Integrity goes beyond just being honest. It involves having strong moral principles and moral uprightness.

In the book of Psalms we learn the necessity of walking with integrity if we are to dwell on God’s holy hill. The very idea of walking indicates a lifestyle characterized by integrity.

There is an incorruptible nature to a spiritual leader who demonstrates integrity. They take responsibility for who they are and what they do.

Walking with integrity involves an undivided and unshakeable character of Biblical soundness. This character is built in humility and follows a path of consistency. Thus, it is a walk of honesty. Spiritual leaders are honest with themselves and with others.

In David’s Psalm he describes several practical areas defining this needed quality. However, there is one thought among these areas that stands out; “he swears to his own hurt and does not change.”

Integrity stands for truth, speaks truth, lives the truth and will not change, even if it must do so alone. Leadership, then, must exemplify integrity.

Christianity is what we are “in the dark.” Think about it!

A new class of students began a two year journey last week. The anticipation unfolds into reality. There is an overwhelming feeling too difficult to describe.

What have I gotten myself into?

How will I ever get all this work done?

Is it possible to keep this pace?

When facing overwhelming challenges, even self-inflicted, the most important question to ask is “how can we finish well?”

Spiritual leadership faces many challenges which can and will be overwhelming. These challenges can distract and/or discourage us. We must remember to ask; “how can we finish well?”

Finishing well requires a few simple steps.

Determine the priorities. Discouragement leads to quitting. Leaders cannot allow this to happen. Know what is worth dying for and give yourself to it.

Work hard. A post from a few years back about the Mumford and Son’s band shared the secret to their success. The point was a simple, but powerful truth. They work hard.

Keep your eye on the goal. Challenges bring distractions. Peter encouraged Christians facing persecution to keep their focus.

How well we finish is just as important as how we begin.

“Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express and not for impress. Don’t strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt.” Author Unknown

Christians have no greater cause than the one of Christ. To work at this cause for self-glorification is counter-intuitive to the plan God provides.

Learning how to express, rather than impress, is a statement for the decades. Too much of the time is given to how we dress, how we walk, the type of car we drive, and the list goes on. Attention to these areas is really more about impressing those who have little bearing on the value of our lives.

A personal favorite is the last statement. We are all familiar with the personality that must be noticed when entering the room, but the power of an absence felt is where the significance of our influence is most recognized.

The author is unknown for today’s thought, but the lasting influence of their words continues to give meaning to our leadership.

What or who determines failure? Why is failure seen as negative in our society? How can leaders deal with failure, learn and benefit in ways to improve their leadership?

The first step is to recognize failure is inevitable. No matter who you are or where you are, failure takes place.

Second, acknowledge and take responsibility. Do not ignore, deny, or cast blame when failure occurs. John Maxwell says, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”

Third, failure is not fatal. Winston Churchill is credited with saying, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Fourth, do not hesitate to act. Hesitation comes with a high price. Waiting to act creates a perception of apathy.

Fifth, take appropriate steps to learn from failure. Study the strengths and weaknesses of the present circumstances. Determine and implement the changes needed to overcome the circumstances and prevent the same mistakes.

Making the necessary adjustments to move beyond the circumstances will help build confidence in others toward leadership. Work to build a series of successful events or programs to reassure the strength of the leadership.

The lost parts of leadership include a number of areas related to character, style, and activity. As we continue this week to look at another component in this series, we find the need to restore genuine joy.

The stress of leadership usually saps the joy right out of most decision making. The challenges facing leaders become foundational reasons why many choose not to lead.

Where is the joy that needs to exist among leaders?

As long as the negative side of leadership prevails, attracting good leaders with the qualifications and abilities to do the job right becomes increasingly difficult.

Additionally, as long as leaders spend their time dealing with problems of conflict resolution, personality differences, and resource management, then the emotional depletion levels will exceed the ability and desire to continue.

There is a joy in leading and there are positive areas to support the future development and growth of any organization. When leadership receives encouragement to create, innovate, initiate, and motivate, the possibilities are endless for success.

The combination of a vision, goals, and plans, coupled with the authority to lead excites joy in leading.

Two simple letters, but they are rarely used by leaders from a spiritual perspective. We struggle with learning to say “no” to people.

The result tends to leave leaders overloaded, panic stricken, stressed out, and at times, burned out.

There is probably an unending list of reasons why leaders refuse to use these two significant letters, but here are few that must be overcome.

1) Pride: the issue here is the mindset that no one else has the ability to do the job as good as “I” can do it. Therefore, the job gets placed on a stack of “to-do” items that becomes an abyss of work.

2) Selfish: when leaders become so inwardly focused and only see their own agenda or desires, saying yes creates an appearance of being busier than they really are and pads their ego.

3) Apathy: once a leader reaches a point where they are no longer concerned about others, they might as well say yes because it does not matter whether they get to it or not.

There are obviously more reasons, but these are critical to address if we intend to succeed in leadership.

Messages communicated by leaders can often leave people wondering where on earth are they coming from or where are they headed?

The convoluted approach to accomplishing hidden agendas rarely achieves what was originally intended. We are living in a time that needs clarity.

Providing clarity, however, begins with knowing where we are coming from on a personal level.

This means three important components need to be in place.

One, leaders need a clear understanding of the past, present, and future. In other words, how did we get here, where are we now, and what direction are we headed?

Two, leaders must prepare a strong defense as to why they are communicating this specific message at this specific time.

Three, plan the details of how the destination is to be reached and place it before others all along the way just to make sure no one forgets.

The majority does not really know where leaders are coming from and the primary reason is because leaders often fail to communicate that information clearly.

It is time to make corrections and get everyone on the same page.

“Far too many people are looking for the right person, instead of trying to be the right person.” Gloria Steinem

Truth, no matter where it comes from, is still truth. This is certainly the case regarding today’s thought. How many times has it been said or implied in relationship to a spouse, political leader, preacher, friend, and the list goes on? If only we could find the right person.

If we are not careful, we can spend all our time searching for the right person, when all we are really capable of doing is to focus on being the right person.

The greatest leadership in the world today is born out of individuals who lead from “being,” rather than simply “doing.” People may know all the right actions to perform, but if it does not originate from the inner being, eventually their influence will crumble.

Our life needs to be spent with a focus on being the right person and allow that pursuit to direct every attitude, decision, action, and word.

When it does, we will discover the “right” people will find us.

Italian TV dinner, Fazoli’s, Macaroni Grill, Massimino’s Cucina Italiana: there is a difference.

Arapahoe Community College, _________________ State University, Harvard, Oxford: there is a difference.

Church on the Move, Church of Body Modification, Foothills Bible Church, Crossroads church of Denver, Church of Christ: there is a difference.

Regardless of where we eat, receive our education, or worship, we all know there is a difference.

The same is true in leadership. We see it on every front politically, corporately, educationally, and spiritually. There is a difference.

When it comes to spiritual leadership, are we really making the difference? Has the mindset of complacency been allowed to hinder our leadership? Are we victims of an apathetic world and allowing indifference to control the direction of our leadership?

Just as there is a difference in all of the areas above, there is a difference we can make if we choose to do so. Let us provide the leadership needed today for a better tomorrow and eternity because, in the end, it makes all the difference in the world.

Continuing to walk the path of investigation concerning the lost part of leadership takes us into areas relating to the core of any leadership: balance.

Balance is almost a forgotten term by many in our world today. A sense of balance is not about walking a fine line, tight rope, or “balance” beam without falling to one side or the other, even though there are figurative similarities.

The cultural challenges with balance are weighed in the extremism of our society. A quick glance through Facebook posts or any social media outlet reveals the incredible extremes that exist.

Worse still is the fact that extremism has been carried over into the church. The thought of balance may be mentioned, but rarely is it applied.

The terms, or perhaps titles, we tend to ascribe to one another range from the “left” to the “right,” from “anti” to “liberal.” We most often use the term “conservative” in reference to those who agree with us. Here is where we tend to believe balance exists, but not really.

Until leaders get a solid grasp on the art of balance, unity may be occur.