Leadership Means Accountability

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, profuse are the kisses of an enemy." - Proverbs 27:6
 
If you carry influence, you carry responsibility. And part of that responsibility is being willing to say the hard things. It might be easier to keep the peace, to avoid tension, or to say what someone wants to hear, but that is not what real leadership requires. Real leadership means helping people grow, even if it means making them uncomfortable in the process.
 
There is a fine line between support and silence. As we looked at yesterday, Eli supported his sons. He gave them positions. He let them serve. But he never held them accountable. He never confronted their sin. He never pulled them aside and said what needed to be said. He let their behavior continue, unchecked, until it was too late.
 
Too often, we fall into the trap of wanting to be liked more than we want to be effective. We confuse being kind with being passive. We believe that love means letting people do whatever they want, but real love holds the line. Real love says the difficult thing with grace. Real love speaks truth, even when it’s not easy to hear.
 
If you are leading a team, a business, a household, or even just a group of friends, you have to be willing to hold people to a higher standard. That does not mean being harsh or controlling. It means being honest. It means pulling someone aside and saying, I care about you too much to let you settle. I believe in you too much to let you self-destruct.
 
Leadership is not about keeping everyone comfortable. It is about helping people grow. And growth never comes without correction.
 
Someone in your life might be looking to you for direction right now. They may not say it, they may even resist it, but deep down, they need someone to care enough to challenge them.
 
Do not choose comfort over growth. Do not choose peacekeeping over transformation. Say the thing that needs to be said. Do it in love. Do it with wisdom. But do it. Because when you speak with courage and conviction, you help shape people into who they were meant to be. That is leadership that matters.