Lesson 6: Character-Based Leadership

Defining Conviction

Conviction is certainty about truth. Convictions are firm beliefs about reality. Conviction guides a person’s decisions, because a person acts in response to what he believes is true.

Conviction does not refer only to religious truth. If a salesman truly believes that his product is the best and that everyone needs it, he has conviction. That conviction will make him more likely to influence other people.

A group of people is lost in a desert. They discuss their situation and their options. One person is the most convincing in his explanation of their situation. He also persuades them that he knows what they should do. He becomes the leader.

Conviction can be wrong. A person may believe things that are not true. Even wrong conviction gives power to leadership for a period of time. For example, if a person wrongly believes he knows how to get somewhere, people may follow him because of his conviction. If he is wrong, they will eventually be disappointed, and his influence will greatly decrease. They are less likely to follow him again.

Leadership Based on Conviction

Leadership is based on conviction because a leader leads others by showing them truth and showing them the appropriate response to that truth. He is saying, “This is how it is, and this is what we should do.”

If a person in a crowded building realizes that the building is on fire, he knows that everyone needs to hear that truth and respond to it. He has a conviction to communicate. The information motivates action from everyone who believes it. For a few seconds, that person is a leader because he influences them by communicating his conviction. He does not continue to be the leader unless they also believe that he knows what they should do. His leadership ends at the point that his conviction ends.

For Christian leaders, the truth of God’s Word must be the foundation of our conviction. Our commitment to God motivates us to respond to his truth and lead others to do the same.

Strong conviction is necessary for strong leadership. Think of any great leader, either from scripture or from later history. Try to imagine him without strong conviction. Even if a person is a good organizer and communicator, he cannot lead for long without conviction.

► Each of the following historic leaders had great influence, but they were not all Christian leaders: Moses, Joshua, Paul, Martin Luther, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, and Billy Graham. Someone in the group should tell something about each leader. Try to imagine how history would have been different if each of these leaders had not had strong conviction.

Conviction, not success, should be the primary motivator for a leader. A great leader is compelled to succeed because of conviction. Therefore, he would never compromise conviction for the sake of success.

A person must not be inconsistent or insincere in his convictions. If a person is willing to change his convictions because he is hired to represent different beliefs, he cannot be a strong leader.

The leader should be known for his passion for truth. Because he is driven by conviction, he always wants to know what is true. He would rather be corrected than continue to believe something that is wrong.

Benefits of Conviction

Conviction makes a person stronger than his personality would otherwise be. Even a person who hates confrontation, argument, and criticism may become a leader because he is strong in conviction.

Conviction also makes a person operate at a higher level of intelligence than he would otherwise. When one’s thinking is shaped by conviction, many decisions are made automatically.[1] Because some options cannot be considered, it is easier to discern the right choice. Conviction is similar to knowledge or wisdom in this way: without it, a person is a fool.

► Who is a great leader that you know personally? How does conviction give strength to his leadership?

Daniel and a few other Jews were in training for leadership in a foreign empire (Daniel 1:8-15). It was important for him to do well and please the director of the training, but his convictions were tested when he realized that the food was wrong for a Jew to eat. Many people in a similar situation compromise their convictions if the convictions seem to lower their status.

The director of the training had already observed that Daniel had an excellent spirit. Daniel approached him tactfully, made a request humbly, and offered to try something different that would not cause risk for the director. God honored Daniel’s faithfulness and gave him great success.

Defining Integrity

[1]When a person consistently applies his convictions to his actions and attitudes, he is a person of integrity. To have personal integrity means that you are consistent with yourself; you act according to what you claim to believe and value.

A Lack of Integrity

A leader faces the temptation to present a false image of himself, knowing there is a difference between what he is and what people think he is. If people assume you are a person of integrity, they may follow you for a while. However, without integrity you cannot fulfill the expectations you create.

A lack of consistency is evidence of a lack of integrity. If a leader’s actions and attitudes are not consistent with the values he professes, he has low integrity. A leader has low integrity if he is dishonest, has selfish priorities, shows friendliness only to people who can help him, follows impure desires, or has secret sins.

Achan thought that his sin was secret and personal. He did not expect it to affect anyone else. However, his sin resulted in the deaths of 36 men of Israel, then the death of his entire family (Joshua 7:1-26). Achan was not a leader, but his life teaches us an important lesson. One person’s sin affects many people.

There are no small sins for a leader. Any sin committed by a leader affects other people. Why? When a leader sins:

• He loses the spiritual purity and power he needs.

• He has less of God’s anointing and guidance.

• His discernment is distorted.

• His priorities are wrong.

These factors limit his leadership and affect the people he leads.

The Importance of Good Character

The true inner nature of a person is his character. John Maxwell described the importance of character by saying that a person needs to be “bigger on the inside than on the outside.” A person’s character should be greater than his reputation.[1]

Most leaders serve in low positions during the early periods of their lives. A leader may think that those years are not important because his accomplishments seem small. However, those years shape the future because the leader is becoming the kind of person that he will be. A young leader should use periods of difficulty and frustration to develop his character.

Character based on strong conviction is so important that it may make someone a strong leader even if he lacks natural ability. For example, Moses did not seem to have strong natural courage or leadership ability, but his relationship with God and love for the people were strengths that made the difference. His character was based on his values and made him an effective leader.

A leader’s personal character is the primary factor that causes others to commit to his vision. They may not understand all his reasons, but if they trust his character, they will follow him.

[2]Martin Luther King Jr. said, “People are often led to causes and often become committed to great ideas through persons who personify those ideas. They have to find the embodiment of the idea in flesh and blood in order to commit themselves to it.” This statement shows the importance of character. A leader must believe in his cause so much that his whole nature is consistent with the cause. This is the kind of leader that motivates others to great commitment.

Sometimes a leader talks about beliefs and values that he wants his people to follow, but he does not embody those values. It benefits him if his people are devoted to values such as service and honesty. However, he cannot effectively teach values that he does not demonstrate. If a leader embodies good values, he will be an example for others and will attract those who share his values.

► Credibility means that a person is believable. What makes a person believable?

Sometimes a leader with weak character wants people to follow his leadership but ignore his private behavior. He thinks he can be immoral yet still function well as a leader. People who work for him may pretend not to see his character problems. However, people are influenced more by a leader’s example than by his words. If his words contradict his example, listeners are confused.

A leader with weak character may become hypocritical in his social interactions (faking friendliness and concern), hypocritical in his spiritual leadership (faking spiritual zeal and emotion), professional in a worldly way (seeking worldly status), manipulative (influencing people to do things they would not do if they knew the facts), and lazy in his ministry role (failing to develop skills).

If a person has wrong character but strong competence, he will lead, and people will follow; but he will lead to the wrong end. Strong but ruthless leaders like Adolf Hitler demonstrate this principle.

Bad character also limits a leader’s competence. If a person is undisciplined, does not keep commitments, is inconsistent, moody, or destructively angry, he cannot keep the best followers for long and cannot motivate the best efforts from anyone.

An iceberg is mostly concealed under water with only a small portion showing. The part that shows could be compared to a leader’s performance. The part that does not show could be compared to his character. Character is the most important and is the largest part of a person. Ironically, many people try to improve their performance while neglecting character. They may even compromise their character to make their performance look better.

Biblical Examples of Leaders with Weak Character

Aaron

Aaron was the first high priest of Israel, while Moses his brother was the leader. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the law of God, the people came to Aaron asking for religious direction.

Aaron knew that they wanted a visible idol, so he yielded to their request and made a golden calf (Exodus 32:4). Because of his weakness, the people worshipped the idol, giving it credit for delivering them from Egypt. Because of this, thousands of people were killed by the judgment of God.

Aaron was not fit to be the leader because his convictions were weak. In an effort to maintain his influence, he followed popular opinion, even though he knew it was wrong.

Adam

When Eve yielded to the temptation from the serpent, she took the fruit and ate and gave some to her husband who was with her (Genesis 3:6). Genesis records the conversation between Eve and the serpent. Why did Adam not say a word?

The Bible tells us that he chose to sin even though he knew it was wrong. He was not deceived like Eve was (1 Timothy 2:14). Adam listened to the temptation but left the decision to Eve. Although he was responsible to lead, he chose not to lead but to allow something that was wrong.

A leader with weak character lets others make a wrong decision because he does not want to insist on what he knows is right. He is willing for wrong to be done but does not want to be blamed.

Group Discussion

Robert Greenleaf wrote,

Gandhi taught that there are seven things that will destroy us. As we study them slowly and carefully, we see in a powerful way how each represents an end being accomplished through an unprincipled or unworthy means.[3]

These are those seven things:

• Wealth without work
• Pleasure without conscience
• Knowledge without character
• Commerce without morality
• Science without humanity
• Worship without sacrifice
• Politics without principle

Successful leadership without good character could be added to this list.

► Discuss the following questions:

• What often happens to the character of a person who gains wealth without work?
• What happens in politics when goals are pursued without principles?
• What kind of person will I become if I follow pleasure without listening to my conscience?

► Do you care about your reputation? Why?

A person’s reputation is what people think he is. A person’s character is what he truly is. Sometimes a person’s reputation is better or worse than his true character.

Some people say that reputation is unimportant, because only character matters. However, reputation is what people believe about a leader’s character. If people think his character is bad, he cannot lead, even if they are wrong in their opinion.

A leader must be careful about his reputation. He should not give people reasons to doubt his character. He may think that because everyone trusts him, nobody will think badly of him; but that is not true. Many people are quick to believe an accusation because they have already heard of so many leaders who have done wrong.

Two areas where a leader must be careful are: (1) management of money that is not his own and (2) relationships with the opposite sex. Accusations about these things spread rapidly, are quickly believed, and destroy respect for the leader.

When the Apostle Paul was planning to deliver money given by one church to another, he required representatives from the giving church to go with him (2 Corinthians 2:18-22). He did this to demonstrate honesty. It is not enough for us to know that we are honest before God. We need to have policies that show everyone we are honest.

► What are some practical things you can do to be careful of your reputation?

► How do you expect to change your goals or actions because of this lesson?

1. Conviction is certainty about truth.

2. Strong conviction is necessary for strong leadership.

3. A person of integrity consistently applies his convictions to his actions and attitudes.

4. The leader should embody the beliefs and values he wants his people to follow.

5. Reputation is what people think about your character.

1. Write a paragraph summarizing a life-changing concept from this lesson. Explain why it is important. What good can it do? What harm could result from not knowing it?

2. Explain how you will apply the principles of this lesson to your own life. How does this lesson change your goals? How do you plan to change your actions?

3. Memorize the Five Summary Statements for Lesson 6. Be prepared to write them from memory at the beginning of the next class session.