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For the Christian leader, character, which 19th century evangelist D.L. Moody described as “worth more than anything else in this wide world,” is the moral and ethical foundation for the kind of success that honors God.
1 THE GOD-HONORING CHRISTIAN LEADER IS CHARACTERIZED BY LOVE.
When one thinks of a LEADER, the word “love” isn’t necessarily what comes to mind. To the world, the word “love” may even sound weak. LEADERSs typically are admired for their ability to accomplish great things.
In Scripture, the word “love” is not only feeling based, but a deliberate decision. Jesus’ Great Commandment is to love God and love people (Mark 12:30-31). The God-honoring LEADER seeks and maintains an ongoing, intimate relationship with God and lives out of an over flowing relationship with Him. From that relationship, the fruit of the Spirit is manifest and his character becomes extraordinary.
2 THE GOD-HONORING CHRISTIAN LEADER IS HUMBLE.
Humility flows out of proper perspective and a grateful heart. The humble CHRISTIAN LEADER surrenders to God, giving Christ His rightful place as Lord. He or she understands that not everything depends on them, and that everything is possible with God. They're grateful to God—for who God is; for a costly salvation; and for the gifts, talents, business opportunities, and significant purpose God has provided.
Secure in their identity in Christ and humbly aware of their strengths, they willingly admit their weaknesses and mistakes. They invite dissenting opinions and give credit and recognition freely. They also encourage the right people in the right roles and allows them the freedom to perform.
3 THE GOD-HONORING CHRISTIAN LEADER IS OBEDIENT.
The obedient CHRISTIAN LEADER lives for an audience of One and seeks to be a wise and faithful steward. A “doer of the Word,” he applies God’s principles to everyday business decisions. He realizes the importance of pursuing holiness and practicing self- discipline—doing the right thing, whether or not he feels like it. Leaders must lead themselves first through discipline; then they can focus on leading others. Many get this out of order, and weak character sabotages their success.
4 THE GOD-HONORING CHRISTIAN LEADER HAS INTEGRITY.
Many over-simplify integrity and miss the extreme importance of this quality for the CHRISTIAN LEADER. Integrity is multidimensional:
The CHRISTIAN LEADER achieves real integrity only when he’s completely aligned with the will of God, courageously exercises self-discipline, and is empowered by the Holy Spirit.
5 THE GOD-HONORING CHRISTIAN LEADER IS HONEST.
While honesty is a sub-trait of integrity, it’s so critical for a CHRISTIAN LEADER that it deserves to be highlighted. Automobile pioneer John Dodge once commented: “There is no twilight zone of honesty—a thing is right or wrong, it’s black or white. Today, we hide our dishonesty behind such euphemisms as ‘gray areas,’ ‘half truths,’ or ‘little white lies.’”
Honesty begins with ourselves. As the Scripture above points out, we’re experts at lying to ourselves, many times unknowingly. Dishonesty is usually easy to spot—and powerfully detrimental to an organization. So, for the CEO to be an example of Christ to non-believing team members (or believers!), honesty is extremely important. Without complete honesty, trust is lost and relationships suffer.
6 THE GOD-HONORING CHRISTIAN LEADER IS FAITHFUL.
There are two main components of faithfulness: living by faith and being trustworthy. Living by faith means seeking and trusting God, pursuing the mission He’s given us with courage, taking risks, and persevering in hope through difficult times. It’s resting on His character, relying on His promises, and doing things His way, not ours’.
The faithful CHRISTIAN LEADER also seeks to be a person God can trust— recognizing that God leads the and has entrusted all to His followers. Every Christian leader realizes he’ll answer to God for everything—work, relationships, lifestyle—and more and looks forward with hope and joy to the day he’ll stand before the Lord and hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
7 THE GOD-HONORING CHRISTIAN LEADER IS A SERVANT
Jesus was a model servant to the Father and we’re similarly called:
“He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them”
(2 Corinthians 5:15).
Being a servant-leader requires being humble and secure in our identity and caring for those we serve. If we seek the approval of men over the approval of God, we’ll cling to position, power, and authority for ego’s sake. Part of servant leadership is striving to serve customers and vendors with excellence—it’s seeking to deliver value and be a blessing to them in every interaction.