Leadership That Lasts: Character Over Credit

Over lunch today, a good friend asked me a powerful question:
“What are the top three values every leader should have?”

I paused, looked down at my plate, and gave an answer that’s been shaped through both joy and struggle:

Leadership is costly. It requires self-denial, sacrifice, and a life surrendered to something greater than yourself.

Leadership isn’t about having a title or platform—it’s about the posture of your heart.

Here Are the Values I Strive to Live Out as a Leader:

1. To Lead is to Serve

Leadership begins at the feet of others. True leaders are servants first.

If you're leading well, your team shines, not your name. If you're in the spotlight more than those you lead, you’ve missed the mark.

Great leaders deflect credit and elevate others.

2. Give Credit, Never Take It

If your team accomplishes something amazing, the credit belongs to them.

A leader’s job is not to take the glory, but to empower and celebrate the contributions of others. Real influence grows when trust is built on humility.

3. Lead Authentically—Especially as a Woman

As a woman in leadership, never trade your femininity for acceptance.

God made you a woman on purpose. You don't need to imitate masculinity to be effective. Your strength, empathy, intuition, and wisdom are uniquely powerful—because they are distinctly yours.

Bonus Principle: Serve the Mission, Not the Man

You don’t serve your boss.
You don’t serve your peers.
You don’t serve your own ambition.

You serve the mission God has placed in front of you.

There will be times when your personal interests—and even relationships—may tempt you to compromise the mission or values of your ministry or organization. That’s when you must remember:

You serve God. He is the Master of all.