All of us lead in some way. You may lead at home, at school or at your job, but in almost everything you do, you have some form of leadership that people follow. You may not consider yourself a leader, but you are. Someone is watching you. It might be your spouse, your kids or your fellow employees.
All of us lead by our words and our actions. But the greatest way any of us lead is through our character. People hear our words. People notice our actions. But the most important way any of us lead is through our character.
Leadership is what you do. Character is who you are. People will do what you ask them to do, especially if money or a paycheck is involved. But long-term leadership is based on who you are. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying.”
A leader might be defined as, “someone who knows where they are going and can motivate others to follow.” But character is the heart motivation behind where you are going. Character is who you are—it’s the embodiment of your life. People want to follow men and women who live out what they say they believe.
Being a person of character takes courage. Courageous leadership is birthed in character. It’s living what you believe. It takes courage to be the right person before you tell others to do the right thing.
Trying to walk in courage,
Steve
Steve Holt M.A., D.D.
My newest book, Worshipper Warrior, can be found at www.steveholtonline.org
and www.amazon.com