Why Character (and Wisdom) Matters More Than Competence in Leadership

Why Character (and Wisdom) Matters More Than Competence in Leadership

It was a great honor to serve with the Global Leadership Forum team in Tanzania.  We’ve worked together as a team in both China and Cuba. More countries on the docket for 2026.

This is a transcription from one of the presentations by Dave Sanders to university students in Tanzania. At the end, I have a BONUS – Reflections on an additional conversation Dave and I had regarding AI and wisdom.  You may want to also catch my Morning Musings.

“I grew up in the middle of America in a farming community. Our family raised corn and soybeans, along with cattle and pigs, and my father ran a farm supply store. It was a simple life, but it taught me something that has stayed with me ever since: people matter.

In college, I met my wife, Diane. We’ve now been married nearly 60 years. We’ve raised four children and are blessed with grandchildren. Over the years, one truth has become increasingly clear to me: Relationships are what make life meaningful.

And because leadership is always about people, relationships sit at the very heart of leadership.

That’s why I want to talk about something that is often overlooked but essential: character.

What Is Character?

Character is who we are.

It’s the real, authentic you. It’s the collection of traits that form your nature as a person.  It’s how you consistently conduct yourself in relationships, especially when no one is watching.

When we talk about leadership, we often focus on skills: communication, strategy, and decision-making. These are important. But leadership, at its core, assumes that people will follow you.

So how do you know if you’re a leader?

You look behind you—and see if anyone is following.

And people don’t follow titles. They follow trust. And trust is built on character.

The Most Overlooked Leadership Quality

Try a simple exercise.

Ask yourself: What kind of leader would I want to follow?

Most people will say:

• Someone honest
• Someone responsible
• Someone transparent

Now flip the question: What kind of leader would I not want to follow?

You’ll hear:

• Someone selfish
• Someone greedy
• Someone undisciplined
• Someone who lies or manipulates

This contrast reveals something important: Character is central to leadership.

And yet, it is often the most overlooked quality when leaders are chosen: whether in business, community, or even personal relationships.

We all choose who we follow. And over time, we all reveal who we are.

That leads to a powerful truth: Who you are is more important than what you do.

You can have impressive skills and still be an unsafe leader. You can deliver results and still damage people.

Character determines whether your leadership is trusted – and whether it lasts.

Two Questions Every Leader Must Answer

There are two questions every leader must ask:

1. What kind of person am I?
2. What kind of person do I want to be?

These aren’t easy questions. They require honesty and reflection. And no one else can answer them for you.

Three Kinds of People

To better understand character, imagine a chair – the control center of your life. Whoever sits in that chair determines how you think, decide, and lead.

There are three kinds of people, based on who, or what, sits in that chair.

1. The Wise Person

A wise person lives with something greater than self at the center. Wisdom is more than knowledge. A person can be highly intelligent and still make poor decisions. Wisdom is the ability to apply truth in everyday life.

A wise person:

• • Lives with humility and reverence
  • Seeks guidance beyond themselves
  • Makes thoughtful, principled decisions
  • Cares deeply about the well-being of others

At the heart of wisdom is a relationship with God, a recognition that we are not the ultimate authority in our lives.

Wisdom produces a different kind of leadership. It leads to servant leadership – where the focus is not on personal gain, but on lifting others up.

2. The Foolish Person

In contrast, a foolish person places self at the center. The defining trait of a fool is self-centeredness.

A foolish person:
• Prioritizes personal status and image
• Competes for advantage rather than serving others
• Bends the truth when convenient
• Rejects correction or wise counsel
• Blames others when things go wrong
• Repeats harmful patterns

A fool tends to say, “My way is the right way.”
They don’t listen well. They often create unnecessary conflict. And they fail to consider the long-term consequences of their decisions.

At a deeper level, a foolish person lives as though God does not exist.
This is not just about formal atheism. It’s what you might call practical atheism—living as if you are the ultimate authority, setting your own standards and values without accountability beyond yourself.

When self sits on the throne, leadership becomes about control, image, and personal gain. And over time, that kind of leadership fractures trust and damages relationships.

3. The Evil Person

The third type of person goes even further.
In this case, what sits at the center is not just self, but destructive intent.
An evil person’s life is marked by three patterns:
• They seek to kill
• They seek to steal
• They seek to destroy

They are often deceptive and manipulative. They may appear good on the surface, but when exposed to the truth, their motives become clear.

Their actions are driven by:
• Hatred that harms others
• Greed that takes what is not theirs
• Jealousy or revenge that tears others down

This kind of leadership is deeply damaging. It not only fails to serve people—it actively harms them.

Why This Matters for Leaders

So the question becomes:
What kind of leader are you becoming?
Because competence alone is not enough.
A person can be highly skilled, highly educated, and highly capable, and still be a dangerous leader if they lack character.

Without character:
• Trust erodes
• People are used rather than developed
• Short-term success leads to long-term damage

Leadership without character is unstable and unsustainable.

Good Leaders vs. Wise Leaders

There’s an important distinction worth making.

• Good leaders deliver results. Wise leaders develop people.
• Good leaders have vision. Wise leaders have values.
• Good leaders build products. Wise leaders build cultures.
• Good leaders are role models at work. Wise leaders are role models in life.

The difference is not just performance – it’s foundation. Wise leadership is rooted in character.

A Personal Turning Point

I didn’t grow up in a religious home. As a young man, I didn’t know God or think much about Him.
In college, someone took the time to explain to me that God was real—and that He loved me. That was the first time I had ever heard that.

It forced me to think about my life in a new way. I realized I had been living independently, without any real understanding of purpose or direction.

That moment marked a turning point. I came to understand that the most important decision I could make was to begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

And then I was asked a second question:
“What’s the most important thing you can do for others?”
The answer was simple, but profound: to help others experience that same love, forgiveness, and purpose.

The Bottom Line
Leadership is not just about what you accomplish.
It’s about who you become.
You can develop skills. You can gain knowledge. You can achieve success. But in the end:
• Your character determines your credibility
• Your character determines your influence
• Your character determines your legacy
And perhaps most importantly:

Your character reveals your motives.
Are you leading for your own benefit?
Or for the good of others?

Because in the end, people will not remember only what you built or achieved.
They will remember how you led. and who you were.”

~ Dave Sanders

NOTE: Talk organized and outlined by ChatGPT

BONUS: The Debrief with Dave – What does Wisdom Look Like in the Age of AI?

As Dave and I are debriefing our Global Leadership Forum experience, we talked about the discussion in our small groups.  Dave shared these insights with me…which I believe you’ll appreciate.

Here is my Morning Musings on Wisdom Video
What does Wisdom Look Like in the Age of AI?
I created it on my return from our trip to Tanzania.

 

You can view it HERE

 

Transcription of Our Conversation over Lunch at a Tanzanian restaurant

It came up in a discussion about AI—what is AI, and what is wisdom?

So the question was asked: What is wisdom? And then more specifically, can a person have wisdom and not be a follower of Christ?

At first, that might seem like a simple question, but it actually requires some clarity.

The answer is yes—you can have a form of wisdom without being a follower of Christ.

If you look at the book of James, it describes two kinds of wisdom: godly wisdom and earthly wisdom.

Wisdom, in general, comes from experience and from applying what we know. But not all wisdom leads to the same outcome.

Worldly wisdom—or earthly wisdom—will not lead you to God. Instead, it often leads to pride and self-sufficiency. It teaches you how to navigate life, how to succeed, how to survive, and sometimes even how to get ahead of others. We often call this being “street smart.”

But that kind of wisdom is typically centered on benefiting self.

In contrast, godly wisdom comes from above. It is described as pure, peaceable, and full of good fruit. Its focus is not on self, but on others. It produces humility, integrity, and actions that reflect the character of God.

So while there may not be multiple categories beyond this, there are clearly two distinct kinds of wisdom:

• Wisdom that elevates self
• Wisdom that honors God and serves others

And understanding that difference is essential—especially in a world that increasingly values intelligence and information, but not always true wisdom.

~ Danita Bye