Every executive I ever met wants to be viewed as a highly effective leader. Of those who are Christians, their desire is to be highly effective and be Godly leaders.
In my 40-plus years working with executives, I found that only a few were as effective as they thought they were. And sadly, many of the Christian leaders were not as Godly as they pretended to be.
The issue among Christian leaders is that many compromised their beliefs to be viewed as more effective.
Why do some leaders think to be highly effective in today’s secular business world, they cannot also stand for God? Is being highly effective and Godly as a leader a mutually exclusive concept?
I got my answer this week as I was reading the story of Daniel. Recall, as a teenager, Daniel was captured and exiled to Babylon along with thousands of other Israelites. Over time, Daniel rose to prominence, serving not one but four rulers.
How could Daniel serve four pagan rulers effectively yet also remain true to his faith? What was his secret? The answer lies in seven must-have skills Daniel demonstrated that taken together, made Daniel not only effective as a leader but also Godly!
Here they are, seven must-have skills for effective, Godly leaders gleaned from Daniel and his friends while captive in Babylon.
1. Leaders Must Not Compromise to Get Ahead
In chapter 1 of Daniel, we see Daniel and his friends refusing to eat the king’s rich food, asking for a simple diet instead. They set an example for the Israelite exiles by honoring God in their diet. As a result, God gave Daniel and his friend physical health, superior intellect, and wisdom.
2. Leaders Must Depend on God
In chapter 2 of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that no one could interpret. In anger, Nebuchadnezzar ordered all the astrologers and wise men killed unless one came forward to interpret his dream.
Daniel stepped forward, asking the king for time to interpret the dream. Daniel depended on God to provide the interpretation. The next day Daniel delivered the interpretation of the dream to Nebuchadnezzar. In doing so, Daniel took no credit for himself but gave God credit for the power to interpret the dream.
3. Leaders Must Remain Faithful to God in Difficult Situations
In chapter 3 of Daniel, the king makes a gold statue and orders everyone to bow down and worship the golden statue. The punishment for refusal was death in the fiery furnace. Daniel’s friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to the statue, determined to honor God even in the face of death.
Because of their faithfulness, God saved them from the fire. Moreover, their faithful witness resulted in King Nebuchadnezzar praising God and promoting the men to a high position in the empire.
4. Leaders Must Care Enough to Speak Truth to Power
In chapter 4 of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar has another dream and needs Daniel to interpret it. The dream demonstrates that God has allowed Nebuchadnezzar to become great, yet he has not repented of his sins and worshipped God. Daniel bravely tells the king to repent or face the consequences of God’s judgment.
A similar situation arises in chapter 5. The new king, Belshazzar, dishonors God by desecrating holy vessels taken from the Temple of God. A mysterious message appears on the palace wall that none of the astrologers could interpret, so Daniel was brought before the king. Before he interprets the writing, Daniel lectures the king on his impropriety in not humbling himself before God.
The result of Daniel speaking truth to power was Belshazzar prompted Daniel to the third-highest rank in the entire kingdom.
5. Leaders Must Remember God is in Control
In chapter 6 of Daniel, his enemies conspire to remove him from power by accusing him of disloyalty to King Darius. As a result, Darius signed a decree that everyone should pray only to the king for a month. Daniel refused and was thrown into the lion’s den as a form of punishment.
God protected Daniel by shutting the mouths of the lions overnight. The king, grateful to find Daniel healthy and unharmed in the morning, threw Daniel’s enemies into the lion’s den, where they died.
6. Leaders Must Empathize with God’s People
In chapter 9 of Daniel, he recognizes Israel’s people’s faithlessness while expressing confidence in God’s faithfulness. As the leader of God’s people in Babylon, Daniel humbled himself, fasted, and prayed on behalf of the people. On behalf of the people, he asked God to forgive their sins and restore them to Jerusalem.
7. Leaders Must Take the Long View
In chapters 10-12 of Daniel, we see the eternal battle of good and evil being played out on the world’s stage. Daniel receives revelations from God, assuring him that the people of Israel who remain faithful will survive this exile and future persecution and invasions. God will vindicate His people and reward them with eternal life, while His enemies will receive eternal punishment.
The 7 Must-Have Skills
The skills demonstrated by Daniel and his friends in exile are must-have skills for any leader who wants to be an effective and Godly leader!
To summarize the must-have skills:
- We must be leaders who do not compromise our faith to get ahead in the secular world.
- We must have complete confidence in God and depend on Him and His power in our lives.
- We must remain faithful to God through every trial, no matter how difficult the situation.
- We must care enough to speak God’s eternal, unchanging truth to power regardless of the consequences.
- We must remember that God’s power is unlimited. He, not us, is in control of every sphere of life.
- We must care enough about God’s people to humble ourselves before God on their behalf.
- We must take the long view. We are in the world but not of this world. We know God reigns supreme.
More Articles
I have written several articles on a leader’s character. You can find them by typing “Character” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are five of my favorites.
- #403: Is America On the Same Destructive Path as Babylon?
- #383: 4 Essential Character Traits of Smart Reentry Leaders
- #373: Do You Deal with Temptations in The Workplace?
- #372: Flawed Leaders, Disastrous Decisions, and Tragic Mistakes
- #360: Are You Worthy of A Second Chance?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Which of these seven must-have skills do you think are most important today? Is there one you need to work on in your own life?
I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because people like you share it with friends. Would you be kind enough to share it by pressing the share button?
Category: Personal Development | Character
Aleksei Navalny, the Russian dissident recently imprisoned, who was formerly poisoned, comes to mind as someone who is “speaking truth to power.” Despite nearly dying from the poisoning attack, he returned to Russia to speak out against Putin. And now he’s goi g to prison for over 3 years. But he’s speaking truth to power, and inspiring many to question political oppression in Russia.
Speaking truth to power often carries risk in one form or another. Because of the risk, this is perhaps one of the most needed and most neglected of the seven skills!