Paolo Punzalan.com

While having breakfast with my kids this morning before going to school, we read a verse that talks about humility and character.  Then the topic of trust in the area of leadership came up.  We talked about why some of our nation’s leaders are losing the trust of the Filipino people.

I told Nathan and Janina that there are 2 things that build the trust of the people we lead.  When one of them is lost, trust is potentially lost as well.

I was talking about CHARACTER and COMPETENCE.

1. Character.  Some people are very competent.  They are skilled, talented and have abilities beyond measure.  They even have the charisma to lead thousands if not millions.  However, if character is not present, I told my kids, people will always be suspicious in the back of their heads if things are being done out of selfish gain or for personal achievement.  That is why character is critical in leadership.

2. Competence. There are those who have great character.  They are very sincere.  They have great hearts.  However, even if the person has a great heart and yet drops the ball often enough and doesn’t deliver, trust is potentially lost as well.

Psalm 78:72 tells us that King David “shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.”

Integrity of heart (character)…  Skillful hands (competence)…

And what envelopes all these is the grace of God …  for without Him, we can do nothing.  (John 15:5)

As a leader, trust is the primary currency you and I have.

People can follow because of titles.  They can follow because of incentives.  Others will follow because they might get fired.  Some will follow because of your position.  But people love to follow people they trust.

Daniel was trustworthy.  People falsely accused him and did their best to discredit him yet they couldn’t.

Daniel 6:4 says that “he was trustworthy… neither corrupt nor negligent.”

2 Things that break trust:

1. Saying one thing and doing another.

Corruption in not just about taking someone’s wealth.  The dictionary defines it as someone who is dishonest, unprincipled and crooked.

When we say one thing, do we do something different hoping people won’t notice?  When we do that, we break trust.  The truth is, it’s in the little things that people see that actually erode trust.

2. Saying one thing and not doing it.

Daniel did what he always did.

In fact, King Darius’ question showed Daniel’s consistency.

“Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, WHOM YOU SERVE CONTINUALLY, been able to rescue from the lions?”

When we say one thing and not follow through, that too breaks trust.

Daniel was trustworthy because he was neither corrupt nor negligent.

As a result, the Bible says that he “prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”