Being connected with people is vital to good leadership. Several elements will help establish that connection.
1) Be transparent.
2) Provide hope.
3) Consistency is essential.
4) Relate to people individually.
5) Find ways to genuinely compliment others.
Leaders who connect lead with passion and integrity. They know and are known by others. Love for others drives a leader’s heart. Reaching the goal motivates a leader’s actions. Staying connected keeps a leader balanced.
One of the greatest forms of hypocrisy occurs when parents tell their children to live a certain way, yet not live by the same standard themselves.
I am not saying you must be perfect, regardless of the standard under consideration. However, there needs to be consistency.
Children already push the limits as close to the line as possible and measure every action by the consistency of parental guidance.
We must develop a consistency in approaching how the standard is lived in the home.
When we fail to live up to the standard: admit it, apologize, and make restitution. Do not excuse it…ever!
As leaders, several questions are important to consider regarding principles.
1) Why should we have principles to govern behavior?
2) What rule or belief governs our personal behavior?
3) Do we have a rule or belief in place for this purpose?
4) Are these rules or beliefs based on humanistic or biblical foundations?
5) Will others see consistency between our principles and behavior?
A life lived by biblical principles will always influence others. Consistently living by our principles directly connects to the integrity needed for powerful leadership.
When leaders answer these questions in relationship to principles and behavior, the steps to harmonize them develops a leader worth following.
Douglas MacArthur was known for his leadership, especially during the time of World War II.
He once said, “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.”
Leaders need confidence in God and His power that works within us.
Leaders must choose courage when needed most.
Leaders must demonstrate the Christlike quality of compassion.
Leaders must be characterized by consistency.
Leaders must learn to walk with integrity.
Confidence is connected to both the words and actions of an individual. Thus, there must also be a strong consistency in one’s character.
The lesson for leaders is nothing new.
For leaders to build the type of relationship with followers where trust exists, their character must be defined by consistency, which lays the foundation for their confidence.
This may be one of the truest approaches to defining integrity for spiritual leaders.
Leaders need to position their words and actions in such a way that their leadership portrays the confidence of someone whose life is consistent.
We’ve all heard “actions speak louder than words,” or “a picture paints a thousands words.” Then, there is the old classic, “I’d rather see a sermon as hear one any day.”
The ideas emphasize the need for consistency in life’s daily activities. People watch everything we do and listen to everything we say. Do they see inconsistencies?
Thomas Jefferson is credited with saying, “”Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.”
At times, it’s hard to remember that neither our intentions or words determine who we are, but our actions. People judge our actions!
The power of uniformity is based on the development of consistency, invariability, stability, and the regularity that characterizes leadership.
These four words are the defining qualities of uniformity.
Consistency must be lived according to the message believed and proclaimed.
No matter what the cost, invariably, leaders must show up.
Followers need leaders with stability, which provides them with security.
Regularity is fixed and unchanging, without varying.
Uniformity is critical in leading as God desires. While there may be challenges to the development and fulfillment of these qualities, when we practice them, our leadership grows stronger and lasts longer.
Leaders need to be consistent in every area of life.
When there is a purpose that drives our life, we then align our words and actions with that purpose.
From this point, we develop greater consistency because there is a purpose behind our thoughts, which become our words, which influence our actions.
In our homes, neighborhood, on our jobs, or anywhere we go, people recognize consistency.
Consider the definition: “An attribute of a logical system that is so constituted that none of the propositions deducible from the axioms contradict one another.”
I thought you might like to ponder that thought for a while 🙂
Leadership is built upon values. Write them down. Review them daily. Keep them timeless.
The benefit comes through evaluating our actions with our values. We ensure a consistency of life when we align the conduct of our life with our values.
When one becomes a Christian, worldly values change to godly ones. Thoughts, words, and actions become more consistent with these new values.
Is it easy? No! However, the effort makes all the difference in our influence.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Life’s most urgent question is what are you doing for others?” It is worth the time to contemplate this thought when establishing our values.
Remember that “People are always watching.” Children watch their parents. Employers watch their employees. The community watches all of us. Everywhere, people are watching.
They also listen. They listen to our words and watch our behavior to see if they are consistent with what we profess.
Nothing is more damaging to our influence than hypocrisy and nothing more convincing than consistency. Jesus spoke of the need to avoid hypocrisy in prayer, acts of kindness, and fasting.
No other gospel handles hypocrisy like Matthew. The take-away is to know that people are always watching, which emphasizes the need to be consistent with our words and actions.