What will a lapse in character cost you? (80-5)
To build trust, a leader must exemplify three qualities: competence, connection and character. People will forgive an occasional mistake based on ability, especially if they can see that you’re still growing as a leader, but they won’t trust someone who slips in character. If a leader has an occasional lapse in character, it is lethal. No leader can break trust with their people and expect to keep influencing them. Trust makes leadership possible. Read Judges 13:24 – 16:31.
In The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Maxwell looks at Samson and the Law of Solid Ground.
By all accounts, Samson could have become one of Israel’s greatest leaders, yet he turned out to be one of the worst. How could someone with such a strong start finish so poorly?
Samson learned the hard way that trust provides the foundation for all genuine leadership. This impetuous, volatile, lustful, moody, emotional, and unpredictable man provides a very good example of a very bad leader. Since no one could trust him, none followed his leadership.
Signs of Leaders in Trouble
Leaders who erode the solid ground of trustworthy leadership usually exhibit one or more of the following signs. Leaders in trouble…
- Fail to address glaring character weaknesses. Samson struggled with sexual impurity. He asked for a pagan wife, slept with prostitutes, and ultimately Delilah destroyed him. Any time a leader neglects to repair his character flaws, they worsen.
- Count on deception to safeguard themselves. People who flirt with disobedience often deceive others to protect themselves. Samson liked using riddles to outwit others. He didn’t tell the whole truth, which later led to distrust and betrayal.
- Act impulsively. Time after time, Samson displayed his impetuosity. He chose his wife rashly. He made wagers without thinking. And more than once his impulsive spirit led him into a bloody battle. A leader who cannot control his temper endangers both himself and others.
- Are overcome by an area of weakness. Sin eventually consumes anyone who gives it free rein. Samson met his match in Delilah. The deceiver was deceived; the seducer, seduced. He lost a dangerous game and it cost him everything.
- Misuse their God-given gifts. Samson possessed immense strength and godly anointing, but he took both for granted. Many times Samson exploited his God-given gift, intended for the deliverance of his people, for personal revenge. When a leader misuses God’s gifts, serious consequences inevitably follow.
Exodus 18:21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
