Developing Integrity: Leading with Character

Integrity isn’t just about doing the right thing when people are watching—it’s about who you are when no one’s around. Leaders with integrity build trust, credibility, and strong teams. Without it, everything else crumbles. Proverbs 10:9 says, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out” (NIV). Integrity provides security—it ensures that our leadership isn’t built on a shaky foundation.

Caught Not Taught
When my family first moved to Tumwater, WA, as I started my new job as Youth Pastor of a local church, we attended a family carnival event in the Children's area. We hadn’t had breakfast before church and had planned to go to lunch afterward, so we were all running on empty. They offered simple lunches—hotdog, chips, and soda—but the church wasn’t set up to take card payments, and I didn’t have any cash on me.

I asked the volunteer taking money if I could pay later, and she said, “Being as you’re the new Youth Pastor, we can probably trust you.” Before I could respond, my 11-year-old daughter spoke up sternly: “If my dad says he's going to pay you later, he'll pay you later. My dad doesn’t lie!” Her words hit me hard because they reminded me of something important—integrity isn’t something we teach with words alone; it’s something we model through our actions. I had never sat my daughter down and told her I was a man of integrity, but she had seen it in my daily life. She knew it to be true because she had witnessed it firsthand.

Walking the Walk
Throughout my life, I’ve seen leaders who demand high standards from others but fail to meet those standards themselves. That’s not real leadership. I’ve learned that integrity means holding myself accountable to the same principles I expect from others. That’s why I intentionally surround myself with accountability partners, including those who are joining me in reading through the Bible in a Year. It’s easy to tell others to be in the Word daily—it’s another thing to live it out and let Scripture shape my leadership.

Integrity isn’t just about big moments—it’s about small, everyday decisions. It’s about showing up when you say you will, following through on promises, and choosing honesty even when it’s inconvenient. If we cut corners in the little things, we’ll eventually compromise in the big things.

The Call to Live with Integrity
James 1:22 reminds us, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (NIV). Leadership with integrity isn’t just about knowing what’s right—it’s about living it. If we expect others to trust us, we must first prove that we are trustworthy.

So ask yourself:

• Am I the same person in private that I am in public?
  
• Do my actions reflect the values I claim to hold?
  

The answer to these questions will determine the kind of leader you are becoming.