People don’t at first follow worthy causes. They follow worthy leaders who promote causes they believe in”
– John Maxwell
Your dreams, your goals, and your mission in life will only go so far, no matter how passionate, how organized, or how persuasive you are. If you don’t have character, you will fail to be an effective leader. You may be successful for a while, you might even have a flourishing ministry or church, but the underlying ‘faultlines’ will undermine and destroy the best organizations. Character is key.
What really happens when no one is looking? What happens when you get into a “fight or flight” or emergency situation–when you have to make a fast, snap decision where you have no time to think–how will you react? Will you react from a carnal nature, in accordance with the guy on your shoulder that’s saying, “ah, go ahead, you deserve it… ” or “no one will even notice…” or will you listen to the voice inside your head… the one that says, “you know better, you ARE better, than this…”
The Air Force called them Core Values… the parts of your character that are unshakeable, the ideals you would stake your life on. The ones that when you tell people, they nod and say, “yep, that’s you in a nutshell…” It just so happens that the official Air Force values are exactly those that I would stake my life on… so I’ve adopted them as my own.
Integrity.
Excellence.
Service.
I could speak on each of these at length, and I probably will in future blogs. But what are your core values? Seriously, leave a comment and let me know makes you, you. I’d like to hear what you value, what makes up your character.