“Among leaders who lack insight, abuse abounds, but for one who hates corruption, the future is bright” --Pr 28:16

Over a period of five years, Jim Collins and his research team identified 11 companies that had achieved great results (on average, cumulative stock returns 6.9 times the general market versus, for example, 2.8 for GE) for at least 15 years. In his book Good to Great Collins analyzes the findings of this study.

Concerning the CEOs of these high-achieving companies, Collins writes, "Those who worked with them continually used words like modest, gracious, mild-mannered, self-effacing, did not believe his own clippings; and so forth." Concerning how these companies hire executives (and others), he says they focus more on "character traits and innate capabilities than…specific knowledge, background or skills."

The author of today’s proverb and Jim Collins would seem to agree that leadership is more about character - qualities like integrity and humility - than it is about the mastery of certain skills. Makes sense doesn't it? I mean, sure, leaders must cultivate appropriate skills, but no matter how well we might master certain techniques, the choice of whether to use them is a function of character.

Here, no doubt, is an oft repeated workplace scenario. Some guy who’s arrogant and impatient goes to a “how to be a great listener” seminar because he thinks, “I need to be able to listen well if I’m going to lead effectively.” The problem, of course, is that even though he learns how to listen, because of his arrogance and impatience he still doesn’t, and he’s still a lousy leader.

Which is to say that character is indispensable to good leadership. So how do we develop qualities like integrity, humility and self-control? I get a charge out of psychologists like Dr. Phil. They give us all this wonderful insight into our shortcomings, and we leave thinking, "Man, I’m going to stop doing things wrong, and from now on I’m going to do them right." Sure we are. It's like Gen. Schwarzkopf once said, "The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it."

How do we cultivate character? There are lots of possible answers, but since God’s character is the standard by which all others are measured, we might want to start with what he has to say on the subject. And what he says is that character development is something he does in us as we wrestle with the implications of the truths of the Bible for our lives and lean into his power to help us break old patterns of behavior.

Take for instance Peter, in the New Testament. He starts out as this impulsive, insensitive, immature dude who denies Jesus at a critical time. However, using Bible principles as tools, God hammers, files and chisels a cooperative Peter, eventually shaping him into the man whose inspiration, challenge and encouragement forged a band of Christ followers into the team who turned the first-century world on its head.

God’s in the character building business. He transformed Peter and his leadership capabilities; he wants to do the same for you and me.

Jim Furr