1. Consistency, Foundation for Leadership

Luke 19:17-- “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’” (NIV)

“Credibility [trust] is mostly about consistency between words and deeds.” --Kouzes and Posner, Credibility, p. 47

• Consistency: The jury is in and the verdict is unanimous: consistency is the linchpin to all other aspects of trust-building. In human relationship and in ministry leadership, others need to be able to depend on you in the short and long run. Your behavior is steady and stable, not erratic. Your expected presence is dependable, not temporary or sporadic. Your performance is consistently good, not below par. Your mood is within acceptable ranges, not temperamental. You are gracious and forgiving, not argumentative or judgmental. You live by values and principles, not fleeting fads and notions. You are consistent!
  
  
• Glossary--consistency

  1a: Agreement or logical coherence among things or parts: a rambling argument that lacked any consistency; 1b: Correspondence among related aspects, compatibility: questioned the consistency of the administration's actions with its stated policy; 2: Reliability or uniformity of successive results or events: pitched with remarkable consistency throughout the season; . . .
  --The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
  

• Consistency Engenders Trust--Kouzes and Posner, Credibility, p. 109: “Is my behavior predictable or erratic? If your behavior is confusing, indecisive, or inconsistent, others cannot depend upon you to behave in certain ways in similar situations. They cannot make reasonable hypotheses about how you might react under new or different circumstances. Some degree of predictability or consistency is required in order for people to believe in you. Consistency means that the same personal values and organizational aims will influence what you say and do, that your preoccupation with quality or customer service (for example) will not give way to the shifting tides of fashion or politics.”
  
  
• Steadiness and Fairness--John Gardner, On Leadership, p. 33: “One of the most important prerequisites for trust in a leader is steadiness. The need for reliability is not only ethically desirable; it is generally a practical necessity. A leader who is unpredictable poses a nerve-wracking problem for followers. They cannot rally around a leader if they do not know where he or she stands. . . . For leaders seeking to win trust, another requirement is fairness--fairness when the issues are being openly adjudicated, and equally important, fairness in the backroom. Nothing is more surely stabilizing than confidence that the leader is unshakably fair in private as well as in public.”
  
  
• A Leader’s Consistent Position--Bennis and Goldman, Learning to Lead, p 120: “We tend to trust leaders when we know where they stand in relation to the organization and how they position the organization relative to the environment. We understand how our leaders’ positions evolved and know that they are willing to reconsider them in the face of new evidence.”
  

2. Let the Scripture Teach

• 1 Tim 6:11-12-- “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (NIV) Comments: Paul’s instruction to Timothy is clearly stated: “be consistent!” as a “man of God.” His challenging call to Timothy cascades down through the ages to those of us today who follow in the ministry of Christ to live consistent lives:
  • to flee external destructive influences, such as financial greed, broken faith, and resulting grief (see I Tim. 6:6-10)
  • to pursue righteousness (right standing with God) and godliness (God-likeness in character)
  • to be believing and loving in your values and actions
  • to endure the hardships of life, to persevere in the changing circumstances of life
  • to be gentle in spirit and actions; really care about others
  • to fight, contend and struggle, for your spiritual life of faith
  • to stay with your calling and confession; be faithful to your spiritual heritage
    

  Zondervan Commentary: Paul begins by saying, “But you”--the “you” is emphatic (placed first) in the Greek. Then he addresses Timothy as “man of God.” This is a common designation for prophets in the OT (e.g., 1Sam 9:6). . . . “It connotes one who is in God's service, represents God and speaks in his name, and admirably fits one who is a pastor” (p. 139). That seems to be a reasonable interpretation. “Pursue” (dioke) means “keep on pursuing,” make these things your lifelong pursuit. Then Paul names six Christian virtues. We have already noted that hypomone means “endurance,” not “patience.” Praupathia (only here in the NT) may equally well be translated “meekness” (KJV) or “gentleness.” (See also Heb. 12:7; James 1:12.)
  

• James 1:12-- “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (NIV)

  Zondervan Commentary: James concludes his discussion of the testing of faith with a promise of the reward to be given to the one who successfully stands the test. This verse is seen to be related to the preceding verses, rather than those that follow, by the repetition of terminology (“trials,” v. 2; “testing,” “perseverance,” v. 3) and also from the fact that testings are to be endured (“perseveres”), whereas temptations are to be resisted (Ropes, p. 150). . . . James uses the term to describe the enviable state of the man who does not give up when confronted with trying circumstances but remains strong in faith and devotion to God. The word dokimos, which indicates that the man “has stood the test,” was used to describe the successful testing of precious metals and coins. It referred to the process of testing and also to the consequent approval of the tested object as genuine. Perseverance under trial results in approval, and approval results in “he crown [stephanon] of life.” For James, the word refers to the reward to be given the believer who is victorious in his struggle against trials.
  

• James 1:2-8--Perseverance During Difficult Times: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith, develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be nature and complete, not lacking anything….a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” (NIV) Comment: During my own testing times, I have often come to this text and found it both difficult and profitable. To be consistent in the times of testing is to demonstrate qualities of trust: in God’s providential care, in your own integrity, in others, and with confidence in positive outcomes in your own life.
  

3. Consistency Building Trust: Practices and Behavior

Down through the years, and in several roles of ministry, I have discovered many of the dimensions of consistency. Often I have actually put them into time-honored practices and received satisfaction and benefits in my life and leadership. I have enjoyed relationship of family and friends who have shown me by example the value of reliability and steadfastness. Add that experience to the study of this “trust trait” I would make the following suggestions: assess your own level of consistency and plan what learning actions would benefit you.

• Demonstrate consistently your commitment to the congregation’s mission by your deeds; do not let random efforts substitute for intentional performance of kingdom goals.
  
• Persevere in the larger and longer tasks in your servant leadership; don’t give up easily because of resistance, roadblocks, or “shifty feelings.”
  
• Stand by your beliefs and values; others may disagree with you or resist you, but you maintain your own self-respect and perhaps theirs.
  
• Be an example of consistency: congruence between your “walk and your talk” is one of the most explicit measurements of being trustworthy.
  
• Be dependable in your ministry responsibilities; let your team members feel and say, “You’re steady as a rock; I can really count on you.”
  
• Be predictable and reasonable in reactions and responses; irrational or exaggerated behavior slows trust-building in any arena of relationships.
  
• Be decisive, not erratic or confusing; careful, informed, collaborative decision-making often develops good decisions and healthy follow-through.
  
• Be caring in the flaws and falls of others; consistency demonstrates balance between goal-oriented work and supportive behavior of the workers.
  
• Be redemptive in confrontation and criticism; when problems need to be faced, focus on solving problems, not simply blaming persons.
  
• Do not neglect a person’s need because you do not like them, or because “they are not really our kind.”
  
• Be a quiet, thoughtful presence in the midst of your people, as a servant leader; a CEO seldom inspires trust in the midst of the congregation or its leadership teams.
  
• Take the lead in getting the work done; be a good example to members and staff members; do not procrastinate in doing tasks that belong to you.
  
• Take time to balance life and leadership; demonstrate that you value personal life and family, friends and fun, and the work God has given you to do.
  
• Exercise your spiritual gifts; discover, sharpen, and exercise your giftedness; develop skills and practices that cover other areas of your ministry assignment.
  
• Nurture the spiritual gifts and commitment of others around you; balance the team effort by calling out the resources and giftedness within the congregation you serve.
  

Closing Reflection:

Your example as a consistent steadfast person is the critical element in every arena of life. Schweitzer succinctly says it: “Example is not the only thing influencing others. It is the only thing.” --Albert Schweitzer

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