The Only Way to Lead Is to Lead With Dignity and High Standards

The only way to lead is to lead with integrity and high standards. Period. No matter what the environment is, leaders must have high standards for themselves, their behavior, and their behavior toward others. Leaders that fail to do so are neither ethical nor moral leaders. No one should respect someone who does not or who lacks integrity and/or morals.


In fact, the only way to lead with honor and integrity is to demand of leaders, those whom they represent, high standards of behavior from themselves and from their followers. This includes the way they treat their fellow employees, those beneath them in the chain of command, and even their own family members. Leaders who do this deserve and receive the same respect from their followers. Those who don't will quickly see consequences, perhaps in the form of being forced out of the company, demoted, fired, or terminated altogether.

It's amazing all the hypocrisy that emanates from so-called "Christian" organizations that espouse high moral standards and discipline. Jesus preached and taught that leaders must have high standards, but also encouraged people to be compassionate and generous. He didn't recommend smearing and criticizing others, nor did he advocate selfishness, gluttony, and a lack of concern for others. (In fact, the opposite was true.)

Many "Christian" organizations today claim the opposite of what Jesus taught. They teach their leaders to have humility and not vanity. This is good. Humility is a virtue and it shows respect for one's fellow man. It also displays leaders' integrity, which is also a very important virtue.

But high standards and integrity are not enough if leaders are not also honest and trustworthy. There is no reason to allow someone to hold a position of honor and then not be trustworthy. The same goes for someone in leadership, who after honestly doing all the right things and following the rules and regulations of the organization, still fails to live up to the standard and integrity of the organization and the company they work for. No one deserves that.

Leaders need to be honest and then they need to be forthright in telling those they are leading how they will act, what they will feel, and what they will do. Honesty is the best policy. If someone is dishonest or unethical, they should know that they will be found out and dealt with appropriately.

Lastly, leaders must be open and honest in their communication to followers. No one wants to become a follower. If a leader is trying to lead by deception or dishonesty, they will soon find that their followers are not being honest with them either.

Honesty, integrity, honesty... these are the behaviors that will set an individual apart from everyone else. These behaviors also set leaders apart from each other. In order for any leader to truly achieve success, they must exhibit these behaviors on a regular basis. These are the standards and behaviors that leaders must be more than just some "born leader" that has everything it takes to lead. These are behaviors that make a leader stand out from the rest.

In order to lead others to success, leaders must know themselves first. They must know their strengths, weaknesses, gifts, talents, and flaws. They must understand who they are and what they can do. By doing this, leaders can be able to lead by example. This means that they display the behaviors of leadership regularly, and can become an example to their followers.

Leaders must never underestimate themselves. Every leader, at some time, must learn to step up to their role and take responsibility. They must realize that they do not have all the answers, but that they are the ones who are going to get there first. Leaders must also know that they are not the only ones who are capable of achieving success, and that those who come before them did their best, took the highest risks, and had the greatest integrity and perseverance.


Leaders learn to set goals, to create plans, and to make sure that everyone knows what they are working for, how it will be achieved, and why. Leaders also learn to make difficult decisions, and how to deal with failure. The only way to lead is to lead with dignity and high standards, and by setting high standards for yourself and your team. You will discover that you will be much more successful.