Have you ever worked with a leader whose words and actions weren’t congruent? Perhaps this leader had a distinct set of rules for himself than he did for his followers. Or perhaps she had a “do as I say, not as I do” attitude. There is a word for leaders like this: hypocrites.
Jesus warned His followers about these kinds of leaders in Matthew 23:1-12. Verse 3 reads, “You must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach” (NIV). Meaning, we need to watch out for leaders whose words differ from their actions.
Hypocrisy is when your words and actions are different. Integrity is when your words and actions are the same. It’s when you practice what you preach.
You have likely heard the age-old adage, “Actions speak louder than words.” Nothing is louder than when our actions and words are saying the same thing.
Think about it: What can cause your words and actions to be incongruent? How can you have integrity with your family, friends, coworkers, and/or church members?
A Leader Worth Imitating, Principle 4: Integrity
Nick Chellsen 
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