INTEGRITY
PEOPLE-FOCUSED & PROCESS-ORIENTED
recognizes this role as the servant leader . This heart posture eliminates fear and unleashes our team members ’ God-given talents and strengths . When team members fear leadership , they avoid stretching themselves , leading to indecision , inaction , and maintaining the status quo . This dynamic is portrayed in Jesus ’ parable of the talents ( Matt . 25:14-30 ). Developing a shared culture of humility where God alone is held in reverent fear will allow Christian school teams to strive for biblical excellence .
“ Integrity follows through on commitments , takes responsibility for words and actions , and consistently strives for biblical excellence , working diligently toward the mission .”
INTEGRITY
“ The integrity of the upright guides them , but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them ” ( Prov . 11:3 ).
“ Finally , brothers , whatever is true , whatever is honorable , whatever is just , whatever is pure , whatever is lovely , whatever is commendable , if there is any excellence , if there is anything worthy of praise , think about these things ” ( Phil . 4:8 ).
While vision and humility are critical , integrity is the foundation of leadership . The attributes of integrity extend beyond honesty . Integrity follows through on commitments , takes responsibility for words and actions , and consistently strives for biblical excellence , working diligently toward the mission . Integrity is patient with others during difficult situations and gracious to those struggling . Integrity respects the dignity of others enough to say “ thank you ” and “ please ,” and has the maturity to master emotions and keep passions under control .
Many leaders will run through this list and give themselves the benefit of the doubt since they believe their motivations and intentions are pure . It has often been said , “ We judge ourselves by our intentions , but others judge us by what we do .” As John Maxwell pointed out , “ He who thinks he leads but has no followers is only taking a walk .” Without integrity , leaders may find themselves unaware that they are simply taking a walk .
PEOPLE-FOCUSED & PROCESS-ORIENTED
“ Jesus answered , ‘ The most important is , ‘ Hear , O Israel : The Lord our God , the Lord is one . And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength .’ The second is this : ‘ You shall love your neighbor as yourself .’ There is no other commandment greater than these ’” ( Mark 12:29-31 ).
“ The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance , but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty ” ( Prov . 21:5 ).
“ Do not be conformed to this world , but be transformed by the renewal of your mind , that by testing you may discern what is the will of God , what is good and acceptable and perfect ” ( Rom . 12:2 ).
The balance of valuing people and relationships while establishing consistent processes and systems can be challenging . The leader who exemplifies meaningful compassion and seeks out relationships secures the opportunity to lead and execute vision around structured processes . As Theodore Roosevelt accurately said , “ Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care .” This sentiment reflects a core value at RenewaNation , Passion for Relationships , which states , “ Organizations and causes come and go , but people live forever . As a result , we invest in people to transform culture .”
While our focus should be on the people we serve , a process-oriented leader will also build systems and processes that reflect their values , establish clear expectations , and bring consistency to daily activities . Contrary to a common perspective that rules and guidelines are restrictive , these devices secure significant freedom when we operate within their boundaries . However , as shared in our first article in this series from 2019 , “ There Are No Quick Fixes .” Establishing a people-focused , process-oriented culture doesn ’ t happen overnight . This journey requires careful cultivation and a long-term perspective .
48 THE RENEWANATION REVIEW