The Integrity of Leadership

Leadership has long been a popular “buzz word” in the context of business. It is always interesting to follow the “institutionalization” of popular subjects into the academic arena. Today there are any number of “Leadership Institutes”, “Leadership Seminars,” Masters Degrees in Educational Leadership,” others in “Global Leadership and Entrepreneurship,” among many others.

The scriptures point us to the role of leadership with many examples. They include figures such as Moses, who led the Israelites out of Egypt. It includes those who served Israel as judges, those who were named kings, and any number of prophets who were called upon to lead by bearing witness to the people of the word from the Lord.

Leadership is often measured by worldly standards of success. For the most part, that is how it is referred to in present academic discussion. Good leaders are often those who help define the realities of the present, help determine the goals for the future, and who help take the steps toward achieving those goals in the day to day. Those essential steps are also included for effective leadership in the context of those who would seek to honor God with their leading. The difference is, those who are interested in honoring God with their leadership understand that it is based not upon their own influence and power, but upon the power of God at work in and through them. They also understand that the objectives or goals to be achieved are not measured only by their ability to reach them by any method. The manner in which the goals are both identified and achieved is as important as the result. Too often we see individuals “in the name of Christ” selling the processes of their “success” to the devil. The results may be “apparently achieved” but at the loss of integrity or witness because of the “way” in which they acted.

Too often the results sought are only temporary in scope. God’s leading requires that we focus on eternal measures. We are called to be a part of divine initiatives. We are called to be participants in sharing God’s light and life and love with the world. To do so requires our integrity of purpose, our willingness of spirit, and our openness to God. Following His lead is the strongest measure of any “leadership” we might seek to initiate. Allowing others to follow our example as God-honoring leaders is limited to those aspects of our personality and actions that honor Christ. The standard is higher than we have usually been willing to consider. We are called to follow the example of Jesus.
To do so is more than challenging. It is a high calling.

Success will not be the measure of earthly successes, but the measure of doing those things that God calls us to do each day.