S31:E21🎙️ LIVE AWLL From Proverbs — Chapter 21

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Hello everyone, this is Coach Bizzy. Welcome to another special edition of the Leadership and Success Podcast. Today we're going to be studying Proverbs chapter 21. This is not a religious study, but but it's really Ancient Wisdom and Mentoring from the Book of Proverbs. We're gonna be focusing on ancient wisdom and leadership lesson from the Book of Proverbs from our, one of our primary curriculum here for Season 5, the Maxwell Leadership Bible. And we're gonna be studying the laws of leadership, the leadership principle from Proverbs throughout the entire month of January. Today, January 21st, So we're going to be studying Proverbs chapter 21, and tomorrow we're going to be studying chapter 22. And at the end of the month, on the 31st, we will study the very last chapter. That's going to be the end of this special edition of the Leadership and Success podcast. All right, before we get started, I'm reminded, let's do our moment of gratitude. This is the time of the show every time we meet, we just want to take a moment and be grateful every single day. So I would ask you maybe close your eyes, put yourself in your happy place, take a deep breath, and think about something you are grateful for right now. I think today I am grateful that throughout my life, things have always worked themselves out Even when I was younger, sometimes it seems like there wouldn't be a way out of whatever mess or challenges I found myself into. Someway, somehow, things always worked out. So, I am very, very grateful for that. Don't be afraid. Everything is going to be all right. And I am grateful for that, and I wish it's the same for you. So, let me know what you are grateful for today. Type it in the comment. Let me know where you are joining us from, which city, which state, and if outside of the US, which country. And also, if you have any insight on Proverbs 21, please let me know in the comment. And also, I'm going to be sharing 7 leadership lessons from Proverbs 21 today, and when I do, let me know what you think about it. I'd like to hear about your thoughts. So before we go to Proverbs 21, let's review Proverbs 20, which is what we did yesterday. The 7 lessons, a brief overview of what we learned yesterday about Proverbs chapter 20. And also you can go to your favorite podcast platform, whether it's Apple Podcasts or Spotify or iHeart or whatever it is that you use for your podcast. All of those lessons should be available from episode 1 to episode 20, which was yesterday, from chapter 1 through chapter 20 of the book of Proverbs. And today's episode 21 should be uploaded by the end of today. So, uh, brief overview about yesterday. So we talked on Proverbs 20 wisdom and leadership lessons. Um, we said the theme was character before command, and leadership lesson number 1: master yourself before you lead others. That was based on verse 1, Proverbs 20, verse 1. One is a mocker, it says. So leaders must recognize what compromises their clarity and intentionally govern it. Influence weakens when discipline disappears. All right, that was the first lesson. Leadership lesson number 2: Respect authority, yours and others, based on verse 2. Unchecked authority breeds fear, but respected authority brings stability. So leaders must steward power wisely. Remembering accountability flows both upward and downward. Okay, leadership lesson number 3: avoid conflict through wisdom, not withdrawal, based on verse 3. So honorable leaders know when to engage and when to disengage. Foolish leaders chase conflict, wise leaders pursue resolution. And yesterday we talked about leadership lesson number 4: diligence Determines destiny. Based on verse 4, those who avoid effort early pay the price later, but vision without execution leaves leaders unprepared when results are required. All right, leadership lesson number 5, we talked about listen deeply to unlock wisdom. Based on verse 5, ask better questions, create space for others to contribute because counsel is deep water. Wise leaders draw it out, but the best insight often remains unspoken unless invited. Okay, leadership lesson number 6. We talked about, um, integrity is rare, but you've got to be one who has it. Okay, be the exception, based on verses 6 and 7. So many claim loyalty, but few actually live it consistently. So leaders who walk in integrity build generational trust. And finally, on Leadership Lesson 7 yesterday, we talked about fairness is the leader's moral compass. That's based on verses 10 and 23. So dishonest scales, double standards destroy trust, but ethical inconsistencies undermine moral authority faster than failure. So that's what we studied yesterday. So today, chapter 21, what's the big idea? Proverbs 21 teaches us that while leaders make plans, ultimate authority belongs to God. And true leadership success flows from a line heart, righteous action, and disciplined planning, and humility before divine sovereignty. So this chapter kind of confronts the illusion of control and reminds leaders that character outweighs strategy. Let me say that again: your character outweigh strategy. So obedience outweighs outcomes, and justice outweighs image. So leaders who submit their hearts and decisions to God build influence that endures beyond circumstances. So the theme for chapter 21 is sovereignty, integrity, and disciplined action. All right, our first lesson, leadership lesson number 1: God directs the hearts of leaders. So that's going to be based on Proverbs 21, verse 1. Let's listen to it.

The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. Like the rivers of water, he turns it wherever he wishes.

The king's heart is in the hands of the Lord. So even the most powerful leaders are not autonomous. Hmm, think about that. Authority is entrusted, not owned. This reminds me of one of the quotes, I can't get it out of my mind, one of my mentors told me, General Biggs, he said that rank is rented. But trust is earned. Whatever rank, whatever position you have right now is rented because you are not going to be that leader for the rest of your life. At some point, you're going to have to quit your job, be promoted to another position, resign, or die, right? You're not going to be in position of leadership forever. Like even in the Navy, I am a commander now, but at some point, the Navy is going to ask me to retire if I don't retire by myself. Right? So your rank is rented. That's the rank I have now, but it's not going to be forever. It's just for a season, very, very short season. You know, life is very, very long, but the moments that you have in leadership— I used to be a division officer, I used to be a department head, I used to be an executive officer, I used to be a chief of staff, I used to be a commanding officer. And after a while, you know, your time comes up, you know, it is time to move on, get another job, get another billet. And at times retire or resign or whatever the case might be. Rank is rented, but trust is earned. So we believe that God shapes outcome by shaping the hearts first. All right, so authority is not owned, it's simply entrusted. So how do we apply this? So lead with humility. You are not the end-all be-all, right? As a leader, as a good leader, as an effective leader, you always have to lead with humility. You can learn from anybody, from your peers, whoever you report to, because every leader has a leader, right? And also your peers and your subordinate. Always be willing to seek for wisdom no matter where wisdom might be, because wisdom doesn't respect rank, wisdom doesn't respect title. In my own life, I feel like the more I know, the more I know that I don't know. I believe Socrates was the one who expressed something similar at first, but that has to keep you humble. You don't know everything. Recognize that your influence is really stewardship. You are only taking care of that position of responsibility for a specific length of time. Right? It's not forever. So invite divine wisdom before making high-stakes decision. Invite wisdom from your inner circle, the people you listen to, your mentors, your coaches. Before you make a very important decision, make sure to get a second opinion, right? Because everybody has a blind spot. So go to those people that you trust and get wisdom feedback from them. All right, so do you act as your authority is self-generated or God-given? Where might pride be clouding your discernment? So I think every day as a leader, you really have to be grateful and humble that you have a position that you have so that you might serve the people under you. You are the servant of all. You want to add value, and you are open to receive feedback from anyone. All right, so the anchor here is, uh, leadership begins with surrender. When a leader yields their heart, God will align their direction. All right, leadership lesson number 2: intentions are not enough. God weighs motives too. So let's read verse 2.

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.

So sometimes it's not just, no, what you do, but why you do what you do. What is the motive? Self-justification is a leadership blind spot. Motiv matters as much as execution. Again, not just what you do, but why you do what you do. What's the motiv behind that? God evaluates integrity beneath performance. So how do we apply this? Examine why you lead, not just how you lead, and invite accountability to test your blind spots. Why do you want to become a commanding officer? Why do you want to become a CISO? Why do you want to lead? What is the motive behind it? Is it because of perks? Maybe it makes you feel important. Is that the right reason to lead an organization? Or is it because of the people? Because you want to add value, because you want to serve at a higher level? Why do you want to lead? Since I was a Lieutenant Commander, I guess that was in 2014, I have been interviewing all of the potential junior officer in my designator and then in my community. So I've interviewed by now probably over 150 people who wanted to join the Navy and become information professional or information warfare officer. And one of the questions I always try to ascertain through every single interview when I assess a potential candidate for the Direct Commission Officer Program is, Why do you want to become an officer? Why do you want to lead? Why should I entrust you with my sailors? And again, the motive is very, very, very important. So are you defending your action or refining your heart? And who has permission to challenge your motives? No matter how high you are in the organization, I believe you really need to have a group of people in your inner circle who can speak to you frankly and challenge all of your assumptions and your motives. You need to give them permission to do just that. All right. So the anchor reflection here is right action without right motives still misses the mark. If you are doing the right thing for the wrong reason, you are doing the wrong thing. So make sure that you are always doing the right thing for the very right reason. One book that was recommended here over and over again is Simon Sinek's Start with Why. Why do you want to do what you do? Why do you want to lead? Why, why, why? Start with the why and make sure that, you know, your values are aligned with why you want to do whatever it is that you are doing. All right, let's— leadership lesson number 3: righteousness outweighs rituals. So let's go to verse 3.

To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Righteousness outweighs rituals. Ethical leadership surpasses symbolic gesture. A lot of the things that we sometimes do in organization are just, for example, DEI is a good example. Now, DEI was supposed really to be for inclusion, diversity, equity, and inclusion. But a lot of organizations, I would say after George Floyd in 2020, so 5, 6 years ago, they did a lot of performative demonstration of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility. They would pretend to embrace diversity when in truth that was actually against their true value because it was trendy, because everybody was doing it and it seemed to be profitable. And then when the winds of politics kind of changed around 2024, 2025, they're like, no, no, we didn't mean anything we said. We don't believe in diversity anymore. Because if diversity is really a core value of who you are, as a company or as a person, then it doesn't matter what politics says, doesn't matter what's happening in society, that is who you are, right? But again, ethical leadership surpasses symbolic gesture. Don't just do things because you think it's what you should do or it's what is expected of you, but do them because you have conviction, because you actually believe in it. So I believe that God values obedience over optics based on that verse, but really integrity is the foundation of lasting trust. All right, how do we apply this? So prioritize justice even when it costs popularity, and choose the hard right over the easy visible. Do what is right, not just what is going to allow you to get a pat on the back or praise from your team, the organization, or other people. Do what is right, even if it costs you something. So, are you substituting activity for obedience? Where must you choose principle over convenience? So, God, the universe, honors integrity long after applause fades. So your integrity will sustain you long after applause fades. All right, leadership Lesson number 4: Pride is a leadership liability.

Let's read verse 4: A haughty look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked are sin.

Pride corrupts judgment and culture. Unchecked ego creates moral decay. Humility keeps the soil of leadership fertile. Another verse we read before in Proverbs, right? Pride comes before collapse, but humility precedes success. Wow. So how do we apply this? Practice teachability at every level of leadership.

Success?

Are you teachable? Are you coachable? Build teams that reward humility, not arrogance. Where might success be inflating your ego? And do your actions invite collaboration or fear? The more you lead, the more you are elevated within your organization, It's just human. You might tend to have a big head and think that you are so special, nobody can touch you, you can do no wrong. And that's not true. And you start thinking that maybe you are above the law, you are above the rules, which applies to everybody who works for you but you, because you are the boss, you are in charge, you are so much better than everybody else, which again is absolutely not true. So keep yourself humble, right? Keep your ego in check because humility precedes success, but pride, arrogance precedes fall. Alright. The anchor reflection here: Pride hardens the heart, but humility cultivates wisdom. Alright, leadership lesson number 5. Let's go to verse 5.

The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty Surely to poverty.

So diligent planning builds sustainable success. Be diligent in your planning. Again, I'm reminded from one of my major mentors, Brian Tracy, used to say, right, you have to measure twice and cut once. Planning, every hour you spend in planning will save you up to 10 hours in execution. Don't just fly by the seat of your pants. You have to You have to think, you have to plan, you have to study, and then out of your plan, you can go ahead and execute.

All right.

So how do we apply that? Balance decisiveness with due diligence. Okay? Because vision requires disciplined execution. Rushed decision undermine long-term impact. So faith and planning work together. So build processes that support consistency. So are you reacting or strategically planning? Remember we talked about reaction and response. You want to respond, not just emotionally react. Whatever you are facing right now, take the time, create the space, to think, to plan, and then come up with a reasonable response instead of automatically reacting? Where must you slow down in order for you to go further? So sustainable leadership is built deliberately, not impulsively. All right, so leadership lesson number 6: shortcuts destroy credibility. Let's read verse 6.

Getting treasures by a lying tongue is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.

Hmm.

Shortcuts destroy credibility. Integrity violations eventually surface. Whatever is done in the dark will eventually be put to light. Ethical shortcuts erode trust and legacy. Truth sustains influence over time. So how do we apply this? Reject dishonest gains, even under pressure, and model transparency when mistakes occur. There is nothing more relatable than when a leader makes a mistake and they acknowledge, yes, I messed up, I am sorry, and we are going to do better, I'm going to learn. From this. Your people will respect you a lot more because you're telling them that you are human and you can make mistakes too. But if you are always blaming everybody for everything that's happening and not taking any responsibility, nobody's going to want to follow you. All right. So the anchor reflection here is, what is built without truth cannot stand. All right. The final lesson for today is justice is the leader's shield. We're gonna read down verse 15. Justice is the leader's shield.

Verse 15: It is a joy for the just to do justice, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

It is a joy for the just to do justice. Justice is a leader's shield. Justice creates clarity and confidence. Fair leadership strengthens organizational culture. And accountability protects the mission. So enforce standards consistently and compassionately and address wrongdoing swiftly and fairly. It's just like raising a child, or if you are trying to educate a pet like a dog or something. If Your child does something wrong, don't wait 2 days or a week or a month to tell them, hey, you did something wrong last year or 2 months ago and here's your correction. No, you have to take care of it right away. That is how children learn. Yes, I've done something wrong. My dad, my mom saw that and they correct me and now I know I shouldn't be doing that anymore. It has to be almost immediate while it is still fresh as soon as they've done it. Because if you do it, 5 weeks later or 2 years later, it doesn't have the same effect. It doesn't make sense. So address wrongdoing swiftly and fairly. So do your decision reinforce justice or they avoid discomfort? It's okay to be uncomfortable. As a leader, it's perfectly fine to be uncomfortable. Actually, I feel like in 2026 we have to get to be comfortable being uncomfortable. We don't have solutions for everything, but we need to believe that we are going to find a solution. We are going to figure that out, even though we may not know exactly what the solution might be right now. Because we just live in a world where things are changing so fast. Now there's exponential growth of knowledge, technology, all of these emerging tech, changing industry like artificial intelligence, things happening so fast and so quickly. So we have to learn how to remain centered in the midst of chaos, right? Be comfortable being uncomfortable and knowing that we will find our way, we will find a solution. All right. So how do your standards shape team behavior? All right, the anchor reflection for lesson 7 is justice preserves both people and purpose. So as a closing statement today, Proverbs chapter 21 calls leaders to remember that control is an illusion, but character is decisive. Strategy matters, but integrity matters even more. Leaders who surrender their hearts, act justly, plan diligently, and reject shortcuts build influence that survives scrutiny, pressure, and time. All right, that's the lesson for today. Let me know what you think about it, and if there are any verses I didn't highlight that mean a lot to you, let me know in your comment. And thanks so much for watching this very special episode of the Leadership and Success Podcast. So I'm gonna be back here tomorrow for Proverbs chapter 22. So that's gonna be on January 22nd. Again, we're gonna be focusing on ancient wisdom and leadership lesson from the book of Proverbs. So in about 3 hours, I will be interviewing, I have a great privilege of speaking to Colonel Khalid Shabazz. He has a PhD, a Doctor of Divinity, He is a US Army chaplain and he's actually the highest-ranked Muslim chaplain in the entire US Armed Forces, which is pretty amazing. We're gonna be talking about bridge building, second chances, and sacred callings. He really has a fascinating and inspirational story, so I can't wait to speak to him in a couple of hours. And then tomorrow, I will have the great pleasure of speaking with Chief Duane Art. He's a cybersecurity leader, a tech visionary, and keynote speaker. We're going to be talking from the deck plates to the digital battlespace. So he's a retired US Navy chief. Definitely look forward to that. And then on Friday, I will be speaking to Colonel Thomas Gordon, US Marine Corps retired, bestselling author of Marine Maxim. And we're going to be talking about Marine Maxim in action. Building Characters That Withstand Command. So those are the interviews I have set up for this week. I hope you can join us and you can ask a question to my guests live on LinkedIn or YouTube. So I look forward to it and looking forward to speaking to the highest-ranked Muslim chaplain in the US military, Colonel Khalid Shabazz, in a couple of hours. I hope you are there with us. All right, until tomorrow, actually until a few hours from now and tomorrow, have a wonderful day.

Bye. Thank you for tuning in to the Leadership and Success Podcast with your host, Coach BZ. If today's episode added value to your leadership journey, be sure to subscribe, share, and join us again for more wisdom nuggets on how to lead better and achieve greater your success. Remember, leadership is the most critical skill of our time. The world will always need leaders to inspire others, drive innovation, and execute meaningful strategy. So why not count yourself among the bold leaders shaping the 21st century? Until next time, stay inspired, stay committed, and keep leading.