The world is looking for true leaders. We are called by God to be influencers, leaders, lights in this dark world. And to be true leaders, we must never compromise integrity or character, but must always maintain the same high standards in private, as seen in public

Dimick, Connor

English

Olivet Nazarene University

Olivet Nazarene UniversityDigital Commons @ OlivetReed Leadership Student Essay Contest Winners Center for Student Success11-17-20102nd Place Essay: On Becoming a True LeaderConnor DimickOlivet Nazarene University, cdimick@live.olivet.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/css_srleThis Essay is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Student Success at Digital Commons @ Olivet. It has been accepted forinclusion in Reed Leadership Student Essay Contest Winners by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Olivet. For more information,please contact digitalcommons@olivet.edu.Recommended CitationDimick, Connor, "2nd Place Essay: On Becoming a True Leader" (2010). Reed Leadership Student Essay Contest Winners. 2.https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/css_srle/2What is the first picture that comes to mind when you hear the words “good leader?”  Maybe you picture William Wallace, leading his band of Scottish rebels in a war where they are heavily outnumbered against the numbers and tyranny of England.  Maybe you picture Michael Jordan, pumping his fist right after he knocks down the shot against Craig Ehlo in the 1989 playoffs.  Or you might even possibly see Adolf Hitler, although what he stood for will always be atrocious, he did do an incredible job of getting others to follow him.  So the question is: What makes a good leader?  Susie Shellenberger, the 2010 recipient of the Reed Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award, would say, “A good leader is one who doesn’t compromise integrity or character when no one is looking.  A good leader maintains the same high standards in private as seen in public.”  Let’s unpack what she meant when she said this.  First, a good leader doesn’t compromise integrity or character no matter what.  Webster gives such definitions for character as “moral excellence and firmness,” and integrity as “the quality or state of being complete or undivided.”  When you put these two together, the sum is a person who is firm in his convictions and who lives under those convictions no matter what the circumstances are.  A good leader does not live a two-faced lie.  As its definition states, to be a person of integrity means that you are complete or undivided.  You are unwavering.  You do not act differently around different people groups, but remain the same no matter what others might think of you.  So many non-Christians today complain that people in the church are hypocritical, and then they allow that to be their excuse for not looking into Christianity.  If we as believers would step up and choose to be a people who live out what we preach, live to be complete and undivided, and choose not to compromise, it would turn a lot of heads.  Non-Christians would do a double-take and have to re-evaluate their thoughts about Jesus and the Bible.  People who are firm in their convictions, and who live by them consistently, are people worth following.  They are the ones who make good leaders.  Second, a good leader maintains the same high standards in private, as seen in public.  This means that our lives are to be living examples.  Leaders do not take “a day off.”  Every moment, every situation, every relationship is a new opportunity to solidify in the minds of others that we do indeed practice what we preach.  No one is too lost for us to love; no one is too low for us to serve.  Romans 12:16 exhorts us to “be willing to associate with people of low position.”  A good leader considers others better than himself (Philippians 2:3), and seeks the good of those following him over his own good.  Just as during his life Jesus gave us the perfect example of true servant leadership by washing his disciple’s feet, so we too are to humble ourselves and meet the needs of others no matter how inconvenient, uncomfortable, or difficult that may be to do.   In conclusion, the world is looking for true leaders.  Non-Christians are longing for people who talk about setting the bar high to go out and actually live it.  We are called by God to be influencers, leaders, lights in this dark world.  And to be true leaders, we must never compromise integrity or character, but must always maintain the same high standards in private, as seen in public. 

2nd Place Essay: On Becoming a True Leader

Digital Commons @ Olivet

Olivet Nazarene University
Digital Commons @ Olivet
Reed Leadership Student Essay Contest Winners Center for Student Success
11-17-2010
2nd Place Essay: On Becoming a True Leader
Connor Dimick
Olivet Nazarene University, cdimick@live.olivet.edu
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/css_srle
This Essay is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Student Success at Digital Commons @ Olivet. It has been accepted for
inclusion in Reed Leadership Student Essay Contest Winners by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Olivet. For more information,
please contact digitalcommons@olivet.edu.
Recommended Citation
Dimick, Connor, "2nd Place Essay: On Becoming a True Leader" (2010). Reed Leadership Student Essay Contest Winners. 2.
https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/css_srle/2
What is the first picture that comes to mind when you hear the words “good leader?”  
Maybe you picture William Wallace, leading his band of Scottish rebels in a war where they are 
heavily outnumbered against the numbers and tyranny of England.  Maybe you picture Michael 
Jordan, pumping his fist right after he knocks down the shot against Craig Ehlo in the 1989 
playoffs.  Or you might even possibly see Adolf Hitler, although what he stood for will always 
be atrocious, he did do an incredible job of getting others to follow him.  So the question is: 
What makes a good leader?  Susie Shellenberger, the 2010 recipient of the Reed Leadership 
Lifetime Achievement Award, would say, “A good leader is one who doesn’t compromise 
integrity or character when no one is looking.  A good leader maintains the same high standards 
in private as seen in public.”  Let’s unpack what she meant when she said this. 
 First, a good leader doesn’t compromise integrity or character no matter what.  Webster 
gives such definitions for character as “moral excellence and firmness,” and integrity as “the 
quality or state of being complete or undivided.”  When you put these two together, the sum is a 
person who is firm in his convictions and who lives under those convictions no matter what the 
circumstances are.  A good leader does not live a two-faced lie.  As its definition states, to be a 
person of integrity means that you are complete or undivided.  You are unwavering.  You do not 
act differently around different people groups, but remain the same no matter what others might 
think of you.  So many non-Christians today complain that people in the church are hypocritical, 
and then they allow that to be their excuse for not looking into Christianity.  If we as believers 
would step up and choose to be a people who live out what we preach, live to be complete and 
undivided, and choose not to compromise, it would turn a lot of heads.  Non-Christians would do 
a double-take and have to re-evaluate their thoughts about Jesus and the Bible.  People who are 
firm in their convictions, and who live by them consistently, are people worth following.  They 
are the ones who make good leaders. 
 Second, a good leader maintains the same high standards in private, as seen in public.  
This means that our lives are to be living examples.  Leaders do not take “a day off.”  Every 
moment, every situation, every relationship is a new opportunity to solidify in the minds of 
others that we do indeed practice what we preach.  No one is too lost for us to love; no one is too 
low for us to serve.  Romans 12:16 exhorts us to “be willing to associate with people of low 
position.”  A good leader considers others better than himself (Philippians 2:3), and seeks the 
good of those following him over his own good.  Just as during his life Jesus gave us the perfect 
example of true servant leadership by washing his disciple’s feet, so we too are to humble 
ourselves and meet the needs of others no matter how inconvenient, uncomfortable, or difficult 
that may be to do.  
 In conclusion, the world is looking for true leaders.  Non-Christians are longing for 
people who talk about setting the bar high to go out and actually live it.  We are called by God to 
be influencers, leaders, lights in this dark world.  And to be true leaders, we must never 
compromise integrity or character, but must always maintain the same high standards in private, 
as seen in public. 


https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&amp;context=css_srle

2nd Place Essay: On Becoming a True Leader

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Olivet Nazarene University

Digital Commons @ Olivet