Leadership Influence: Will We Lead AI? (D.A.K.O.T.A. Response to 2 Timothy 3)

Leadership Influence: Will We Lead AI? (D.A.K.O.T.A. Response to 2 Timothy 3)

I’m working on the initial outline of my upcoming book with the working title: Character Mandate: Winning Strategies for Building Tomorrow’s AI Leader.

The second subtitle poses a pressing question: Will we lead AI—or will it lead us?

Because of that, I’m tuned in to any mention of the word “character.” And recently, something stopped me in my tracks:

“When you stop worshipping God and start serving yourself, your character starts to disintegrate.”

Yikes!

Your character starts to disintegrate?!?

That’s not just a personal issue—it’s a leadership crisis with ripple effects across families, institutions, businesses, and even the future of technology!

Then, I opened to 2 Timothy 3:1–7. This scripture describes what people will be like in the “last days.” Here’s the list:

• Lovers of self

• Lovers of money

• Proud

• Arrogant

• Abusive

• Disobedient to their parents

• Ungrateful

• Unholy

• Heartless

• Unappeasable

• Slanderous

• Without self-control

• Brutal

• Not loving good

• Treacherous

• Reckless

• Swollen with conceit

• Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God

• Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power

Now that is a list!

My thoughts immediately went three places all at once.

1. A Personal Prayer from Psalm 139

“Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. See if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). This prayer is both humbling and clarifying. It reminds me to always begin with my own heart. I’m asking God to examine my inner life, to reveal any wrongdoing, and to guide me/us towards a righteous path.

• Search me, O God, and know my heart: The speaker is asking God to deeply examine their inner life, to understand the motivations and intentions behind their actions. 

2. Alexandre Havard’s Virtuous Leadership: An Agenda for Personal Excellence

Havard’s classic offers a profound vision:

“Leadership and virtue are not only compatible—they are actually synonymous.”
His model centers around the classical virtues of magnanimity, humility, prudence, courage, self-control, and justice, along with the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity.”

His message? Great leadership flows from great character. You can get the book HERE.

3. The D.A.K.O.T.A. Character Framework

This brings me to the D.A.K.O.T.A. framework, which I initially discussed in Millennials Matter: Proven Strategies for Building Your Next Gen Leader. This framework guides character development for future leaders in a world shaped by AI.

It’s also a tribute to my North Dakota roots, The TTT Ranch, and Cowboy Ethics. It’s a compelling compass for those guiding the next generation.

Here’s the framework:

D – Determination
A – Awareness
K – Knowledge
O – Optimism
T – Trustworthiness
A – Accountability

Each word ties directly to one of the 7 cardinal or theological virtues and helps build the inner fortitude to stand against the very vices Paul warned about in 2 Timothy.

D.A.K.O.T.A. vs. the Disintegration of Character

Here’s how the framework directly counters the spiritual and moral unraveling we see in 2 Timothy 3:

D – Determination

Virtue: Fortitude
Counters: Lovers of pleasure, swollen with conceit, reckless

Determination strengthens courage and perseverance. It grounds leaders in mission rather than comfort or pride.

A – Awareness

Virtue: Prudence
Counters: Proud, arrogant, lovers of money, reckless

Awareness sharpens moral perception. It equips leaders to discern the good and reject falsehoods dressed in progress.

K – Knowledge

Virtue: Justice
Counters: Disobedient to parents, treacherous, unholy

Knowledge empowered by justice produces right action. It ensures leadership decisions honor truth and relationships.

O – Optimism

Virtue: Hope                                                               
Counters: Heartless, brutal, not loving what’s good

Optimism keeps a vision of what can be, rooted in faith, not fear. It brings compassion into dark places.

T – Trustworthiness

Virtue: Faith
Counters: Abusive, slanderous, treacherous

Trustworthiness reflects deep faith. It fosters loyalty, reliability, and truth in a culture of betrayal.

A – Accountability

Virtue: Temperance
Counters: Lovers of self, without self-control, unappeasable

Accountability holds desires in check. It promotes integrity over indulgence, restraint over recklessness.

Love: The Hidden Heart of Leadership

Though not in the acronym, Love—Charity, the highest virtue—holds all the others together. It’s the thread that weaves through every D.A.K.O.T.A. trait:

• Determination driven by love becomes service, not stubbornness.

• Awareness guided by love becomes empathy.

• Knowledge shaped by love becomes wisdom in action.

• Optimism born of love becomes shared hope.

• Trustworthiness rooted in love becomes true leadership.

• Accountability empowered by love becomes transformation.

Love transcends leadership theory. It transforms it.

So, Will We Lead AI? Or Will It Lead Us?

That depends entirely on the character of the leaders shaping it.

If we don’t nurture courage, self-control, justice, and love in our leaders, AI will simply magnify our worst instincts. But if we form leaders with D.A.K.O.T.A. character, grounded in virtue and guided by faith, then we can lead wisely—and serve well—in a rapidly changing world.

Let’s build the kind of leaders who don’t crumble under pressure… but rise with purpose.

Leadership Question: Where do you see signs of character disintegration—or courage rising—in today’s leaders?

I’d love to hear your reflections.

Copyright 2025, Danita Bye. All rights reserved.