Page 24 - The Bible On Leadership

Honesty and Integrity 11

Talk about hitting ‘‘rock bottom’’! Here is a man whose trials paral-
leled or surpassed any modern leader’s sufferings. He had owned seven
thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five
hundred donkeys, and a large number of servants. He had lost all seven
of his sons and daughters. If any man could be pardoned for temporarily
(or permanently) deserting his principles, it would be Job. Even his wife
suggested he was a gullible fool for sticking to these principles: ‘‘Are
you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!’’ ( Job
2:9–10)
But Job repeatedly refused to give up his integrity: ‘‘You are talking
like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?
. . . as long as I have life within me . . . my lips will not speak wickedness
. . . I will not deny my integrity.’’ ( Job 2:10, 27:2–5)
The modern leader may undergo many trials, but few of them as
devastating as Job’s. In a sense, all that he had left was his integrity, and
he was determined to hold onto it. Leaders in all ages should realize that
whether the coffers are bulging or empty, whether the flock is increas-
ing or dwindling, integrity is the measure of leadership.
Consider Randall Tobias, CEO of Eli Lilly. When his company went
through some difficult times in the mid-1990s, he did not seek a pure
mathematical model for cutting costs. He considered the overall impact
on the company and on the individuals who had in many cases spent
their whole lives working for the company. Rather than dismiss them,
he offered early retirement and one year’s pay.
Bill Adams, CEO of Armstrong World Industries, takes an extremely
personal and proactive approach to integrity at his company. He gives
every employee his personal phone number and tells them, ‘‘Call me
personally if you are ever asked to do something you consider wrong.’’
His motto is not ‘‘Let the buyer beware’’ but ‘‘Let the buyer have
faith.’’ 10
But some people never learn. One of the most dishonest men in the
Bible is Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ disciples who betrayed him, mostly
out of greed and perhaps also out of jealousy. Judas realized he had none
of the healing powers, communication skills, or ability to inspire others
positively that his ‘‘boss’’ had. He knew he was never going to be ‘‘the