of Socrates. While they said many helpful things, I am astonished that people still accept much of what they believed about leadership, because, in my view, their basic theories are flawed.
Let us examine some of our widely accepted theories of leaders and leadership that come from Greek philosophy.
1. The “Birth Trait” Theory
This theory holds that some humans are born with unique qualities that earmark them for leadership, while the majority of people—who do not possess these traits—are destined only to follow and be subordinate. Aristotle said that from the hour of a person’s birth, he was marked for either leadership or subjection. Aristotle promoted the concept that we sometimes express today in these words: “Leaders are born, not made.”
I have investigated the traits that the Greeks and Romans valued, and they were things like the shape of one’s nose, the color of one’s eyes and hair, the fairness of one’s skin, and one’s height. If you didn’t happen to have the preferred manifestations of these traits through genetics, you were automatically relegated to a lesser status—to servitude.
Earlier, we discussed how people often choose leaders based on the leaders’ appearance and stature, rather than for their character or even their abilities. Various studies have clearly indicated that personal traits, as well as circumstances, do contribute to the kind of leadership a person exercises. Yet while a person’s leadership may be affected by his physical traits and other factors, these do not constitute the whole picture of leadership.
Moreover, some people today have the idea that only individuals with certain traits can be leaders, reinforcing the ancient belief that leaders are superior to the rest of the population. Yet, as we discussed in chapter 2, every person exercises leadership in a particular area of gifting. We all have a unique gift or gifts, and none of us is intrinsically “superior” to others—even when they are under our authority or oversight.
2. The “Chosen by the Gods” Theory
Another Greco-Roman theory that corresponds to the “birth trait” theory is that leadership is reserved for a favored few whom the “gods” selected for elite positions over the masses. The “chosen ones” are to control, manage, and direct the lives, aspirations, fortunes, and futures of those who are “not chosen.”
To the people living in the Roman Empire, this meant that if the gods didn’t choose you to be a leader, you were destined to spend your life as a slave or a servant. So, if you were not a Roman—a member of the elite race—your lot in life was to be second class. You could never rise to the caliber of someone worthy of real leadership.
This theory supports the idea of a class system. If you believe the gods choose some people to be rulers and others to be slaves, then if you happen to be among the slaves, it wouldn’t matter if you earned five PhD’s and knew more than all the other leaders combined—you would always be seen as inferior and existing primarily for the benefit of those who were born leaders. In most countries, up until modern times, people did not move from a lower class to a higher one. If they were born to parents who belonged to the nobility or upper class, they remained in that station throughout their lives. If they were born to parents who were servants, they couldn’t aspire to be anything but a servant.
We still see this attitude today in many nations among those who think that a person’s “pedigree,” social status, and education at exclusive schools alone qualify him to be an elite leader. Those whose lineages are from “lesser” origins, and whose social standing and education are not as prestigious, cannot aspire to the highest and most influential leadership roles.
3. The “Charismatic Personality” Theory
This theory promotes the idea that only certain individuals who possess a unique measure of “charisma”—who are extroverted and charming, have superb communication skills, and so forth—are leaders.
Charisma is a Greek word meaning “favor” or “gift.” So again, the idea was that certain people were endowed by the gods with gifts that made them superior to others. Today, when they encounter someone who has charisma and charm, many people automatically assume he is a leader or destined to become a leader.
A person with a charismatic personality can use his natural gift while exercising his leadership, but it will not make him a true leader—neither will it sustain him as a leader. Note that each of the above theories has nothing to do with a leader’s character, only his personal features or natural abilities. Furthermore, according to these theories and their offshoots, many people today who are active leaders in business, economics, education, religion, science, and many other fields could never have been leaders.
4. The “External Factors” Theory
In addition to the above ideas from the Greeks and Romans, our culture has other traditional views of leadership that focus mainly on external factors. One such view is that leaders are formed as they learn to deal with particular circumstances: If you put a person in a certain situation with specific criteria and stimuli, he will emerge as a leader.
While outside circumstances play a critical role in shaping the character and abilities of leaders (a topic we will explore later), this theory does not generally emphasize a leader’s inner purpose, beliefs, and convictions—all of which are essential for successful leadership.
Another idea is that leaders are developed by studying leadership at a college or university, or by participating in other leadership courses and training. Many people believe that if a person has earned an MBA or attended leadership conferences, he is qualified to lead others.
I am not opposed to leadership training—I train leaders all the time. Yet many leadership courses do not cover some of the essential elements of leadership development, such as we discussed in teaching 2. In addition, education and training alone are not sufficient means for becoming a leader— especially if a person does not merge his training with the knowledge of his unique purpose and the exercise of his intrinsic gifts.
A Perpetual Influence
Let us look briefly at how the Greek and Roman ideas of leadership found their way to us. When the Roman Empire eventually fell apart, it became many local states and kingdoms, which developed into the countries we know today. Much of Europe is made up of former colonies of the Roman Empire, and through the influence of various European nations on their own colonies, Greco-Roman philosophies, including those about leadership, spread even farther.
Assumed Superiority
When some of these European nations starting obtaining their colonies, they embraced the idea of the superiority of certain races, in which the oppressor believes he is superior to the oppressed. Over the years, this concept solidified as the idea that a leader is superior to his followers. This damaging philosophy is still taught in a number of our colleges and universities, seminaries, and leadership training schools, which produce many of the leaders of our nations.
This is why, when university graduates and professionals obtain positions of leadership, many of them automatically feel superior to others. They may not consciously realize they have this attitude; it may exist in their subconscious minds. However, it manifests in their attitudes toward their leadership roles and in their relationships with other people—especially their followers, employees, or subordinates.
Sometimes, the worst thing you can do is give someone a title, because suddenly he thinks, I am better. I am privileged. Whether the title is president, executive, senior partner, supervisor, director, manager, pastor, or anything else, it becomes a problem for many people because their minds are still influenced by these false philosophies of leadership.
I find this to be the case among people all over the world. I often speak to groups in developing countries. Of the approximately 7 billion people on earth, about 5 billion of them live in nations that were formerly colonies of European powers. In these nations, the belief system remains that only
particular people have the right to lead, and the rest of the masses, who don’t have special traits, charisma, and so forth, can never be leaders.
Sometimes, the worst thing you can do is give someone a title, because suddenly he thinks, I am better. I am privileged.
The “Black Crab Syndrome”
The sad fact is that those who have been oppressed don’t seem to take on a different mind-set once they throw off their oppression and experience a measure of freedom. They suddenly adopt the same philosophy and attitudes toward their own people that had been used against them. For example, they may think, My skin color is lighter than yours, so I must be better. Why do people do this? Because it is the model of authority and power they have learned from their culture and by their personal experiences, so that it is ingrained in their thinking and attitudes.
Thus, they act according to the “black crab syndrome,” which keeps their emerging societies from becoming places where all people are valued and encouraged to better themselves. The black crab syndrome is a phenomenon named after the behavior of real crabs. Suppose you caught or purchased some live black crabs to serve at a party. You plan to prepare them later on that day, and you need to store them somewhere. You could just place the crabs together in a barrel, and you wouldn’t even have to put a lid on top of the container. You could be assured that none would escape. Why? Because the other crabs wouldn’t allow a single crab to climb over the rest to reach the opening at the top. If a crab were to climb up so that it got close to the top, the others would pull him back down again. Yet if the crabs would only allow each other to reach the top, many could go free.
This mind-set of not wanting someone else to get ahead of you, and therefore not helping him and even actively working to keep him down—or pulling him down when he begins to succeed—is also prevalent among people in developed nations. Everyone is afraid that someone else will become better off than he is or gain more advantages than he has.
Thus, the leadership mind-sets of the Greeks and Romans still rule us. We think we need to be superior to others in order to feel special, chosen, and safe.
Misfocused Priorities
Due to the above views that we have inherited through our culture, the professors and other instructors who teach leadership courses and seminars at our universities, institutes, and workshops usually focus on such aspects of leadership as these: power, position, titles, skills, gifts, talents, educational qualifications, knowledge, and personality. They do this because these are the ideas that they were taught or otherwise assimilated into their belief systems.
Therefore, in both formal and informal settings of leadership training and practice, we continue to overemphasize certain concepts of leadership while neglecting the most important—character. Again, many of the above ideas are factors in leadership, but they do not define what it means to be a true leader. Most important, they do not produce a true leader.
Perhaps 90 percent of the people we consider leaders found their way into their leadership position based on the traditional leadership theories we’ve discussed. They possess outstanding gifts and skills, they hold impressive academic credentials, they were born into wealthy and/or prestigious families, they exercise some form of natural power and influence, or they have appealing physical traits. While directors, managers, human resources personnel, and electors may have considered the leaders’ character when hiring or voting for them, it likely wasn’t the first, second, or perhaps third consideration for many of them.
I want to emphasize again that natural attributes and acquired skills have not prevented numerous leaders from failing at their responsibilities and falling from their former heights due to indiscretion, greed, or hubris—thereby destroying their own potential. In the introduction to this series, we looked at a number of famous people who possessed traits that, according to traditional thinking, should have guaranteed their success as leaders, yet they fell. You probably know of other leaders who had all the indications of promising lives and careers but forfeited their positions.
“To educate a man in the mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.” —Theodore Roosevelt
The Path to Character
What we believe about leaders and leadership has a tremendous effect on what type of leader we become and whether we will fulfill our inherent leadership purpose. It determines whether the path we embark on, guided by our personal beliefs and convictions, will lead us to develop honorable character that will support our leadership or will lead us to develop character flaws that will undermine it.
In the next teaching, we will continue to study the process of character development by looking at the nature and role of values.
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
CONVICTION
Romans chapter 14
Today we are walking in: Conviction
Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
The Torah Testifies.............................
*****
The prophets proclaim...............
Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.
The writings bear witness.............
2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword
2. Conviction
Once a leader discovers his personal gifting and leadership, it ignites conviction in his heart. In the process of leadership development, conviction has a twofold connotation. The first sense of the word is a belief in one’s significance. This is not just head knowledge. It is the certainty that you have something essential to contribute to humanity. It is a 100-percent dedication to your purpose, which is stronger than any opposition you might encounter. As a leader, you must be convinced that you exist for a worthy reason and that you are able to accomplish what you were born to do.
The second sense of the word refers to convictions (plural), or deep-held beliefs based on a commitment to one’s purpose. Convictions give you a sense of direction in life. They guide your activities and give them meaning. Your convictions are instrumental to your character development. They lead you to become dedicated to specific principles, or a code of ethics, by which you pledge to live as you carry out your purpose.
An individual can have the other qualities listed in the above definition of leadership, such as influence or passion, without having conviction. But true leaders manifest each of the qualities—and the ingredient we are sorely missing among leaders today is personal convictions. Having convictions is what enables a person to remain stable and trustworthy, even in the midst of difficulties or temptations.
Frankly, if you don’t have solid convictions, you don’t deserve to have followers. If you keep vacillating in order to please people, if you keep sacrificing your belief system in order to be accepted, you are not a leader— you are a compromiser. We need leaders who are willing to stand up to the disapproval of their own friends and the public at large for the sake of something that is noble and true. Today, it is hard to find leaders who have such commitment to their convictions.
If you sacrifice your belief system in order to please others, you are not a leader—you are a compromiser.
3. Vision
A leader’s conviction about his significance propels him to develop a personal vision, as he begins to formulate the specific way in which he will carry out his contribution to his generation. I define vision as “purpose in pictures” or “the future in pictures.” It is seeing your purpose so clearly in your mind’s eye that it is already a reality to you. All true leaders have a clear vision. They can “see” the objective they hope to accomplish or the product they want to produce.
When Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, he declared, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”4 From the clear way he articulated his vision, many of the 250,000 people who heard him speak from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., that day—as well as the multitudes who have since heard or read his words—must have virtually seen the future he envisioned.
Vision influences your entire life, including your priorities—how you use your time, what you spend your money on, what opportunities you act upon, and so forth.
What is your personal vision? When you start “seeing” your dream and realizing how your gift can be served to the world, you begin to formulate a vision for your life. And it is through your vision that you will be able to begin the practical process of fulfilling your life’s purpose.
4. Passion
Most people have an interest in their future, but they lack the drive to fulfill what they truly desire to accomplish in life. Yet, those who have discovered their purpose, formulated deep convictions, and captured their vision in their mind’s eye will have natural enthusiasm and energy. Hard work and diligence are always involved in carrying out one’s purpose, but they can be difficult to maintain without internal motivation. Passion provides that motivation.
It is his sense of significance that a helps a true leader to protect his passion from degenerating into mere hunger for power. Tragically, there are leaders in our world who seem to have no trouble killing or otherwise eliminating their opponents and others who are “in their way”—including many innocent people—in order to achieve their ends. But they are not willing to die for something noble. In contrast, the passion associated with true leadership comes from a personal commitment to sacrifice oneself to fulfill one’s purpose—even to the point that one would be willing to die for it.
Leadership passion is therefore a desire that is stronger than death. We see evidence of this quality in the lives of great leaders. Abraham Lincoln spoke about his unequivocal commitment to the principle of freedom for all men that is embodied in the Declaration of Independence, asserting, “I have said nothing but what I am willing to live by and, if it be the pleasure of the Almighty Yah, die by.”5 Nelson Mandela said, “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”6
Mahatma Gandhi was only five foot four inches and had a slight build, but he won a remarkable political victory over the British Empire, freeing India from colonial rule. He had a vision of equality and justice in India and a conviction about nonviolent protest. He went to jail and was willing to die for this vision. His passion stirred up hundreds of millions of people and brought about sweeping change. That’s the power of passion in leadership.
5. Inspiration
In the process of leadership development, inspiration is the point where the leader connects with other individuals; it is where his purpose intersects with their purposes. A leader’s passion for his purpose is like a flame, igniting new possibilities in the minds and hearts ovf other people, causing them to think in new ways and stirring up and revealing the convictions and visions within them. In this way, a leader’s vision gives meaning to others’ lives as it invites corporate commitment to a noble cause. People’s personal vision will always be found within a larger corporate vision.
A leader’s passion for his purpose ignites new possibilities in the minds and hearts of other people.
Awakening Others’ Sense of Purpose
When you inspire people by your passion for your purpose, you won’t need to recruit them to help you, obtain their “vote of confidence,” or wait for them to approve you. As you awaken their sense of purpose, they will voluntarily join you in order to fulfill their own contribution to the world through participating in your vision. They will offer their time, energy, resources, and creative power to be part of a larger purpose to which their vision is connected. Likewise, other leaders will inspire different people who will join them, based on their innate purposes and gifting. There is a place for everyone to manifest his personal leadership abilities.
Keep in mind that although true leaders draw other people to their vision, they do not “clone” them to be just like themselves; they do not seek to recreate themselves in others. Rather, they enable others to use their unique gifts and abilities to fulfill their own inherent purposes. It should be clear that people don’t receive their personal visions from the leader to whom they are connected—they are enabled to fulfill their own vision as they help the leader enact his.
For example, suppose a leader’s vision is to manufacture a safety feature that would help prevent plane crashes under severe weather conditions. He has the idea and enough knowledge of engineering that he believes the device can be developed. However, he can’t design and produce it by himself. As he begins to share his vision and passion for this safety feature, he will draw others to him whose personal vision is to participate in airline design and who have the innate gifts to develop and produce such a device.
Free of Manipulation Is Creating
Just as true leaders don’t seek to clone themselves in their followers, they don’t try to “collect” followers and supporters in order to make themselves feel good. They may identify particular people they would like to mentor, and invite them to help carry on the overall vision after they are gone, but they never actively try to recruit admirers.
Likewise, a leader who is motivated by his purpose, convictions, vision, and passion never uses or abuses The other people. Genuine leaders seek to facilitate the Process by personal visions of their colleagues, executive team members, managers, employees, and family members. At the same time, the manner in which they live out their vision and code of ethics is a positive example to those around them.
Inspiration is the opposite of intimidation and is absent of manipulation. When leaders fail to inspire others, they often resort to manipulation to force people to participate in their plans and do what they want them to do. I’ve studied many individuals who have portrayed themselves to the public as leaders but who are really professional manipulators. They play on people’s fears, use a carrot-and-stick approach, and threaten and coerce them. That is not leadership—that is sophisticated dictatorship.
Every leader must recognize the danger of falling into manipulation. Every day, all over the world, people manipulate their spouses, their children, their friends, their colleagues, their coworkers, their employees, their clients, or their constituents because they do not understand—or respect—the leadership quality of inspiration. The moment you stop inspiring people and start manipulating them, you cease to be a true leader.
Inspiration is the opposite of intimidation and is absent of manipulation.
6. Influence
To a large extent, leadership is influence, and all of us already exercise some influence—whether positive or negative. If somebody else is watching you, you are a leader. The moment you have a child of your own to raise, you are a leader. When you know more about a particular subject than others and can teach it to them, you are a leader. When you are placed in a position of responsibility over your peers, you are a leader.
Leaders who exercise positive influence don’t try to prove themselves to others. They are more concerned with “manifesting” themselves, or revealing the purpose they were born to fulfill. When you inspire other people through your passion, you never have to announce that you are a “leader.” People will think of you as a leader, and will call you one themselves, because you will have motivated them to do something—change the status quo, create something new, find a solution to a problem, and so forth.
The essence of influence is the ability to motivate other people to take action and effect change. You can’t lead if you don’t influence. You can’t influence if you don’t inspire. You can’t inspire if you don’t have passion. And you won’t have passion unless you are convinced about your purpose, convictions, and vision.
As I wrote in the introduction to this series, nothing is altered or transformed without leadership. As leaders go, so goes the world. Therefore, if we don’t do something about the global crisis in leadership we are experiencing today, the state of our societies is going to grow worse and worse. Moral leadership is urgent in human affairs because the character of leaders—for good or for ill—affects the lives of their followers. Let us look at some specific ways in which this influence occurs.
1. Leaders Influence the Mind-set of the Followers
Leaders can transform people’s outlook to the point where their perspective becomes completely different from the way they formerly thought. Such influence is a tremendous power that all leaders need to acknowledge and discipline in their own lives, ensuring that they do not abuse it—especially since a change in mind-set almost always leads to a change in behavior.
A leader can use rhetorical skills to convince people that what they believed was good is evil, and vice versa—altering their values and conduct. In Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, after Brutus and his fellow conspirators kill Caesar, believing him to be a tyrant, the character of Mark Antony uses his communication skills to turn the crowd from an admiration for Brutus to a seething desire to kill him and his accomplices. Followers must always weigh the consequences of what they hear and receive from their leaders.
In contrast, an enlightened perspective is a gift that true leaders can give their followers. For example, when Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, she changed the mind-set of tens of thousands of people who had been either neutral toward the institution of slavery or accepting of it. By putting a personal face on the issue, she showed that slaves were people rather than “property,” so that many citizens began to support efforts to abolish slavery.
An enlightened perspective is a gift that true leaders can give their followers.
2. Leaders Influence the Characteristics and Attitudes of the Followers
A leader who holds deep convictions can transfer those convictions to others. For instance, he can rouse the fearful so that they will take bold and necessary action in the midst of a crisis. Winston Churchill, through his powerful speeches, stirred the English people to continue standing against Nazi Germany after the fall of France. In one of these speeches, he famously declared, “...the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin....Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’”7
In contrast, a leader who lacks conviction can transfer his complacency or timidity to his followers. There is an account in one of the books of Moses in which Moses sent twelve leaders to scope out the Promised Land before the nation of Israel entered it. When the leaders returned, ten of them expressed their fear of the inhabitants, declaring that they were too strong to defeat: “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”8 Two of the leaders insisted they would still be victorious, but the people grumbled and took on the perspective of the ten who were afraid and felt like “grasshoppers” in their own eyes. As a result, the victory was delayed for forty years—almost two generations. The people lost out, largely because they allowed the fearful mind-set of their leaders to infect them.
3. Leaders Influence the Morality of the Followers
The ethics of a leader can sway those who follow him—either directly, through the corporate values that are encouraged through his leadership, or through his policies. If the leader is a high-ranking official over a nation, his morals can permeate an entire culture. You may come from a country in which the leaders have tremendous gifts, communicate well, and are competent in various leadership techniques—but are lacking in ethical convictions. Many leaders do not take responsibility for their actions. They feel they should experience no consequences when they betray the trust of their constituents, whether their employees, their families, or the public.
Such attitudes and behaviors do not go unnoticed by followers, so that many people begin to think, He’s a leader, and he did such and such and got away with it, so I can do it, too. This is why it is vital for leaders to recognize and assess the values they currently hold and to establish or reestablish ethical principles that they will commit to stand upon. We will explore this process in the next few chapters.
4. Leaders Influence the Commitment of the Followers
If a leader has strong convictions, his passion will become contagious among his followers, leading them to commit to his vision. Earlier, we talked about Martin Luther King Jr. in relation to how leaders develop vision. King’s vision gave him a passion that inspired and influenced “average” people—such as housewives, carpenters, masons, teachers, and religious leaders—to march in nonviolent protest against the refusal of certain states in the nation to acknowledge and permit voting rights for blacks. A number of them personally faced the resistance of policemen armed with clubs, dogs, water hoses, and tear gas. Why would anyone willingly risk being beaten with a billy club or choked by tear gas? What kind of man would influence people to actually do that? Someone with genuine conviction.
A leader’s commitment can be transferred to enough people that his personal conviction eventually becomes a national movement. His principles can initiate an irresistible process of reform. If, as a leader, you try to avoid an issue or a consequence, people won’t follow you. But if you meet it squarely and remain constant in your convictions, others will join you.
A leader’s principles can initiate an irresistible process of reform.
5. Leaders Influence the Destiny of the Followers
The influence of someone who has conviction can lead people to a destiny they might not otherwise have reached. Czech playwright and dissident Václav Havel, who had long decried the dehumanizing elements of communism, helped precipitate the nonviolent Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia in 1989 that effectively led to the end of communist rule there. Havel and other dissidents formed the Civic Forum to plan the dismantlement of communism in their country. Timothy Garton Ash, a historian who witnessed the forum, said, “It was extraordinary the degree to which everything ultimately revolved around this one man....In almost all the forum’s major decisions and statements, he was the final arbiter, the one person who could somehow balance the very different tendencies and interests in the movement.”9 Havel became the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of a new Czech Republic.
Conversely, the influence of a leader who lacks character can condemn his followers to an appalling fate. In the 1970s, cult leader Jim Jones convinced people to leave loved ones and live with him in the jungles of Guyana. Several years later, he led 909 of his followers to their deaths by inducing them to drink cyanide—then he shot himself to death.
Adolf Hitler was a gifted politician and communicator, wielding tremendous influence over the German people. He held thousands of citizens spellbound as they listened to his speeches in person or on the radio. His oration was so powerful that some people thought he was a god. Hitler had many characteristics of an effective leader. But his philosophy, his personal code of ethics, was immoral. It turned his leadership assets into frightening tools of abuse.
Hitler didn’t value all of human life—just a small segment of it. His warped value system created disaster for his nation and many other nations of the world. Millions of people died as a direct or indirect result of his reign. They were starved, died of disease, or were exterminated in concentration camps, prison camps, and quarantined ghettos. While fighting World War II—a war Hitler instigated—many people were killed in battle or died when they succumbed to disease or accident; others were wounded, maimed, or emotionally scarred for life. Multitudes lost loved ones and possessions, seeing their entire way of life vanish. Today, the German people are still trying to come to grips with the question, “How could our people have let that happen and even have participated in it?”
The lesson for us is that whatever we accommodate, we will either ultimately embrace or be destroyed by. We are not safe on any level—social, economic, emotional, physical, or spiritual—if we don’t know the person we are following. We can’t afford to be complacent or gullible.
Study and Evaluate Your Leaders
Our culture teaches us to be impressed by a leader’s power, oratorical skills, academic degrees, and/or wealth, thinking that those characteristics add up to great leadership. Yet you must not imagine that your country will remain strong and established if you vote for someone just because you like the way he speaks or looks, or even if you approve of some of his accomplishments. Before you follow anyone, you must know what that person truly believes and on what path he is taking you. You might find out too late that you don’t want to go where he is going. I encourage you not to place undue confidence on how powerful a leader is or how much knowledge he has or who his mentor was. Continually evaluate what your leaders stand for, as well as the policies they promote. Study their lives and convictions. Discover what they really think and value, and how their beliefs affect their policies. Ask yourself questions such as these about individual leaders:
Does he still have the same convictions that inspired me to follow him in the beginning?
Does he share my beliefs and values?
Does he demonstrate that he has ethical standards?
What is his vision of life?
What is his attitude toward other human beings?
What does he see as the future of this company/organization/community/nation?
What direction does he think the world should be taking?
Even if a leader’s beliefs seem good, you must still observe his life to see if his words and actions are consistent—if he lives according to his stated convictions.
“If the Blind Lead the Blind...”
I consider Yahusha of Nazareth to be the greatest leader in history, and He warned, “If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”10 Note that the blind leader doesn’t fall into the pit by himself. Both he and the blind man whom he is leading fall into it together. We have to make sure our eyes are fully open, so that we will know where our leaders are taking us, and can avert potential disaster. We must not allow ourselves to fall into a pit with them.
Moreover, since we are all leaders or aspiring leaders in our unique areas of gifting, we have a responsibility to those whose lives we influence. That is why it is essential for us to understand the priority of character before we move on to the other aspects of leadership. We might understand many of the keys and principles necessary for being a leader but, at the same time, embrace a negative or destructive philosophy that will undermine our leadership and hurt our followers.
Leadership influence is a powerful instrument, and we must always be aware of its potential to bring either good or harm to others. Leaders without character demonstrate power devoid of principles; they often manipulate people to achieve their own ends. But true leaders have a commitment to ethics and principles; they build up others and offer them a better life.
The Distinguishing Marks of a True Leader
People are looking for leaders who have the qualities on the list we have been discussing. In the progression of leadership development, the stage in which one develops conviction is key for leaders if they are to move from the recognition of their purpose to establishing a solid foundation for becoming a genuine leader. It is not enough to know that you have a special gift that will give you a unique place in the world. You must be able to serve that gift in accordance with ethical principles that you are committed to follow as you pursue your vision.
Conviction and character are therefore the distinguishing marks of a true leader. They are what separate those who merely have titles, positions, and talents from those who make a positive difference in their families, communities, and nations—from those who make history, changing the course of human events for the better.
Consequently, the twenty-first-century leader must not seek only to find his purpose or to develop his vision. He must also desire to be introduced—or reintroduced—to ethical principles, and he must commit to developing character throughout his lifetime, demonstrating his trustworthiness to those who follow him.
Our attitudes and motivations always correspond to our character. In part III of this book, we will look at how to develop specific character qualities of true leaders. For now, let us keep in mind the following points:
Leadership, and the gifts that enable it, are inherent endowments.
Leadership is not about gaining followers—it is about pursuing purpose.
Leadership is not about manipulating people—it is about inspiring people.
Leadership is not about having power over people —it is about empowering people.
Leadership is not about controlling others—it is about serving them.
Leadership is not about doing—it is about becoming a person of noble aspirations.
Will you be a leader of conviction? Will you lead the way for others to become leaders of conviction by following your example?
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