The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership That Matters

by R. Albert Mohler Jr.

Convictional intelligence is the product of learning the Christian faith, diving deeply into biblical truth, and discovering how to think like a Christian.

Without apology, the Christian leader is a devoted student and a lifelong learner. Convictional intelligence emerges when the leader increases in knowledge and in strength of belief. It deepens over time, with the seasoning and maturing of knowledge that grows out of faithful learning, Christian thinking, and biblical reasoning.

The Christian leader must have mental reflexes that correspond to biblical truth.

Looking at the churches in Denmark in his day, Kierkegaard decided that their pastors must not believe what they were teaching. After all, they were preaching the most revolutionary and transformative message human ears had ever heard—the gospel. But the church looked lifeless, and its pastors seemed to be going through the motions. The churches had fine stained glass and beautiful music, but Kierkegaard declared that they lacked the one thing most necessary—passion.

Passion must arise out of conviction. It cannot come any other way.

Passion arises naturally or not at all. It happens when convictions come to life, and deep beliefs drive visions and plans. The passionate leader is driven by the knowledge that the right beliefs, aimed at the right opportunity, can lead to earth-shaking changes.

The same is true in church life, of course, and at a far deeper level. The most faithful and effective pastors are those who are driven by deep and energizing convictions. Their preaching and teaching are fueled by their passionate beliefs and sense of calling. With eternity hanging in

the balance, they know what to do. They see every neighborhood as a mission field and every individual as someone who needs to hear the gospel. They cannot wait until Sunday comes and they can enter the pulpit again, ready to set those convictions loose.

those churches that are most grounded in convictions and most ardent in their beliefs.

The language of passion requires boldness. Leaders learn to speak of causes, not structures; of movements, not mechanics; of people, not statistics; of cherished principles, not mere policies.

Passion requires Technicolor, not earth tones. There is an infinite

difference between the words might and must when it comes to opportunity.

Followers are listening for the verbal cues that indicate passion o...

In order to do this, the leader must demand to know everything critical and essential to the organization, its tasks, its operating status, its finances, its policies, its history, and its opportunities. The leader must be unafraid of data and facts, and he must surround himself with people who know the information he needs and will give it to him.

The Christian leader leans into truth, knowing that the truth always matters and that nothing less than the truth will do.

who makes the greatest impact will be a master teacher who trains leaders at every level in the organization to teach with faithfulness, enthusiasm, and confidence.

If someone else possesses those fundamental competencies, that person is the leader, not you. If no one in the room possesses those competencies, the organization faces imminent disaster. Organizations need these critical competencies and cannot survive without them, and that is why organizations need leaders. You know you are credible when the organization senses its need and then looks for a leader, and this leads them to you.

Every single day, the faithful leader must be aware that credibility is the essence of leadership, and that it can be both earned and lost. The effective leader cannot afford to lose credibility—in fact, he needs to stockpile it and build it in reserve.

the difference between the almost right word and the right word is “the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”

Write this down: If a leader has to look for a message, his leadership is doomed. Leaders communicate because they cannot not communicate, and their message flows out of them as naturally as a geyser releases its energy. This is the essence of convictional leadership. The message flows out of your deepest convictions and most passionately held beliefs. The most powerful leaders are those whose beliefs function like an engine of meaning—pushing out words and messages and compelling communication.

The statement that leaders are readers is an exception to that rule. When you find a leader, you have found a reader. The reason for this is simple—there is no substitute for effective reading when it comes to developing and maintaining the intelligence necessary to lead. My guess is that you know this already. After all, you are reading this in a book. In all likelihood, your desk has a stack of books, magazines, and journals waiting to be read, and your briefcase is filled with reading materials. Leadership requires a constant flow of intelligence, ideas, and information. There is no way to gain the basics of leadership without reading.

Because convictions require continual mental activity. The leader is constantly analyzing, considering, defining, and confirming the convictions that will rule his leadership.

You should read a book or article only for what it is worth. If you find that the book is not contributing to your life and leadership, set it aside. The world is filled with books and other reading material. And in this respect, time is more valuable than money. Is the book making you think? Do you find that it is sparking new thoughts and reflections as you read? If so, read on. If not, set it down and move on.

The activity of marking your books adds tremendously to the value of your reading and to your retention of its contents and your thinking. I can go back to a book I read a half century ago and reenter my experience of reading that book for the first time. My notations and remarks make this possible. Often when I reread a book I read many years ago, I am struck by how I read it somewhat differently now, marking different passages and asking the author different questions.

Keep a stack of books ready for reading, and take a couple with you as you travel. Keep one in your business case for access when you are stuck in an airport or a doctor’s office. When possible, read when you can retain and think most productively. For some people, this is the early morning, for others late at night. Certain times of the year offer good opportunities for reading, such as vacations and holidays. I have found it helpful to plan reading projects. Each year, I plan two or three of these, intending to pursue understanding on a specific issue or area of knowledge. Develop a short list of books in an area, and work your way through them. You will be amazed at how much you can cover in a year. I also advise dividing your reading plan into three categories. First, books you must read. Second, books you should read. Third, books you want to read. Given a bit of honest thinking, you will have a good idea of how this breaks down for you. Once you have this structure in mind, you can plan the stewardship of your reading time accordingly.

Personality cults take over the culture of the organization, with the leader sometimes becoming more prominent than the organization itself. The other danger is that the leader will rely on personality as a substitute for conviction or competence. Personality is important, but it will fall flat when conviction wanes or competence is lacking.

Second, the power of office allows the leader to force change within the organization. Don’t get weak knees now. Any leader unwilling to force change is destined for ineffectiveness. The faithful leader uses this power sparingly, but uses it nonetheless. In a healthy organization, this power is always there if needed, but the leader’s first job is to use influence and persuasion and focused collaboration to get the job done. When those fail or flag, the leader has to step in and force action.

“Managers are people who do things right and leaders are people who do the right thing.”

Common goals are the product of intensive communication, enduring influence, and constant affirmation. People who start out with a common set of goals may drift apart, pushed and pulled by all sorts of events, opportunities, and challenges. Healthy organizations are constantly bringing new people into their workforce. These new people will not embrace common goals by accident. There must be a structure in place to inculcate, define, and affirm these goals throughout the organization. What about common values? They are the evidence of leadership by conviction.

Eighth, tell the audience what to do. Many speakers forget or neglect this essential step, leaving the audience informed and emotionally moved but absolutely unsure what to do about it. Do not end your message without an action plan that fits the message. Don’t leave your audience asking, “Okay, now what?” Effective leaders know to develop a feedback loop.

Our leadership is set within the context of eternity. What we do matters now, of course, but it also has eternal consequences, because we serve an eternal God and we lead those human beings for whom he has an eternal purpose.

Leaders—no matter their title—are servants, plain and simple.

The master rebuked him harshly, calling him wicked and taking his stewardship away. Then Jesus set down this principle: “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29). Stewards are given a great responsibility. Those who lead are entrusted with a stewardship that comes ultimately from God and in the end will be judged by him alone. We are given a job to do and the authority to do it. We will shipwreck our leadership if we do not remember that we are stewards, not lords, of all that we hold by trust.

Leaders radiate energy and draw attention, or they cannot lead.

We are the stewards of truth and teaching. This is the essence of convictional leadership. Leaders are entrusted with truth, with deep beliefs and framing convictions. Those convictions must be taught and retaught, affirmed and reaffirmed, protected and cherished. Otherwise, everything we believe can be lost into confusion, corruption, or worse.

First, define the reality. Leaders are deeply invested in reality and must help the entire organization understand the realities that frame its work and future.

Second, identify the alternatives. Every decision comes with an array of alternatives, and the leader needs to identify each of them.

Third, apply analysis. To analyze is simply to take apart. The leader takes the alternatives apart by applying certain tests.

Convictional leadership applies the test of belief and conviction at this stage, asking the questions that frame the organization’s deepest commitments.

Fourth, pause for reflection. This is not a stage measured in time, but in mental action. It does not mean delay, it means reflection. Did you leave anyone or anything important out of the equation? Does this feel right to both head and heart? Are you ready to own this decision and stand on it? Given your convictions, will you be proud of this decision in time to come? If so, then press on, and waste no time in delay.

The leader of conviction not only is willing to live with the decision but fully intends to monogram it with his initials.

Loyalty grows where it is cultivated and admired. Do you value long service and commitment? If so, admire it openly and express gratitude. Have certain team members demonstrated a particular tenacity and sacrifice for the cause? Celebrate them. When difficulty comes, and it will come, loyalty is what we all give to each other and to the cause we serve. That loyalty has to start at the top.

Cultural trends can affect this balance, and I fear that many Christian leaders (including many pastors) have made themselves too unavailable.

You probably do not have a skull on your desk, but you had better have one in your imagination. From time to time I make my way to old cemeteries. One of my favorites is Princeton Cemetery in Princeton, New Jersey. I go there mainly to visit the tomb of Jonathan Edwards, one of my heroes. In the same cemetery lie the graves of famous Americans like President Grover Cleveland and infamous Americans like Aaron Burr. Added to these are the final resting places of numerous famous alumni and faculty from both Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary. Thousands of people pass by that cemetery every day without thinking about the people,

There is no place as humbling as a cemetery—and there is no place more likely to remind the leader of the limits of one’s leadership.

Fourth, the leader should strive to drive the convictions and beliefs so deeply into the culture and ethos of the organization that alteration or abandonment is seen as betrayal.