Source: Material drawn from the NIV Maxwell Leadership Bible as presented in a NIV News daily email for January 17, 2022.
Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. – Daniel 2:48
Does your private life as a leader impact your public life? No question about it. Daniel illustrates why character plays such a vital role.
Daniel could have tried merely to survive his experience as a captive in a foreign land. Instead, he never left his disciplined life of character and personal commitment. Ponder the character he displayed during his times of testing under the kings of Babylon:
1. His Diet: He wouldn’t compromise on ritually unclean foods, but ate only vegetables.
2. His Motives: He didn’t take credit for interpreting dreams, but glorified God instead.
3. His Honesty: He spoke the truth to authorities, regardless of its unpopularity.
4. His Disciplines: He continued praying daily, even though it might cost him his life.
5. His Integrity: He had no interest in bribes or payoffs.
6. His Convictions: He stayed committed to his friends and beliefs even as he rose through the ranks.
How a leader deals with the circumstances of life tells you many things about their character. Crisis doesn’t necessarily make character, but it certainly does reveal it. Adversity makes a person choose one of two paths: character or compromise. Every time a leader chooses character, they grow stronger.
Character is the foundation on which a leader builds their life. It all begins with character, because leadership operates on the basis of trust. People will follow a leader only so far as they trust them. Character communicates credibility, harnesses respect, creates consistency and earns trust.