CORE QUALITIES OF PRINCIPLED LEADERS

Genesis chapter 1




Today we are walking in: Core Qualities Of Principled Leaders








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.............................

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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 11
Core Qualities of Principled Leaders


“Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.”
—Heraclitus, Greek philosopher


To be effective leaders, we must cultivate many important attitudes and characteristics, such as courage, passion, initiative, patience, teamwork, wisdom, and persistence. But there are several core qualities that we must focus on as we make character our priority in leadership. In this teaching, we will take a brief overview of these qualities, so that we can be intentional about building them into our lives.


Strong Convictions


In teaching 3 and elsewhere in this series, we discussed the necessity of forming strong convictions. However, this process is so central to the development of character that it merits being included in this teaching, as well. As we have seen, convictions refer to two aspects of leadership: (1) a leader’s certainty that he has a unique purpose in life, and (2) his wholehearted personal commitment to a vision worth sacrificing for.


Our established belief system gives rise to our convictions. To have convictions is to sense that there is something we must do while we are on this earth. It is not optional, because life will have no meaning if we don’t accomplish it. As I wrote earlier, we can learn all the skills, methods, and styles of leadership, but they won’t mean much if we have no real convictions that guide our lives, or if we sell out those convictions.


Accountability


Accountability, or answering to a higher authority for our attitudes and actions, reflects a commitment to our own personal integrity. This core quality helps us to remain fixed, set, predictable, and stable in character. We have a responsibility to be accountable on three levels—to ourselves, to other people, and to our Creator.


A Commitment to Self-evaluation


First, we are responsible for regularly examining our own conduct to assess if we are living according to the moral principles that we value highly and have established as standards for ourselves. Again, we can accomplish this most effectively if we have written down our principles, beliefs, convictions, values, moral standards, and ethical code, so that we can easily refer to them.


A Commitment to Evaluation by Others


Second, to be accountable means to submit the evaluation of our attitudes and actions to another individual or group of individuals qualified to examine them in light of the principles to which we have committed. No one can see all of his own weaknesses, or the areas of his life in which he may be compromising his standards. We all sometimes need a different perspective on our lives to show us our weaknesses and our strengths alike. That is why many people have “accountability partners” with whom they meet regularly to encourage and challenge each other.


We should make ourselves accountable only to someone of proven character who has demonstrated that he has our best interests at heart. He should be someone who is able to clearly assess our progress in character development and show us how to get back on track when we have strayed. When we are able to take an honest look at our character, and commit to work on our areas of weakness, we will strengthen our integrity. We will integrate our thoughts, words, and actions even further, so they can become “one.”


A principled leader truly welcomes this process of accountability. He desires to have his values tested for consistency. He wants to know how well he is holding to his own stated code of ethics. Rather than being afraid of constructive criticism, he embraces appraisal because he understands that his inherent worth was given to him by his Creator. Because he desires to manifest true character, he is strong enough to hear what he needs to hear and to use it profitably in his life.


In contrast, unprincipled leaders are afraid of being held accountable, so they avoid evaluation whenever possible. As a result, many of them become “lone wolves.” They think, I’m accountable only to myself. Such people risk self- deception and isolation from the community of which they are a part. They may also begin to use and misuse other people.


In many organizations, leaders are accountable to a board of directors, a group of advisors, or a similar accountability group. If they do not have such a forum to hold them responsible for their stated values, principles, and goals, leaders can make bad moral choices and other unwise decisions. Many leaders fall due to a lack of accountability, as we have seen in the examples throughout this series. A number of them had apparently not made an intentional decision to pursue character-based leadership, so they had never really submitted themselves to either self-examination or evaluation by a board or other group.


Finally, a commitment to evaluation by others means that a leader reports not only to those to whom he is responsible but also to those for whom he is responsible. Accordingly, he should regularly meet with his followers to make sure he is supporting them as they work to fulfill their part of the vision. And he should endeavor to supply whatever they may need in this regard.


A Commitment to Evaluation by the Creator


Third, a principled leader recognizes that his ultimate accountability is to Yah. That is why he has made a commitment to follow the Creator’s first laws. He knows that even when he is alone, everything he says and does is observed by his Higher Authority.


As beings created in the image and likeness of Yah, we have responsibilities and privileges alike. One of our responsibilities is to “fear” our Creator. The term “the fear of the Lord,” which is found in the Bible, does not mean that we are to be afraid of Him. In this sense, the word “fear” has to do with a great reverence and respect for Him that causes us to desire to follow His principles. It also refers to a proper sense of respect for His power, His love, and His other qualities.


We each have gifts and talents, but we did not create ourselves, and this fact should cause us to put our accomplishments into perspective and to express gratitude to our Creator for them. In teaching 9, we looked at the story of a young man named Joseph who had been sold into slavery by his brothers and later falsely accused and imprisoned. Joseph is an example of a leader with great reverence for Yah. The reason he was moved from the prison to the palace was that Yah had given him the ability to understand the meaning of significant dreams. When Pharaoh had a troubling dream, someone remembered Joseph’s gift, and he was sent for by the Egyptian ruler.


Let’s examine what Pharaoh said to Joseph, and then what Joseph’s response was. “Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.’”1 Wouldn’t you feel good if a king said that to you, especially if you’d just spent years in prison for being unjustly convicted of a crime? You would want to enjoy the moment and take credit for your ability. Yet, because Joseph revered Yah, he understood his responsibility to acknowledge the source of his gift. “‘I cannot do it,’ Joseph replied to Pharaoh, ‘but Yah will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.’”2 A principled leader doesn’t stand up in such a situation and say, “I’m the answer to all your problems!” Rather, he gives credit where it is due.


A leader’s willingness to be accountable reflects his commitment to always be consistent in what he says, what he does, and who he is. Accountability— in all three realms we’ve just discussed—protects a leader from being hypocritical, or two-faced, enabling him to align his life with his standards and principles and to establish his character.


A leader’s willingness to be accountable reflects his commitment to be consistent in what he says, what he does, and who he is.


Monitoring Your Associations


Let me mention one other subject related to accountability. When we do not exercise discernment about those whom we choose to be our close friends and associates, we can inadvertently become answerable to people who don’t have our best interests in mind, and whose immature character may have a negative effect on us. Consequently, we may end up following unwise advice and false principles. As I mentioned earlier, our character—for good or ill— often determines the nature of the people who gravitate to us and become our companions. In other words, our character determines our company. We should form friendships with those who value what we value and are committed to principled living. For this reason, we must be intentional about choosing our close associates, as well as developing our personal character.


Humility


The next core quality is humility. The word humble is derived from the Latin word humus, meaning “earth.” To be humble, then, means to be “down-to- earth.” In the context of character, this means to express and manifest your true self in accordance with your unique, inherent purpose. A leader can manifest true humility only after he accepts his significance as a person and as a leader. When he does so, he ceases to be self-conscious about his actions. He evaluates them regularly, but he does not strive at them, and he does not pretend to be someone he is not. If an individual “tries” to be humble, he has missed the true meaning of humility. If we’re not manifesting our true selves, we cannot be humble. We have inadvertently put on a mask that hides what we are meant to express and reveal to the world.


The quality of humility in a leader is manifested through “servant leadership.” Previously, we discussed Yahusha of Nazareth’s description of the difference between the Roman leaders and the leaders in the “kingdom of Yah.” The Romans leaders liked to lord it over people, ordering them around. But Yahusha said that whoever wants to become great must serve other people. Ordering people around is not the spirit of a true leader. Are your family members, employees, or colleagues afraid of you? If so, that fact shouldn’t make you feel better about yourself. Likewise, you shouldn’t get joy out of an ability to order people around. That is the wrong spirit. A principled leader has an attitude, or spirit, of service.


When a leader is humble, he also has a healthy attitude toward the areas of his life in which he still needs to grow in character. I’ve previously quoted from the writings and sayings of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln is an example of a strong but humble leader. He was intelligent, wise, and perceptive. But he was also unpretentious, even as president, and he would often express that quality through his self-deprecating humor. On one occasion, a man attempted to curry favor with Lincoln by informing him that his secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, had called him a fool. Lincoln responded that Stanton was usually right, and that he would give the comment some thought! Lincoln was comfortable with himself, and he did not feel the need to defend himself whenever criticism came his way.


Leaders who don’t understand their inherent purpose and worth have difficulty being humble because they often need reassurance through the praise of others. But leaders of principle have found something greater than other people’s accolades—they have found a personal “assignment,” or vision, and they are busy pursuing it. They are occupied with being who they were created to be, so they don’t feel a need to be continually puffed up by others.


Similarly, when we are genuinely humble, we are less likely to be controlled by other people’s opinions of us. We can’t be leaders of character if we are always afraid of what other people will think or say of us. Some people mistake timidity for the quality of humility, but they are opposites: Timidity is related to fear, while humility is related to peace—peace with oneself and peace with other people.


When we are genuinely humble, we are less likely to be controlled by other people’s opinions of us.


One way to gauge your fear of other people is to evaluate the way you talk to your boss or someone else in authority when you have a problem or concern. If you have an issue you want to discuss, do you tell your boss exactly what’s wrong, how you feel about it, and what you recommend be done to solve it? I’m not suggesting that you be argumentative but that you have a reasoned, well-thought-out presentation. When we are afraid of authority figures, we are often not honest with them, and we often do not obtain the help and results we need. A fear of other people will undermine our character and hinder the fulfillment of our vision and goals.


Perhaps the following scenario will seem familiar to you. When preparing to discuss an issue with their boss, some people rehearse what they’re going to say ahead of time, on their commute to work. They might go over their statement again in front of the mirror in the restroom. But then, when they get into their boss’s office, their fear of authority makes them either freeze up or stumble over their words, so that they never say what they intended to say. Instead, they might just tell him they came in to say hello and wish him a good day. But somebody who has confidence in his own inherent worth and abilities will not fear authority. He will approach him in a practical and confident way.


There is a proverb that begins, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare....”3 A snare, or trap, is something in which you are caught and from which it is difficult to escape. We do not have to fear people just because they have a certain title or hold a particular office. If you are afraid of authority, and you haven’t been promoted at your job as quickly as you thought you should be, perhaps the managers at your workplace see you as someone who lacks confidence and would not be able to handle additional responsibilities. Whatever the reason, you can overcome your fear of man by focusing on fulfilling your inherent purpose and seeking to serve others.


Integrity


One definition of integrity is “incorruptibility.” If you are incorruptible, you will not be enticed by your own desires or the pressure of other people to violate your moral standards or to operate on the basis of self-interest. Integrity was a quality exemplified by George Washington; he demonstrated that he could not be corrupted by power.


At the time that the American Revolution ended, King George III of England was having his portrait painted by artist Benjamin West. He asked the painter what he thought George Washington would do now that the war was concluded. West replied that he thought Washington would resign and go back to his farm. A startled King George exclaimed, “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world!”


To give up power voluntarily at the height of success and popular support is a rare decision for a leader, making his action even more impressive. Likewise, after Washington had served two terms as president of the United States, he did not run for a third term, because he had accepted the office in order to serve the people, not to garner power for himself. Washington was so highly regarded for his integrity that a number of Americans of his time would have supported the idea of giving him a life term as president, or even making him king. Instead, he calmly passed the reins of office to the next elected president. In doing so, he set a standard for all presidents to come, and helped to stabilize the new nation.


It is said that Napoleon Bonaparte, the famous military leader and former emperor of France, made a telling comment as he sat out his second exile on the island of Elba, lamenting his fall from power. He said that the people of France had “wanted him to be another George Washington.” But he could not do it. Because he loved power, he never would have given it up of his own accord.


Responsibleness


Leaders of principle also act responsibly, and they eagerly accept responsibility. One of the Creator’s first laws is that if we are faithful over the smaller jobs and tasks we have been given, we will be granted even greater ones.4 This is the process by which leaders grow into increasingly responsible positions.


The process usually starts with the leader’s own initiative to assume responsibility. Some people are annoyed by the thought of having to work. They don’t want people to ask them to do anything—whether it’s helping out with chores at home, doing the “grunt” work at a volunteer organization, taking care of the paperwork related to their job, or something else. Frankly, many people are lazy. But a principled leader loves responsibility. He welcomes the opportunity to be productive and often looks for useful work to do.


In this regard, let’s look at one more example from the life of Joseph. Joseph successfully interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, which was a message to the ruler and his nation that seven years of plenty would come, but they would be followed by seven years of famine. When Pharaoh heard the interpretation, he immediately said to Joseph:


Since Yah has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you....I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.5
If there ever was a time when Joseph might have felt he could delegate his work and finally take it a little easy, this would have been it! Instead, he worked diligently in his new role, preparing for the days of famine:


And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.6


In contrast to Joseph’s responsible attitude, some people seek to avoid their boss, the head of their volunteer organization, their pastor, their parents, and so forth, because they don’t want to be put into a situation where they will be asked to do something. However, though many of these people will avoid working at smaller tasks, they suddenly appear when an important and exciting opportunity comes along. Then, they are often the first to say, “I’ll go!”


How about you? What do you do when somebody gives you a job to do? Do you feel sorry for yourself, or do you get started on it right away? Responsibility is good training for leaders of character. We need to be the kind of leaders who are eager to take on responsibility. Those are the leaders who are useful to others, and whom others can depend upon. If you have made progress in developing the quality of responsibleness, you’re on your way to being a leader of character.


Discipline and Sacrifice


We have covered the qualities of discipline and sacrifice in several previous teachings, but a list of the core qualities of principled leaders would not be complete without them. All true leaders adhere to self-imposed limitations on their lives for the purpose of achieving a higher purpose.


Leaders of principle have learned to govern themselves. They exercise self- control without needing to be disciplined externally. As we, too, progress in character development, we will learn to govern and discipline each area of our lives in order to protect it from ethical lapses and prepare it for maximum productivity. We will train ourselves to do this regardless of whether other people are present, and regardless of whether other people ever find out about it.


Many people have a certain awe about those who sacrifice and suffer in order to do extraordinary acts that will aid humanity, or to accomplish a demanding goal. And that awe is translated into inspiration. In this way, as we have seen, sacrifice based on conviction leads to inspiration. And inspiration is what leads other people to join in fulfilling our vision.