Humility and Integrity: the Foundation of Leadership

Integrity

We’ve defined integrity for our kids as doing the same thing in private as you say in public. In other words, you walk the talk, you live what you believe. Sometimes we remind them, “Remember who you are. Remember whose you are.” They belong to Christ, whom they have all professed to trust as savior. They can trust him as they go through their days, knowing he loves them no matter what they do (good or bad). They are secure in him. And as such, they bear his (and the Mathews) name. We want them to remember this actively: to profess faith in Christ means you are willing to live as his disciple. Honesty and integrity really lay the foundation for a consistent witness. Be the same person in private that you are in public.

Cheating on tests? Watching porn? Anonymously bullying someone online? Using a secret social media account to avoid parental supervision? Deceptive and destructive behaviors like these reveal a double-minded person. A disconnect between private and public will lead to a lack of trust, leading to justified calls of hypocrisy, a poor witness for the gospel, and inevitable destruction of relationships both personal and professional. Every leader noted in the links earlier in this article lacked integrity: whether they failed to deal with the mess caused by staff members or caused the mess themselves, they did not honor the truth.

1 Chron 29:17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.

Prov 10:9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.

Prov 11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

Titus 2:7–8 In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Perfection? No. Teachability? Yes. A foundation of humility and integrity will cushion any relationship against attacks from without or stumbles within.