Insanely Practical Leadership, Session 3: How to Lead with Character

In this Leader Fluent Podcast Series, I’m sharing some teaching from each chapter of my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. The book addresses a host of insanely practical skills, and it provides you and your team with the tools to apply the insights to your life. Enjoy this taste of what’s in the book, and learn more about Insanely Practical Leadership and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE. In today’s episode, we’re talking about “How to Lead with Character.”

SHOW NOTES:

Sinkholes aren’t confined to land. They also find their way into our character as leaders. When our souls become dry, the rains of pressure and problems cause subtle character cracks to become giant sinkholes. And in the end, not only does our life collapse, but our family, team, and organization pay a heavy price.

Author Lance Witt once said, “When leaders neglect their interior life, they run the risk of prostituting the sacred gift of leadership. And they run the risk of being destructive instead of productive.” So, how do we lead with character? There are actually five layers to leading with character. 

Layer #1: Identify Your Values

Values are the character compass that point you in the right direction. And values are formed at the intersection of three things: beliefs, principles, and priorities. 

Beliefs are the core set of creeds and convictions that anchor our lives. For followers of Jesus, beliefs are grounded in the truth of Scripture. Principles are wisdom and guardrails that guide us down the right path. Finally, priorities define the areas where we invest our time, talent, and treasure. 

Simply put, beliefs ground us. Principles guide us. And priorities order us. Together, they form the values on which we build our lives. So, Layer #1 to leading with character is to identify your values. 

Layer #2: Grow Your Character

Author Bob Goff once said, “We plant sod where God wants us to plant seed. He’s more interested in growing our character than having us look finished.” Character growth is important, but it doesn’t happen by accident. It requires several practices to maximize growth. 

Practice number one is to Cultivate Disciplines of Spirituality. We talked about those disciplines in the last session, and how they draw us into God’s presence where he can transform us. 

Practice number two is to Create Boundaries of Accountability. Boundaries of accountability gives us the external structure we need to outsmart our weaknesses. 

And practice number three is to Build Circles of Community. Community give us the wisdom and encouragement from others to help us play the long game. 

These three practices provide the nutrient rich soil to grow our character. And working together, these practices prevent sinkholes from forming below the surface of our hearts. 

Layer #3: Model Your Behavior

Modeling behavior happens when you do what you say you will do, even under pressure. For example, modeling behavior is asking for forgiveness when you step out of line. It’s telling the truth when it’s inconvenient. It’s receiving feedback with grace and humility. It’s showing compassion when others are hurting. 

These are all examples of what it looks like to model your behavior. In fact, in 1 Timothy 4:12, the apostle Paul said, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” Paul understood that character grows inwardly, but its influence is felt outwardly. 

Layer #4: Debrief Your Wisdom

In 2 Timothy 3:10-11, Paul said, “But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it.” 

Notice, in this passage Paul highlighted several character traits, not to exalt himself, but to use each trait as a teachable moment. In other words, Paul used his life to debrief matters of character with his young apprentice Timothy. And we must do