S31:E29🎙️ LIVE AWLL From Proverbs — Chapter 29 (Multi Tracks Audio)

¡Hola!

Hi, I'm John Maxwell. When the top companies in the world are looking for trainers, speakers, and coaches, there's one name that's stands above the rest, and that's Maxwell Leadership. Our certified team members have gotten proven results for companies all over the globe, and our reputation, I'm proud to say, is second to none. Some of our members have risen to the top of their profession, including the one you're going to meet today. I proudly introduce you to my friend, Bob Fabien Zinga.

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Hello everyone. Welcome to another very special edition of the Leadership and Success Podcast. Today, January 29th, we're gonna be studying Proverbs chapter 29. This is not a religious study. This is about ancient wisdom and being mentored from the book of Proverbs. We are going to really focus on ancient wisdom and leadership lesson from Proverbs chapter 29 today. All right, thank you so much for joining me. It should take about 30 minutes or so. Before we do, I'm reminded of our moment of gratitude. So this takes but a moment, something we do every time we meet, as is our custom. If you would, just take a moment, maybe close your eyes, take a deep breath, slow down your nervous system, put yourself in your happy place, and think about one thing you are grateful for today. What are you grateful for today? I am really grateful for a brand new year, 2026, and I believe today is going to be wonderful.

Right?

For those who read the Bible, right, today is the day that the Lord has made and I am going to rejoice and be glad in it. That's the decision I make. I am going to be joyful today. This is how you are. Yesterday I had the great privilege of interviewing Alison Walsh, and I asked her, what are you optimistic about? And she said she was optimistic about 2026, which is going to be a great year, and I really believe that. 2025 has been a pretty tough year for a lot of people, especially Black women in America, but I believe 2026 is going to be much, much better. This is the year where we are going to be prosperous, we are going to make progress, and we're going to be achieving our goals. So I am really grateful for that. So if you would tap into the comment box what you are grateful for, but also let me know where are you joining us from. What city, what state, and if outside of the US, which country. So thank you so much. So I'm gonna start, um, first I'm gonna review the 7 lessons from Proverbs chapter 28, which we did yesterday, just gave the highlight, and then we're gonna study Proverbs chapter 29. So if you have any insight about any of the verses for Proverbs chapter 29, please let me know in the comment. And when I give you the 7 lessons I have prepared for today, please let me know what you think about those as well. What are your 3 to 5 highlights during this episode? So to get started, let me review what we did yesterday. So yesterday we talked about Proverbs 28, and lesson number 1 was righteousness produces courage. That was based on verse 1. So fear is often a symptom of unresolved guilt, but leaders who lack integrity, they constantly look over their shoulder, while leaders who walk uprightly lead with calm confidence. So that was lesson number 1: Righteousness produces courage. And then we talked about lesson number 2: Moral decay erodes organizational stability. Based on verse 2, high turnover, chaos, fractured authority often signal ethical breakdown, not operational failure. Alright, leadership lesson number 3, integrity outperforms influence. That was based on verse 6, influence without integrity is temporary, but character will outlast charisma. Alright, leadership lesson number 4, avoiding accountability invites collapse. That's based on verse 13: Unconfessed failure compounds, but transparency restores credibility. All right, leadership lesson number 5. Yesterday we talked about reverence for God anchors leadership wisdom, based on verse 14: Humility keeps leaders teachable, but pride blinds leaders to warning signs. And again, one of the Best lessons I've ever learned as a commanding officer in the US Navy. The best job I've ever had, but the most challenging as well. High reward, but high challenge too, and huge responsibility. What I really learned for the— it was almost 3 years, normally it's only 2 years, but because of the pandemic, they extended it to almost 3 years that I was the commanding officer for the Global Network Operations Security Center there in Suffolk, Virginia, was humility. You cannot be an effective leader if you are not humble. Nobody wants to work for an arrogant jerk commanding officer. If you are going to lead people, you have to be humble. You don't know everything. Again, the great conversation I had with Alison Walsh yesterday, she talked about leading with humility. You don't know everything. It's impossible for you to know everything. We need each other. We have to work as a team, right? The synergies that comes from the contribution of your team member being able to accomplish a lot more than you can separately. Really caring for your people, so powerful, so important. All right, so, uh, leadership lesson number 6: exploitation is leadership failure. That was based on verse 16: because power without empathy becomes oppression, but greed will accelerate downfall. All right, and then the last lesson we did yesterday is correction is an act of love. Based on verse 23, because flattery builds comfort but truth builds trust. But now let's review. We've done the review for chapter 28. We're not going to start with 29. Give me just a moment. Okay, so chapter 29. What is the big idea for Proverbs 29? This chapter reveals that leadership is never neutral. How a leader responds to correction, governs authority, and treats people directly shapes the moral climate of the organization or nation they serve. Alright, so righteous leadership brings stability, joy, and trust, but stubborn pride, injustice, and unchecked power inevitably leads to collapse. So this chapter, chapter 29, reminds us that influence is sustained not by your position, but by humility. Here's that word again, humility, discipline, and reverence for truth. So the theme for this entire chapter is the moral weight of authority, leadership that heals or harms. And hopefully, when you lead, you are healing and not harming your people. So, leadership lesson number 1: correction is a gift, not a threat. Correction is a gift. So that's based on verse 1. Let's listen to verse 1. Let me share my screen. Correction is a gift, not a threat.

Aye.

He who is often rebuked and hardens his neck will suddenly be destroyed. And that without remedy.

Hmm.

He who is often rebuked will suddenly be destroyed. So leaders who resist correction will eventually lose credibility, and then they will lose control as well. Pride delays learning. Humility accelerates growth. I think that's really one of the main teachings of the Book of Proverbs. You have to lead with humility. Don't be proud, don't be arrogant, lead with humility. You do not know everything there is to know. You can learn from your teams, you can learn from members within your organization, you can learn from somebody else. Lead with humility. So create feedback loops, so important to receive feedback because again, you don't know everything. Invite truth tellers into your inner circle. Before reality forces the lesson. But you need to have people who are in your inner circle who have your permission to speak to you frankly, tell you exactly what they think, whether you wanna hear it or not. That is so important in life. That is really a lesson I have learned throughout my career. Daniel Wynn says, humble, credible, and approachable. Thank you so much for confirming that, Daniel. Let us also know where you are joining us from, what city and what state. And also if you have any insight about the verses I will not be highlighting today. Again, lesson number 1, Daniel and Roseanne watching live, correction is a gift, it is not a threat. All right, so feedback loops is so important. So how do you respond when you are challenged or corrected? Because your attitude will determine your altitude. Papa John says that all the time. Because sometimes it's really the way you act or react, how you deal with people. Are you confrontational or are you humble? Are you coachable? Are you teachable? Like Daniel say, are you humble? Are you credible? Are you approachable? Because you can be a good leader, but if you want to be a great leader, you have to be approachable and you have to lead with humility. You have to make everybody feel important within the organization, even though you are like in the Navy or the Army where we have really great hierarchy and chain of command, the most junior person in your unit, in your command, should feel as important as the commanding officer. And as a leader, it's really your job to make them feel that way. Something that Oprah said, I believe she learned it from Maya Angelou, her mentor. She says, people will forget everything you say, but they will never, never forget the way you made them feel. And some of the best bosses I've ever had throughout my entire career are people who made me feel like I had something to contribute. I was important as an individual, not just as a contributor computer to the project, but as a person, I add some value to bring to the team. So treating everybody with respect and dignity. So who has permission right now to speak our truth into your leadership? Because we all have blind spots. That's why you need to have a diverse team. It doesn't just have to do with race and gender, but the way people think, their background, where they come from, because everybody's gonna have a different experience and having a great team with diverse talent, then everybody can watch each other's back like we do in the Navy. It's so important. So don't think that you have all of the answers. You have to lead with humility because a stiff neck today becomes a broken legacy tomorrow. So you have to be flexible and you have to be humble to receive feedback. All right, leadership lesson number 2: righteous leadership lifts people. So when you lead, try to lift people. So let's read verse 2.

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.

So you want the people you are leader over to rejoice when you are around and not run away and not be afraid and not pretend to be working. You want them to be themselves and to really enjoy the culture that you are building as the boss, right? To create The psychological safety is that environment, that culture where people want to be at the office, and when they come to the office, they wanna do the very, very best work they can, right? Like Colin Powell, one of my major mentor throughout my career, I've read all of his books and his work and listened to most of his speeches. He always talked about management could potentially, in theory, get you to work at 100%, right? That's mathematical limit. You cannot go above 100%. Most people, they say, I think Harvard Business Review, I read a lot of the articles. They said most people, they only work about 25% of what they can do, but management will get them from 25 to 100%. But what leadership does, it takes you over 100% because it's not just a science, it's an art as well. That's why in the military, in the Navy, in my experience, that's why you are able to see sailors who are willing to give their life for the sailor to the right, the sailor to their left, because it's beyond themselves. That's leadership. They go above and beyond, even to the point to sacrifice their own life. And we studied in the previous chapter, right, there is greater love than to give your life for your friend. And we talked about the friend who is closer than a brother. That's really the brotherhood that I have felt throughout my entire Navy career. I have people now who are some of my best friends. I met them when I went to boot camp over 20 years ago, and 20 years later, they are still the best friends I have ever had. And that's because of what happens when you are in an environment where you have the same value, right? And then you work toward the same mission. So that is so important. Righteous leadership lifts people. When you lead, you want to lift, right? Because leadership is felt emotionally before it is measured operationally. It's not just about the work, it's not just about the output, but it's about how people feel. Again, People will forget everything you said, but they will never forget the way you made them feel. All right. So people know when leadership is just or leadership is corrupt. They know, just like children. When you raise kids, they know if you mean what you say or if you don't, right? They know if you mean business or if you are just full of yourself. Children will test you. And I can tell you, your employees or your team member, probably will as well. And they know when you are sincere and you really mean what you say and when you absolutely do not, you're just trying to be nice, but you don't really care about them as an individual. And that really makes a big difference. So ask not, are we winning? But are people thriving under my leadership? Because if they are thriving under your leadership, guess what? They will win, right? When I become a commanding officer, I reached out to all of my mentors. I'm like, okay, this is a big job. What do I need to do? How can I be successful as a first-time commanding officer? One of my mentors told me, don't worry about a thing, just take care of your people. If you take care of them, your people will eventually take care of the mission, right? In the Navy, we learn and we are taught mission first, but people always. So if you take care of your people, the mission will be taken care of, I guarantee that. So do people feel safe? Do they feel seen? Do they feel supported under your authority? Again, Oprah Winfrey, I really like her a lot and I've read a lot of what she's written. She used to say when she had the Oprah Winfrey Show, I guess at the time, the number one show in the world. She would speak to all kinds of people from presidents to kings, to politicians, to singers, to influencers, and to regular people too. And she said it didn't matter who she talked to, even when she talked to Nelson Mandela or to Barack Obama, he was just elected president at the time. He says every single person she talked to at the end of the show, they would wanna know, hey, how did I sound? Was I okay?

Do you approve?

They wanted some type of validation, even president and kings and people of great influence, they still wanted validation from Oprah. I did okay. I think everybody needs to feel that. So do you create that psychological safety within your team where people come to work and they wanna do the very best job they can and they feel value, they feel respected, they feel treated with dignity, and they are ready to give you everything they've they've got. That's really the type of leadership we need in the 21st century. So what does morale reveal about your leadership character? Because many times when people are in leadership position, they don't really wanna know what people think about the way they lead because it might be bad news. But for me, I actually want to know. I really, really want to know what people feel, how I am affecting them. So much so that when I was the commanding officer at the Global Network Operation Security Center in Suffolk. I did it on my own. I created a system which I learned from one of the best skippers I had maybe 5, 6 years prior. He had a system where we could log in to an electronic system and then tell him directly, our commanding officer, how we felt. And we could send it, it was completely anonymous, didn't have our name, didn't have our rank, didn't know who it was, he knew somebody from the unit, from the command, sent him a personal message. Nobody else saw it, not your immediate supervisor. It went straight to the boss, and then he would read it and then make adjustments. So I did the same exact thing, and people throughout my command— I had junior enlisted all the way to senior officer commander like, like me— if they didn't feel comfortable coming to me in person to tell me about something that wasn't working within the unit or something I did that they didn't like, they could just log into that system and send me that message and then I would read it and I would always, always respond to it. But now again, just because someone tells you something doesn't mean you have to do everything they say, but at least you consider it and then you make adjustments. And that really helped us a lot because the first 2 to 3 months I was in leadership, it was really time for me as the leader to really learn. What do we do here as a command? What is our mission? What governance is already in place? What are our standard operating procedures? What is working? What is not working? So before you make all kinds of changes, first understand how everything works, and then you can make whatever changes you think are going to make your team more effective. And then if the changes you make work, fantastic, good to go. But if they don't work and people complain or there is some friction, then you can make adjustments as are needed. So do people feel safe? Do they feel seen? Do they feel supported under your authority? All right, so the true report card of leadership is the condition of the people. It's not about you, it is about them, always. All right, leadership lesson number 3: Justice sustains institutions. That's based on verse 4. Okay, let's listen to verse 4.

The king establishes the land by justice, but he who receives bribes overthrows it.

You establish the land, you establish your enterprise by justice. You have to be fair, you have to be just. Justice builds legitimacy. You cannot be legitimate if you do not work injustice. Corruption, even subtle favoritism, erodes trust faster than failure. If you are a leader, you cannot have favorites within your team. You have to treat everybody exactly the same. These are the standards, these are the rules. Everybody, including the boss, needs to abide by those rules. You have to be fair and you have to be consistent. That's leadership. And some of the best leaders I've had, they really had very, very high requirement, right? High standard. And they let you know upfront, these are my standards, this is how we are going to move forward. And if you meet and exceed those, you get rewarded. And if you don't, you will not, right? No favoritism, being impartial, fair. Because when you are fair, people are going to trust you more and they're going to know exactly where they stand. So when it's time for this annual review or fitness report, nobody's shocked, nobody is surprised. They know exactly This is what we had to do. Did I achieve those goals? Yes, I'm good to go. If I didn't, then I know my annual report card is not gonna look as good. So my chances for advancement are not gonna be as good as the other sailor who actually met and exceeded those goals. So you have to be fair, you have to be impartial. Okay. It is a must. So how do we do that? Examine your policies, your promotion, who gets promoted, who doesn't, and decision for fairness, for transparency. And consistency. You have to be fair, you have to be transparent. People need to know how you come up to those decisions, and then you have to be consistent, treat everybody exactly the same, no matter what. That's leadership. So where might convenience be compromising justice within the way you lead your team? And are decisions driven by integrity or by influence? All right, so authority survives when justice is stronger than self-interest. And when I talk about justice, I'm talking about fairness, I am talking about consistency, I'm talking about transparency. All right, leadership lesson 4, because it's very, very important for the people who are members of your team to know exactly where you stand all the time. You shouldn't be, you know, wishy-washy. One day you feel one way, another day you feel a completely different way. So they are not even sure which Bob Fabien Zinga they are going to meet. They're gonna meet the one who's happy and glad and who's going to be affirming them, or they're gonna meet the one who's always grumpy and mad and wants to shout at everybody, right? You have to be consistent, be the same no matter what. Because you set the temperature for your environment, for the culture of the team, for your organization. Everybody's going to model themselves after you, whether you like it or not. People are always, always, always watching you, even when you think that they are not. Okay? So you have to be a role model. Okay. Leadership lesson number 4, discipline is an act of love. And I guess the older I get, the more I believe that leadership is really about love. Sometimes in my podcast, I ask my illustrious guests, "Hey, can you give me one word that defines leadership?" Sometimes, no, they would say consistency, integrity, character, or whatever. But the more and more I believe leadership is synonymous to love because it's about having great values and valuing people and then adding value to people. That's what Papa John taught me about leadership. I have great value. For me, it's honor, courage, integrity. I have great value, respect, dignity, great value, excellence, great, great value. And I value people. No matter who they are, black, white, male, female, it doesn't matter. I value all people, and then I want to add value to them. That is love, that is leadership. Okay, let's read verse 15.

Proverbs 29:15: The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Hmm. The child left to himself brings shame to the mother. Avoiding hard conversation is not kindness, it is negligence. And I think one of the reasons why you are the leader, one of the reasons why you get paid the big bucks, is because you are supposed to have those hard conversations. Do not avoid them. If something isn't right, you need to take care of it immediately or as soon as possible. It's just like raising a child, right? We have two daughters, my wife and I, and children, you cannot correct them 10 hours or 5 days or a month after they've done something wrong. You have to take care of it right away because that's how they can connect, okay, this is wrong. 'Oh, then Daddy, Mommy corrected me. Now I'm gonna try not to repeat the same mistake.' Same thing with animals too, right? We have a family pet, and when my dog does something wrong, you have to correct him immediately. For example, when we first got him, he didn't know exactly where to relieve himself. He would make messes all over the place, so we had to correct him, train him. But you have to do it right away. You cannot wait until after you clean up his mess or 10 days later and then fuss at him about something he did so long ago. He's not gonna remember, so you have to take care of right then and there. And because you are a leader within your team, if something isn't right, you have to address it right away. Address it in private, but take care of it. Because another thing one of my dearest mentors told me is, as a commanding officer, right, if you see something is out of place and you just pass by, you ignore it, guess what? That becomes your new standard. So you have to say, no, no, no, this is not the standard we have in this command. We need to fix it right away. So that's how people know that you mean business. Do it with love, do it with care, but do take care of it, right? Have those hard conversations and have it in private, but have it as soon as possible. Set the standard and maintain the standard. Remember what we said earlier? You have to be consistent. You have to be transparent, right? You have to be fair. Justice, very, very important. All right. So how do we apply this? You have to coach early. Again, as soon as it happens, take care of it. Let people know your expectation right away. This way they know exactly where you stand. And you have to correct clearly, be as clear as you can possibly be. So there is no confusion. Clarity is very important. Brian Tracy, another one of my mentors, is the one who really taught me about clarity because If your team members are very clear about their job, what they need to do, they are going to amaze you. They're gonna take care of it. But if they are confused about their role and what's important, what's the priority and what is not, then they're gonna be confused and their work is going to reflect that. So clarity is super, super important. Another interview that I had here with the writing partner of John Maxwell, Charlie Wetzel, you need to watch that episode. One of the best things I learned throughout the conversation I had with him is as an author, and he's written more than 100 books, most of them New York Times bestselling books, but he said one of the most important things he does as an author is to clarify the voice of Dr. John C. Maxwell. He wants to write with clarity so that anybody who can pick up the book can read it and understand it and make very complex things simple. Right? That is what authors do. Teachers, they do that. It's very complex to make it simple so that anybody can understand. Clarity, clarity. And as a leader, you have to be very clear about your instruction, about your expectation, about your standard, so everybody knows exactly what they need to do, and then they can get to work. So who on your team needs loving but firm correction? And you have to be kind but you do have to be firm. And I think when you correct, you have to correct with love. I am correcting you because I care about you, because I love you, right? So I am being kind by telling you exactly what is wrong and how we can improve. All right. So are you avoiding discomfort at the expense of growth? Because when you are clear, when you have those hard conversations with your people, you are helping them to grow and you are helping the entire organization to get better. So what you refuse to correct today will control you tomorrow. So as a leader, you absolutely have to face reality, and you have to take action. It's not just doing the right thing, but it's doing the right thing at the right time when it is needed, whether you feel like it or not. All right, leadership lesson number 5: Vision anchors restraint. Let's read verse 18. Vision anchors restraint.

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint, but happy is he who keeps the law.

Where there is no revelation, there is no restraint.

Wow.

Leadership. Vision anchors restraint. Vision without values leads to chaos. Values without vision lead to stagnation. So you have to know what your core values are. It's not just posters that you put on the wall, but who you are as an organization. I am again reminded of another interview I had with Terri Maxwell. You have to listen to it. What I really got out of our conversation, she said her business is, she has core values and everybody she hires has to abide by those. So she gives everybody, she said about, 90 days or 6 months, but anyway, a certain amount of time where she tests them and she makes sure that they are going to live and work by those values. I think it was 6 months. And if they do live and abide by those values, they stay. And if they don't, then she releases those people back to the market because they don't belong in her business. And then also the business that she helps grow and scale, even if they offer her a lot of money, she wouldn't work for just anybody. She would work for businesses who have the same mind, same value. She goes by her values. That's how she lives her life and that's how she leads her business. And if those values are in conflict, then she's not gonna do business with you. If your values are in conflict, she's not going to hire you. You're not gonna be working for her. And that is so powerful. And that's really the way every business should run. You shouldn't be making exception, oh well, this person doesn't live by the values of the business, but they bring in so much money. We have to keep them or promote them. No, no, that's not fairness. That is not justice. That doesn't work. Okay? So you have to communicate a clear, compelling vision grounded in enduring principle. So is your vision clear or merely aspirational? And do your people know why they do what they do? Now, I speak a lot. I'm a keynote speaker usually about maybe 8 to 12 times every single year. For example, I'm gonna be in Atlanta in 2 weeks at the Millennium Assembly. We're gonna be talking about cybersecurity leadership. I really look forward to it. But every time, most of the time when I speak, I kind of ask people, hey, how many of you know the core values of your organization? And everybody's gonna put their hand up. Okay, okay, okay. If you know what it is, can you please tell me what the core values are? Less than 1% know exactly what the core values of the organizations are. Most of them, they have an idea what they are, but they don't know what those core values are exactly. And the 1% I usually meet that know exactly what the core values are, are usually people from the military. Anybody who was in the Army, in the Navy, in the Air Force, in the Coast Guard, those people, they know exactly what those core values are because it is drilled into us. For example, for the Navy, honor, courage, commitment, doesn't matter. What time of the day you wake me up and you tell me, what are your core values, sailor? Honor, courage, commitment. Every sailor knows exactly what those core values are. From the time the Navy started in the 1700s to now, 2026, all sailors know exactly what their core values are. That's really what brings us together, right? Those are the core values for the Navy, but they are the core values for each one of us individually. We are fully aligned to that. And if you know what your core values are, That's how you are going to act. That's how you're gonna treat your neighbor, your fellow worker, your customers, right? And that's gonna reflect the organization. So is your vision clear? Do people know what their core values are? Do they know why they do what they do? Do they know the mission of your organization? Do they know why they are on the payroll? Clarity, clarity, clarity. Okay, so vision, gives direction. This is the way we are going. But values give endurance so that when it is difficult, remember, hey, what are your core values? Honor, courage, commitment. So I will act honorably. I will be committed to the task even though it is difficult, right? And I will have the courage to do the right thing even if it might hurt somebody's feeling. It is the right thing to do, so I will have the courage to do just that. So what are your core values? And do your people abide by those, including yourself? Because nobody should ever be above the rules, everybody including the boss. Leadership lesson number 6, out of Proverbs 29: Anger is a leadership liability. Let's read verse 22.

An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression.

And angry men stir up strife. Strife is really the worst thing that can happen within a team because you need unity, you need collaboration, you need everybody rowing in the same direction. Because if some people are rowing this way, other people are going the other way, you're not going to be able to move forward. So everybody on the same page, right, working together. So uncontrolled emotion multiplies conflict. And diminished authority. So how do we apply this? Develop emotional intelligence. Now, I live here in Silicon Valley where I believe our IQ is off the chart, so many smart people in Silicon Valley, but emotional intelligence, we still have a lot of work to do. Being aware of oneself, but also aware of your environment and other people, being able to work together even when people have very difficult characters, right? People who are difficult to work with, trying to find ways to work together, to find ways where you agree, points of agreement, and where you can move forward. So develop emotional intelligence, pause before you respond. So don't just react, but respond. Pause, create the space, Take the emotion out of the way and think logically. Maybe you need to calm yourself down, take a deep breath, but start thinking about what is the best response to whatever just happened. Don't just emotionally react to it, especially under pressure, right? Don't lose your mind. Be thoughtful, be calm, cool, collected under pressure. That's leadership. Okay. So what situation triggers your anger and how does your emotional tone affect team dynamics. And again, everybody is not perfect and we all make mistakes, but try not to make the same mistakes over and over again. And when you do make mistake, even as the boss, even as the leader, you need to be humble enough to ask for forgiveness. And if it happened in public, ask for forgiveness in public. If it happened in private, ask for forgiveness in private. People are going to see you vulnerable and they're going to relate to you. And I'm telling you, they are going to follow you to the end of the earth. Some of the best, best, uh, skippers, commanding officers I've ever had throughout my entire career, there were people who were human, they were vulnerable at times, and, uh, they really showed us— they were a role model to show us the way how to do it and how to treat each other. And that really makes all the difference in the world, because if they think that you are perfect, nobody is going to relate to you. If I think that you never make mistakes, nobody's going to relate to you. But if I know that, yes, I've made mistakes and I've learned from failure and I've improved because of the time I didn't succeed immediately, right? Dr. John Maxwell, even he wrote a book about this. Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn. Now, hopefully failure is just a way for you to learn the lesson you haven't got yet and then you can move forward. So leaders who master themselves, who master their emotions, they lead others well. Alright, the last lesson for today, Leadership Lesson #7: Humility preserves honour. So let's read verse 23: Humility preserves honour.

A man's pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.

The humble in spirit will retain honor. Somewhere else it says that pride comes before collapse, but if you are humble— and again, I want to put the words that Daniel wrote in the comments earlier: humble, credible, and approachable. If you lead with humility, if you are humble, you will have long success because humility preserves honor. Pride will isolate you, but humility surrounds you with trust and wisdom. So practice visible humility. Give credit when it's due and give credit in public. Admit mistakes. Many leaders are pretty good, but they never admit mistake. Everybody makes mistakes. So everybody knows that they are full of themselves, right? So you have to admit mistake when you made a mistake. And if it was done publicly, do that publicly. And I believe especially in America, in my experience, people will always forgive you. What they don't forgive is when you lie about it and you try to do things to hide it, right? That's what most people will never forgive. But if you made a mistake, it's okay. I made a mistake. I learned from it and I'm gonna make that mistake again. I'm gonna do better. People will respect you for that. So visible humility and serve quietly. All right, so where might pride be limiting your influence? And how do you model humility for those watching you? Again, as a leader, people are watching you all the time. So the anchor reflection for lesson 7 is honor follows those who refuse to chase it. Those who are humble. Just focus on adding value, and I think everything else is going to take care of itself. No, mission first, people always. One team, one fight. Those were my two leadership mantras when I had the great privilege of being the commanding officer of the Global Network Operations Security Center in, uh, Suffolk, Virginia. You have to be humble. That's really the number one lesson I've learned throughout my entire career. You cannot have a big head. You cannot be boastful. You have to be humble. And as you do, I think you are going to have enduring legacy, right? You're gonna be able to have a huge impact on the people who serve with you. All right, so before I close, Proverbs chapter 29, It really confronts leaders with a sobering truth, right? Authority amplifies character. This chapter calls leaders to embrace correction, govern with justice, fairness, transparency, persistence, and communicate vision and lead with humility. Again, the best lesson I've ever learned, one of the greatest lessons I've ever learned in my life. Again, in my podcast, I asked my illustrious guests, uh, during the last segment, what do you think is the greatest lesson you've ever learned? In my case, it's you have to lead with humility. You have to remain humble. If you do, honor will quickly follow. You have to be humble because the consequences of leadership are never private, right? When leaders lead well, people rejoice, but when they don't, everyone pays the price, including your organization. Okay, that's all I have for today. Again, let me know what are 3 to 5 highlights from today's lesson that speaks to you, what you've learned, and any verses I didn't get to, I didn't highlight. Let me know what your thoughts are on those when it comes to ancient wisdom and leadership. So I'm going to be back here tomorrow, January 30th, for Proverbs chapter 30th. So we're gonna read Proverbs chapter 30 for ancient wisdom and leadership lesson tomorrow. And then we have one more day, and that's gonna be the end of this special edition of the Leadership and Success podcast. So thank you so much for all of you who've been here with me from the very beginning. And you can go to your favorite podcast platform and listen to every lesson from chapter 1 all the way up to yesterday, chapter 28. And Today's lesson, chapter 29, will be available on all of the major podcast platforms by the end of the day. It should already be available as a replay on LinkedIn and YouTube. And thanks again for watching and have a wonderful rest of your day. And also let me know which one of the lessons I've shared today you're gonna be able to apply today. All right, have a wonderful rest of your day. Bye for now.

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 success. Remember, leadership is the most critical skill of our time. The world will always Companies 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 with excellence.