Character

I want to challenge Christ followers to make unequivocal commitments to stop doing three things that rob us of the full life God created us to live.

As we grow secure in our leadership it can become harder to discern between anointing, depth of respect, loyalty and strength of character. This is the danger zone where we have to be aware of the power we are wielding. Unfortunately, often by this time we are unaware of the danger and no one is willing or able to say NO. Let me illustrate with a YWAM story.

This is a precious story written by a Chinese leader during a time of deep trial and brokenness in her life.

We know healthy leadership requires good character, but how do we deal with those headstrong, sinful habits?

If we want to live and lead like Jesus, we know this one thing about betrayal: it will show us more about ourselves than any other leadership experience we face.

Remember the last time you were offended? Did you resolve it or is it lurking somewhere in the shadows of your thinking, still itching like yesterday’s mosquito bite? The more you scratch, the more it itches. Offense is like that. The more we focus on it, the bigger it grows, never losing its sting.

Eight major reasons why every Christian – especially leaders – should avoid infidelity.

A large number of high-profile Christian leaders stumble on moral issues not by ignorance but by the hidden traps of authority and freedom they enjoy. A healthy blend of character, competency, and openness to God boils down to integrity of heart in a healthy leader who makes a lasting difference.

God gave us bodies that heal amazingly, given time and proper treatment. However, hearts and souls may not heal so well apart from tender mercies, kindness, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another. Gina discusses the necessity of the servant-leader’s attribute of healing.

Bernard Baily said, “When science discovers the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to find they are not it.” Leaders can lose sight of how much others contribute to the whole scheme of things tending to allow pride to lead. Dionna highlights the necessity of keeping self in perspective through humbleness. She reminds us that everyone needs a dose of meekness to keep the balance in our lives.

Researchers have caught elephants in the act of empathetic actions. They console each other when grieving, they help each other when in trouble, and the leader always knows when leaving a severely wounded elephant behind is best for the tribe to survive. But she still grieves over the one left behind. Practicing empathy is essential to the growth and well-being of those who report to the servant-leader as well as for the entire organization.