Coaching Blog – Honor in Action: Practical Ways Leaders Can Influence Culture and Politics
Have you considered how your influence for honor extends beyond your immediate circle of family, friends, and colleagues? At times it may feel impossible to impact our larger culture���but together, our influence is powerful. Collectively we can raise the standard of honor in leadership and help shape a healthier culture.
In this blog, let���s expand our influence by holding civic and political leaders accountable to fulfill their roles with honor���not to punish leaders, but to help them stay on course and thrive.
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The Challenge of Dishonor
In my June coaching blog, I focused on personal honor. Then in my August coaching blog, I shifted toward intentionally sharing honor with your close network of family, friends, and work team.
In the POW camps we were standing against the communists, where honor wasn���t part of their philosophy. Even in America, where freedom is our foundation, we sometimes see people in leadership using power for personal gain���money, influence, or control. Without accountability, dis-honor grows.
Please watch the following coaching clip and then continue reading below.
All Humans Struggle with Living Honorably
History shows this truth: every human struggles with honor. From biblical leaders to modern politicians, pride and greed can lead even good people astray. That���s why accountability is essential. We all agree that young people should be taught ethical standards and responsibility and be held accountable in an authentically healthy way; but civic and political leaders must be held accountable, too.
It���s very common for leaders who have tasted power to want even more power and influence, and this is especially true in politics. While local politicians closer to home are more likely to be held accountable, research shows that governors of 11 states, and more than 80 mayors have been convicted of a crime.
Think about it���their only true point of accountability is the voters that elected them. Most of their constituents don���t know their day-to-day activities and almost no one manages them to hold them accountable.
To add to the temptation of money and power, the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC greatly expanded the ability of these entities to spend unlimited amounts of money on political activities, increasing their influence in elections. Without high ethical standards and people being held accountable, it becomes a very loose culture.
History Reveals the Consequences of Dis-Honor
Throughout history, most leaders with power and no accountability have eventually drifted off course. In the Old Testament, almost every leader committed an evil act. Jacob���s sons sold their brother Joseph into slavery. Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew. David wrote most of the book of Psalms, yet impregnated Bathsheba and sent her warrior husband into the front lines to be killed. David���s son Solomon wrote most of the wise chapters of Proverbs yet went astray in his later years by marrying foreign wives and having concubines, leading him to worship other deities.
Here are two proverbs that Solomon wrote that we need to keep in mind today.
���A man���s pride and sense of self-importance will bring him down, But he who has a humble spirit will obtain honor.��� Proverbs 29:23 (AMP)
���Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.��� Proverbs 18:12 (NIV)
Four Ways to Hold Leaders Accountable
“Every great change begins with individuals who commit to living differently. When we choose honor daily���and call others to do the same���we create ripples that influence homes, workplaces, and even our culture at large.” [Tweet This]
If we want more honorable leaders, we can take action. Here are four practical ways to make a difference:
Encourage leaders to choose honor. Send a note, attend a meeting, or simply remind them that integrity matters.Use the power of community. Share with others the importance of honor. When groups unite around honor, their influence multiplies.Seek truth with discernment. Media and messaging are often biased; stay grounded, ask questions, and hold all sources accountable.Avoid supporting and voting for people who are unethical. If both of the candidates have been unethical in the past, then support then one who has done the most to obey the laws and help all citizens.
Equipping You to Move Forward
The first three chapters of my book, Engage with Honor: Building a Culture of Courageous Accountability, focus on why it���s so challenging yet important to live and lead honorably. Chapter one gives examples of honor violations by politicians, business leaders, public school leaders, employees, and even high school students.
Chapters two and three focus on the battle we all must fight for both honor and accountability ���
���In the context of living honorably, there was another quality that was essential���accountability. The guardian companion of honor was the idea of personal accountability���at home and at school. And then later, the importance of accountability was reinforced in my military life.���
As my gift to you, download these first three chapters of Engage with Honor and get a copy of the Honor Code that thousands of leaders use every day.
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Engage with Honor: Building a Culture of Courageous Accountability, page 28
Engage and Align Your Team This Fall
Thousands of leaders and teams are already using the Courageous Accountability Model to manage team communication and decisions.��We offer three options–choose the one that best fits your objectives and goals:
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Read the award-winning book, Engage with Honor: Building a Culture of Courageous Accountability, to learn and apply this model.
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Group Online Study Course
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