Integrity

I want to be a great leader.

So as I was thinking about the qualities that make my current boss, Warden Gilkey, a great leader, I felt impressed to do some study on those qualities.

The first one is integrity.

Right away I'm reminded of Proverbs 10:9 (NIV):

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

Thefreedictionary.com defines integrity this way:

1. Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.

2. The state of being unimpaired; soundness.

3. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.

So, how does that look in my specific life? What challenges do I personally experience routinely to practicing integrity?

This whole concept of wholeness, completeness; following an ethical code and not just partly following it - that's a hard one for me. These are the situations in which I find myself tempted to do that which comes easily, naturally, or feeds an inner desire in me, instead of pursing wholeness and consistently doing what I believe is ethical:

• At work I get stressed, there's lots of pressure and the intense onslaught of crisis situations. I feel the deep desire to talk/vent - but often that could end up meaning talking about others. Yet I believe that it is wrong to gossip.
• I believe that I should put my husband before myself, yet I struggle because I want to look out for me, and please myself first.
• I believe that I should always do my best in everything I do, that quality matters, whether anyone else notices it or not. Yet at work I'm constantly bombarded with such a huge volume of tasks that I struggle against not just doing things "good enough" (or sometimes haphazardly just to be quick).
• I believe that it is right to see things through, to not give up . Yet so frequently I become discouraged with the many problems of my family of origin, or with my middle son, or with situations that I don't see how to make right at work. I'm tempted to give up in these things.

These are some of my most persistent challenges to my integrity, what are yours?

In his book Forgotten God Francis Chan talks about having a life where you do things that you know you couldn't do by yourself; where you know it will take the Holy Spirit's power to make it happen. I know that I'm not capable of meeting these challenges in my own strength. Left to my own devices, it's not a life of integrity that I'll live. But with the power of God in me all things are possible.

It is only by God's power that I can live with integrity.

Know any great leaders?

What do you think makes a great leader?

I'm thinking about this because I received an email yesterday from our warden, my direct day to day boss, that he is leaving. He's leaving for personal/health related reasons. He'll be here until the middle of April. Upon reading that I found myself thinking - I put up with all this nonsense here because of him; he's a great leader and I adore working together with him. I'm not so sure it would be worth it with someone else.

Of course that got me to thinking about why he's a great leader. There are many reasons but the ones that stand out most for me are:

• He's a man of integrity in every way.
• He would never throw me or anyone else under the bus. He does what is right and lets the chips fall where they may. He takes responsibility for everything in this place; even if I mess up, since he's my boss.
  
• His word is gold.
  
• He's phenomenally knowledgeable and smart.
• He has a total sense of passion and urgency about him that motivates me.
• He sincerely cares about both staff and the individuals in our custody.
• He is willing to do any task and doesn't see anything as beneath him.
• He works hard and is willing to do what it takes to get the job done.
  

I want to be this kind of a leader.

What about you, what do you think makes a great leader? Have you ever worked with a great leader in your professional or personal life? I'd be interested in hearing about that experience, this topic interests me a lot.