The Making of a Biblical Leader: 10 Principles for Leading Others WellSample

A Leader Has: Integrity

Lenya Heitzig

We long for leaders with integrity.

The Bible extols leaders and gave a special designation to the kings that did “what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (1 Kings 22:43 NKJV). When Israel was a divided kingdom, the Judean kingdom consisted of two tribes in the south that had 20 kings in their long history. Just eight of those were offered that beautiful epitaph. Sadly, it seems there are more compromised leaders than committed ones.

Integrity describes a Christlike life that is both consistent and honest—a person who is honorable and decent. This person is incorruptible because of their strong moral principles. Those who possess these qualities live without deception or pretense. These attributes become the backbone of a person’s character, highlighting their upright lives. People with integrity have nothing to hide because they are the same in private as they are in public. They are integrated in all aspects of their personalities.

Strip everything in your life away. If your name, reputation, and character remain, you’ve lost nothing of value.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is your character. We must live each day, each decision, and every thought like they are building blocks. Paul admonished, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith” (Colossians 2:6-7 NIV).

Our lives are constructed decision by decision, act by act, and thought by thought. Today matters. Moment-to-moment obedience matters. Faithfulness today builds great marriages, strong ministries, and an amazing legacy. A person with integrity chooses to do the right thing all the time.