Lead with Integrity

Audio Version

Posted on the wall of the counselor's office at the high school I work at is a quote by Sophocles that says, "Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud". This quote stands out to me because it represents the way I desire to live and how I desire to lead. Unfortunately, many people, including leaders choose to succeed by fraud rather than to fail by honor. Some people think that there is not anything wrong with choosing to succeed by fraud and do not think about the consequences. The consequences of this choice far outweigh the benefits of it. By choosing to succeed by fraud, leaders have brought a negative outlook on the organizations, companies, schools, churches, and other entities that they lead. This choice not only affects what is being led but it also affects the leader. And how does this choice affect the leader? It affects the leader in terms of credibility.

One of my three core values in leadership is leading with integrity. I believe that leading with integrity will ultimately determine the success of a leader. Integrity has always been something that I have desired to pursue. In my pursuit of integrity, I have learned that it is not about being perfect and being mistake-free. It is about a journey to be authentic as a person and as a leader. The first step in integrity is, to be honest about who you are and the commitments that you are willing to make. The second step is to follow through.

I have read several books on leadership that has helped me on my journey. Most of the leadership books that I have read were books that either a mentor or coach of mine suggested. These books have allowed me to gain more insight on leadership and have fostered growth within my leadership. One book that a mentor suggested was The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. The second chapter of this book introduces the idea of credibility. The authors list the components of credibility as being:

1. Honest
2. Competent
3. Inspiring
4. Forward-Looking

After reading this, I recognized that my core value of leading with integrity fell within this concept and credibility became my word of the year and eventually became my motto of leading. The four components also place a clear definition of what it means to lead with integrity.

The authors also say that "credibility is the foundation of leadership". I agree with this statement because I have noticed that people are more willing to follow a credible leader than a leader who is not. Can you think of a leader who falls into the category of being credible? Can you think of a leader that you can trust because he/she leads with integrity? Can you think of a leader who is knowledgeable, inspirational, and always looking ahead (lacking complacency)? Have you thought of this leader yet? Are you this leader? This is the leader that I desire to be. In order to be a credible leader, I must not only value integrity but also value displaying each of the components of credibility.

Having any of the four components of credibility missing can, and most likely will, hurt the chances of me or anyone else of being considered as credible. Although the authors say that "credibility is the foundation of leadership", I believe that integrity is the foundation of credibility. People will be less willing to follow you if they do not trust you. How much you know, how inspiring you are, and how much you are looking ahead will be meaningless if there is no trust. Trust is what makes what you know, what you say, and your plans for the organization meaningful. Therefore, I encourage you to pursue credibility by leading with integrity.

 Application:

1. Do what you say you are going to do (follow-through).
2. Become an expert in your field (read books, research concepts, ask questions).
3. Encourage others by displaying and communicating your passion.
4. Create vision statements for yourself and for the entity that you are leading.

Conclusion:

People are more willing to follow a credible leader. Although credibility is made up of four components, integrity is the foundational piece of credibility because people must be able to trust the leader they follow. If the leader losses the trust of the people, his/her intellect, inspiring words, and vision will not matter. If the leader wants those things to matter, he/she must commit to lead with integrity.

Leadership Potential vs. Leadership Ability

Audio Version

Two questions come to mind about Leadership Potential and Leadership Ability:

1. How are Leadership Potential and Leadership Ability individually unique?
2. How are Leadership Potential and Leadership Ability similar?

These two aspects of a leader appear to be separate and even competing against one another. The image of the two circles that are displayed above is a representation of a Venn Diagram. Venn Diagrams are used to compare and contrast two or more entities. Figuratively speaking, let's fill in the sections created by the circles to examine how Leadership Ability and Leadership Potential are unique as well as how they are similar. As we go through this process, we will see how these aspects of leadership are not as separate as one may think but are rather complements of one another.

First, let's look at Leadership Potential and figuratively place it in the left column of the diagram. One definition of potential defines it as latent (inherent, intrinsic, hidden) qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness. In my own words, Leadership Potential is a person's ability to grow and develop as a leader. Many factors can impact the ability the leader has to grow. Family, friends, activities, health, and obligations (educational, financial, work-related, etc.) are all factors that can affect someone's ability to grow. Although the potential for growth is always present, some people may not have the flexibility within their schedule to take advantage of these ongoing opportunities. As a result, some people will conclude that they do not have enough time to develop their Leadership Potential and others will start the process even if it takes them a little longer to grow.

Secondly, let's look at Leadership Ability and figuratively place it in the right column. One definition of ability defines it as talent, skill, or proficiency in a particular area. In my own words, Leadership Ability is the capacity (talent, skill, proficiency) that has been developed within someone that influences the way he/she leads. Leadership Ability is based on the knowledge and experience of the leader and is the most visible aspect of leadership. Leadership Ability is directly reflected by what the leader has done and is currently doing within their personal or professional development, maybe even both.

John Maxwell's book, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, presents Leadership Ability as the "Law of the Lid". As I read this section in Maxwell's book, his concept of the lid made sense to me and also helped me understand why I need to spend time developing my leadership potential as much as possible. Maxwell's concept of the "Law of the Lid" helped me to understand that the Leadership Ability of a person directly affects the people he/she will effectively lead. If a leader has a lid lower than those he/she is leading it will ultimately affect his/her ability to lead them. The level of success of an organization, team, church, or family has is based on the leader's lid. The leader sets the bar because he/she is the bar. When someone has to work at lower productivity rates and are not able to maximize their potential because they have a higher lid than the leader, he/she can become frustrated. This person will need to decide between staying under this leadership, finding a leader with a higher lid than they possess, or begin to lead others with a lower lid than themselves.

It is almost impossible for a leader with the Leadership Ability of a seven to take an organization, team, family, you name it, to a level that ranks higher than a seven. If this leader wants to take the organization to an eight or a nine, he/she must decide to develop his/her potential and become an eight or a nine. I believe that one of the best ways a leader can develop his/her potential is by surrounding him/herself with individuals who are functioning at a higher level than he/she is. This networking process must not be done haphazardly but intentionally. The leader must also spend time developing through consulting with other leaders, finding a coach or a mentor, reading books, etc. Whatever method used, the process of developing potential cannot be overlooked. To see positive results in the leader's ability, the process of developing potential has to become a habit within the leader's life. When this happens, the organization can improve because the lid of the leader has increased through this process. 

Finally, let's look at the similarities of Leadership Potential and Leadership Ability, figuratively placing the information in the middle column. These aspects of leadership are similar because they both influence the effectiveness of a leader. An effective leader will regularly spend time developing his/her Leadership Potential and Leadership Ability. In my blog post, "What does it mean to be a leader?", I talked about the leader leading him/herself first. When the leader has this lead yourself mentality his/her lid and ability to lead will increase because he/she is willing to take the time to develop potential. When a leader neglects his/her need to develop potential, the abilities will begin to suffer, which will directly affect his/her influence. If the leader does not ignore the need to develop his/her potential the leader can grow in his/her ability to influence others and have a positive impact on the organization, team, church, or family that he/she is serving in.

Application:

1. Read books that will help you improve in areas of leadership that you need to improve in. 
2. Read books about leaders you admire.
3. Surround yourself with great leaders (network with purpose).
4. Do not get complacent in your abilities and invest in your potential.

Conclusion:

Leadership Potential and Leadership Ability do not compete with each other, but they support each other. The only way that Leadership Ability will improve is by spending time developing the Leadership Potential.

What does it mean to be a leader?

Audio Version

I used to hear my pastor use a quote by John Maxwell that says, “He that thinketh he leadeth, and hath no one following, is only taking a walk.” In this statement, Maxwell is saying that leadership is influence. I believe everyone has a circle of influence and being a leader is not predicated on the number of people who are following you. I will go to the extent of saying that being a leader is not always determined by anyone following you at all. Although eventually, someone must follow this leader, I believe that a leader can begin the journey alone and still be a leader because a leader must learn how to lead him/herself first.

As a high school business teacher, I desire to see those who I have influence over to begin to grasp the concept of what it means to be a leader and to understand the importance of leading themselves first - even the slogan of the academy that I lead is "Lead Yourself 1st". I believe that there's a greater meaning behind this slogan and have come to discover that there is a book entitled Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude by Michael S. Erwin and Raymond Kethledge. I have not read this book, but knowing that a book exists that supports this slogan validates the concept that I hold about being a leader - it starts with you!

A leader must be willing to discipline him/herself to become the leader that he/she was created to be. John Maxwell states in his book, Developing the Leader Within You, "the first order of things to be changed is me...after I consider how hard it is to change myself, then I will understand the challenge of trying to change others." In other words, the leader has to begin working on personal flaws and habits and through this personal journey of leading his/herself, he/she will see how difficult it is to implement change in his/her own life and have more compassion for others.

So what does it mean to be a leader? It means to be a person who displays having the determination and wherewithal to hold him/herself accountable to the actions, attitudes, and principles that he/she desires to see in others. This determination will require the leader to pay close attention to the details in his/her own life as he/she continues to develop within those areas of weakness and to enhance those areas of strength. There is a book entitled Strengths Based Leadership by Barry Conchie and Tom Rath that talks about the concept of leading from areas of strengths and not from areas of weakness. Although I agree with this concept, the point I am making in this conversation is that leadership begins with a person who has made a daily commitment to personally improve, from the inside-out, and will hold him/herself accountable.

Application:

As a father, I want my children to incorporate habits that are beneficial to their lives and to represent themselves in a way that displays themselves as being intelligent. My words of advice and instruction will not hold the weight that I would like them to hold if my children do not see those habits being displayed by me. Therefore, I must make sure that I am first leading myself in the areas that I am emphasizing to them, or if I realize that I am not, then I must begin leading myself in those areas.

For example, my wife and I wanted our son to read more. I understood that the best way for him to incorporate this habit without a lot of opposition was for me to display this practice in my own life. I needed to begin reading more to validate its importance. I could have simply told him to read, but I understand that people watch what you do more than listen to what you say. As I led myself first by reading more, it helped me present this valuable habit that my wife and I wanted to see in our son.

Question:

Does everything have to be perfect in this person's life?

Answer:

No, things do not have to be perfect in a person's life to be a leader. Perfection is not the expectation or even a requirement of a leader, but improvement is. Therefore, imperfection should not be a reason not to address issues but a reason to improve. If I see an area that needs to be addressed in someone that I have influence over, I address it. As I am addressing the issue or if I have some time to spare before addressing it and realize that what I am addressing is also an area that needs addressing in my own life, then I also must make the effort to improve in that area as well.

Conclusion:

A leader is a person who influences someone, but the first person he/she must lead is him/herself. The leader must commit to exhibiting the attitudes, actions, and principals that he/she would like to see in others. When the leader focuses on holding themselves accountable, other people will want to take the walk with you. Being a leader always begins, inside-out.