S31:E7🎙️ LIVE AWLL From Proverbs — Chapter 7 (Multi Tracks Audio)

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All right everyone, welcome to a very special edition of the Leadership and Success Podcast. So we are going through the book of Proverbs. Uh, I have to say this again, this is not a religious podcast, but we are going through an ancient book written more than 2,000 years ago and to really get the wisdom distilled in it and see how it is still applicable today in 2025, in the 21st century. So we're going to be focusing on ancient wisdom and leadership lesson from the Book of Proverbs. So we're going to be reading and studying one chapter a day for the month of January. So today is January 7th. So we're going to be studying chapter 7 today. So we've already gone through chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. And if you haven't listened to those yet, go back and listen to those podcasts. They are available. On every podcast platform, including LinkedIn and YouTube. Alright, before we get started, let's do our moment of gratitude as it is our custom here on this podcast. I'm probably gonna do it a little bit different than we normally do. I'm gonna be heavily influenced by what Terry Maxwell taught us. I think it was season 5, episode 3. About the success switch. I think that is so powerful. So let's modify our moment of gratitude. We're still going to do it within a minute or two, but I want us to do the breathing exercise to kind of slow down our nervous system. I think when we do that, we create space to come up with a response where we don't just automatically react, but we actually take the time to think, to calm down. And to respond to whatever it is that we are dealing with at the time. So if you would maybe close your eyes and open your mouth, put yourself in your happy place. And for me, it's probably by the beach and I can feel the sun and the waves and it's just beautiful. And I just feel complete and so grateful. Kind of be aware, that's the A for ABC switch, be aware of whatever emotion comes to the top. And you can type it in the comment afterward if you want. How are you feeling? For me, like right now, I really feel calm. And take a deep breath. And what that does, it really slows down your nervous system. You may wanna do it 2 or 3 more times. And now, how do you feel? For me, I'm feeling really centered. I feel shalom, right? Peace. Nothing missing, nothing broken. And from this position, what am I grateful for? I think I am really grateful for the ability of mankind to be kind. Right? The power of the human spirit to really make a dent in the universe and be kind to one's neighbor. I think human beings, we are quite powerful. It is really amazing what we can accomplish. I know we do have the ability to be evil too. For example, in my country, in the US, we did slavery and we did genocide of the native American, that's pure evil. But beyond that, we've also done a lot of good. And my prayer, and what I'm grateful for right now, is that as a nation, but also as a member of the human race, that we really learn to be kind to one another, to do things that are going to make our world a much better place than it was yesterday, thinking about our children, our children's children. And the great-grandchildren that we may never see because we really have only one Earth, one planet where we can live. But anyway, I am really grateful for the ability of the human spirit to be kind and to be generous. And I think we need more and more of that in 2026. All right, so let us know what you are grateful for. Let me know where you are joining us from, what city, what state. And also, if you have a question for me, type it in the comment. So I'm gonna go through my highlight of the book of Proverbs chapter 7 today, but I'd like to hear from you as well. So whatever verses I don't highlight and you want to share what you got out of it and are you gonna be able to apply it today, 2,000 years later, let us know. And whatever I share with you too, if you have any thoughts, feedback on that, I'd like to hear that also. All right, to get started, I'm gonna use Ron Carpenter AI. I interviewed Ron Carpenter AI for season 4, episode 15, if you remember. So Ron Carpenter AI has a lot to say about the Book of Proverbs. So I'm gonna have Ron Carpenter AI do the introduction of the book.

Hi, this is Pastor Ron Carpenter. This is Pastor Ron. Wisdom, it's calling folks out of foolishness and The book sets up the whole theme. Wisdom not just abstract, I smart stupid mistakes. It's like your spiritual GPS, dropping you off at the crossroads where every choice makes a difference. Alright, listen to me now. The Book of Proverbs is like God's wisdom manual. It's not just for show, it's for living. It's packed with straight talk, right? Make good decisions and walk away from foolishness. When you start in Proverbs, you're stepping into a conversation where God's voice invites you to grow up, not just in money, but in life and character. So don't jump in thinking it's a dusty old rules book. It's a guide to mastering your mind and the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of knowledge. That's your launching pad. You ready to dig in? All right, listen, Proverbs was mostly penned by Solomon, the king known for his wisdom, God's gift to him after he asked not for riches or power, but for understanding. Now, Human nature ain't changed. Folks still wrestle with choices, temptation, pride, and fear. This old book drops timeless truth that honors God and keeps you out of foolish messes, and that kind of wisdom is gold right now in this wild 21st century. It's like a vintage dang good meal today.

All right, so that is what Ron Carpenter AI thinks about the Book of Proverbs. This is why this book is still relevant today, more than 2,000 years after it was written. So it is wisdom for the ages, right? It is universal and it applies no matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter your industry. If you put these principles into practice, I believe you are going to see a positive change in your life and your environment. Okay, so now I'm gonna go back and we're gonna review what we talked about for chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, which was yesterday. So I'm gonna let Ron Carpenter AI go through the review process for us for the first 6 chapters.

Here we go. Hi, this is Pastor Ron Carpenter. How can I help? All right, listen closely. Proverbs chapter 1 is all about the beginning of wisdom, and that start is the fear of the Lord. It's about Getting wisdom, getting instruction, and the spirit of wisdom and revelation so you can see life clearly and make choices that don't mess you up. The whole thing points to the fact that wisdom isn't just a heart posture, a way of living that sets you apart. That's the big idea right there. Chapter 2 picks up from that foundation in Chapter 1 and digs into why wisdom is like your best friend, your protector. It shows how wisdom saves you from the fools and the— you see, it's about hearing God's voice early, before trouble hits, so you can live long, peaceful days. The fear of the Lord keeps you safe and gives you— avoid all kinds of foolishness. That's the big deal there. All right, chapter 3 is like wisdom's personal invitation. It tells us to trust the Lord with all our heart and not our own Come on, that's powerful. When you do that, he'll make your path straight, guiding you through life with success and peace. It's about leaning in, not just knowing God's favor daily. That's a dang good life lesson right there. All right, chapter 4 is like the pep talk from your wise, loving dad telling you to grab hold of wisdom and never forget about guarding your heart, because everything you do flows from it, and you gotta stay clear of folly that leads to destruction. It's a strong call to keep God as your companion and your priority, period. That's the heart of it. Alright, Chapter 5 is a warning about the dangers of temptation, especially the seductive traps that can wreck your life and your future. It's got rules about staying faithful and wise, not falling for foolish shortcuts or lies that seem sweet and bitter. The message is keep your eyes locked on what's righteous and don't let yourself get fooled. That's the big point, right there. Alright, Proverbs chapter 6 is packed with tough love. It warns about foolish promises, laziness, and how God hates those who— among brothers. But the star of the show is that little ant. Man, that ant shows us what diligence and foresight look like— working steady and preparing ahead. That's the kind of wisdom God wants us to get— practical, real, and hard-earned. Alright, Chapter 7 is like this desperate shout from wisdom warning you about getting caught up in temptation, especially that sneaky kind that looks good but wrecks you. Wisdom screaming for you to wake up, guard your heart, and choose the right way before it's too late. That's the big idea right there.

All right, so that was the review from chapter 1, uh, through chapter 6, and then he gave his overview for chapter 7. So just a quick reminder, so I'm not gonna go through all of that again, but for Chapter 6, I'm just gonna remind you of the 7 lessons we went through yesterday. Lesson number 1 was guard your authority and commitment from verses 1 through 5, right? Don't co-sign what you cannot control. Leaders compromise authority when they take on obligation driven by emotion, Pressure or misplaced loyalty. So cosigning financially or reputationally creates unseen chains that limit decision-making and freedom of action. So that was lesson number 1. Lesson number 2 yesterday, we talked about discipline beats talent, verses 6, 7, and 8, right? Learn from the ant. The ant model proactive leadership, no micromanagement, no applause, no delay. High-performing leaders don't wait for urgency. They prepare during calm season. Lesson number 3, complacency is a leadership choice. Verses 9, 10, and 11. Drift is optional. So leadership erosion happens slowly through delay, comfort, and excuses, but the greatest threat is not failure, but drift. Again, you can get all of those in detail if you listen to the podcast yesterday. So just a quick review. So lesson number 4, Most character failure is a leadership failure. Verses 12 through 15. So integrity is non-negotiable. So manipulation, deception, and hidden agenda, they will destroy trust faster than incompetence. Leaders who operate with divided hearts fracture teams. All right, lesson number 5: Know what destroys trust. The 7 leadership killers. So it's pride, deception, injustice, and discord are not personality quirks. But they truly are leadership disqualifiers. Do not put in position of leadership people who are full of pride, deceptive, injustice, hatred, and who cause discord among the brethren within your organization. Toxic people. All right. So teams fracture when leaders tolerate this behavior. Lesson number 6, accountability is a gift. Verses 20 through 23. So wisdom requires guardrails. Healthy leaders welcome instruction, correction, and boundaries. It's not like you don't have to have fun, but you need to have fun within the guardrails that are going to really protect you, right? Allow you to have a life that is abundant, but also long-lasting, right? Maximize opportunities for growth and for success and minimize anything that you do not want, that is going to negatively impact you or even worse, your legacy, the people after you. So accountability doesn't limit leadership, but it really does protect it. All right, the final lesson yesterday was lesson 7, Private Compromise Has Public Consequences, verses 24 through 35. So integrity is always, always on display. If you don't get anything out of Proverbs 6, I think that's the lesson. You are always on display as a leader. So moral failure destroys credibility, it destroys trust, it destroys legacy, and no amount of success will compensate for compromised character. All right, so today we're going to start Proverbs 7. We've already heard what Apostle Ron Carpenter thought of Proverbs chapter 7, his overview. So let me give you my big idea. And also I would like to hear from you, so type in the comment again where you are watching from, what you are grateful for today, and whatever insight you might have on Proverbs chapter 7, which is today's lesson. Okay, so I think this chapter, it's really a vivid case study in how leaders fail, not suddenly but progressively. Yesterday I gave the image, right, of the frog into boiling water. If you put a frog in boiling water, it's going to jump out right away. But if you put it into room temperature water, the frog will be comfortable. And then as you turn on the oven and have the temperature increase slowly and progressively, going from 0 to 1 degree, not much of a difference, from 1 to 2, not much of a difference. So the frog is going to get used to it. And before it knows it, it's going to be completely boiled. And that's really what happens with leadership. It's a progressive thing. It doesn't happen overnight. It takes time. All right. So It contrasts internalized wisdom with unguarded impulses, right, this chapter, showing that temptation often masquerades as opportunity and confidence. So the chapter teaches that leadership integrity is preserved before the moment of pressure through discipline, foresight, and moral clarity. So because once desire overrides discernment, authority collapses from the inside out. Alright, so that's why it says guard your heart above everything else, because out of your heart comes the issues of life. So the theme: Guard Wells Before Crossroads. So wise leaders, they don't rely on willpower alone. They build habits, boundaries, and counsel that guide decision long before risk appears. Again, one thing I really learned from the book of Proverbs, right, you don't want to rely on your willpower for anything. You may have willpower, but try not to use it, right? Just build your environment, build your surrounding, build an atmosphere around you that is going to make it easier for you to always do the right thing. Get rid of the temptation, right? If your problem, for example, is watching TV, maybe you need to cancel your cable, just as an example. If your problem is social media, maybe you need to remove all of your social media apps from your phone, whatever is tempting you, you don't want to use willpower to go against it. You want to make it so that you are not going to be tempted where there is no reason for you to use your willpower anyway. And it's going to kind of force you to do the right thing. One of my mentors, Darren Hardy, he wrote this book, The Compound Effect. He's actually pretty extreme. He doesn't allow phones when he has meetings. And actually when he goes to the office, he keeps his phone in his car. This way he can't be tempted to go out of his building and go to the car to pick up his phone. So he doesn't have access to social media or any of that. Now he does use social media for his business, but it is all automated and he has people who work for him that do it for him. But he doesn't spend, you know, 5, 6, 7, 8 hours a day on Facebook and LinkedIn and all of that. He has his own priorities that he really focuses on. And that's how he does it. Now again, that might work for some people, but the idea is just get rid of the temptation, whatever the temptation is for you, whatever it is that is preventing you from doing what you believe you are called to do. You really need to go ahead and make sure that you do not give it an opportunity to distract your purpose and your focus. All right, so, uh, lesson number 1: wisdom must be internalized, not memorized. So that's going to be from verses, uh, 1, 2, and 3. Okay, wisdom must be internalized, not memorized. So let's go to verses 1 through 3.

My son, keep my words and treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart.

Bind them on your fingers, words of wisdom, write them on the tablet of your heart. So the leadership insight: wisdom that lives only in policy manuals or slogans fails under pressure. Leaders who merely know the rules but haven't embedded them into character will rationalize exceptions when stakes rise. So the application: move from compliance to conviction. You have to be a person of conviction, not just checkbox, I'm compliant. Okay, translate values into daily routine, not just quarterly reminders, and teach teams why principles matter, not just what they are. This is who we are, these are our core values, and this is why it is so. I'm going back to the example, Season 5, Episode 3, Terry Maxwell, the one who taught us about the success switch, how to slow down your nervous system and create the space where you can respond to whatever it is that you are facing and think more clearly. She also said that she only hires people who are fully aligned with her core values and the core values of her organization. She gives them about 90 days and if they are not, then she releases them back into the market because they don't belong into her business. That's really the way I believe every enterprise should be run. Kind of like Darren Hardy again, he was good friend with Bill Marriott, the owner of the Marriott brand of hotels and resorts, my number one brand whenever I travel. I always love to stay at the Marriott because there are some expectations. They have a standard. It doesn't matter where I go, whether I am in France or in Italy or in Scotland or in America, in Alabama or in California, when I go to a Marriott hotel, I know exactly what to expect. And the people are so nice. And then I'd ask them, "BL Marriott, why are your people so nice?" Now, from everybody who takes care of the grounds, groundskeeping, and people at the reception, the cleaning lady, everybody is so kind and nice. Why is that? And he told him, well, what we do is we hire people who are nice. It's not like we hire jerks and then we try to teach them how to be nice, but we hire people who are already nice. And then when they come, maybe if we have to, we're going to teach them how to do their job and meet the standard here at this hotel or resort. So they hire the people who are already aligned with their values. And I think that's really how you are supposed to run a business where your core values and your culture is pretty much the same no matter where you go across the country or around the world. All right, so which leadership principle have I truly internalized? Think about that. And where am I relying on rules instead of character? So the anchor reflection: what I practice daily will protect me instinctively. Another one of my mentors, Dr. Mike Murdock, said, "The secret of your success is found where? In your daily routine, in what you do every single day." Wow, that's powerful. Okay, lesson number 2: Naivety is a leadership liability. We're gonna read verses 6 through 9. Naivety is a leadership liability.

Say to wisdom, you are my sister. For at the window of my house I looked through my lattice and saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, a young man devoid of understanding passing along the street near her corner, and he took the path to her house in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night.

All right, he took a path to her house in the evening, in the dark, in the dark night. All right, so naivety is a leadership liability. The simple leader lacks foresight, not intelligence. They are intelligent, but they just don't have foresight. So being reactive, inexperienced, or overly trusting in high-risk environment invites exploitation. I think in the military, we definitely learned that pretty well. So develop situational awareness, be aware of your surrounding and the people around you. Learn from history, your own and others. Again, that's why I love mentorship. That's why I love reading, especially biography, what other people have done, what they did right, what they did wrong, so I can learn from their experience without myself having to be put in a position where I have to learn by trial and error. Because there are really only two ways to learn, right? Trial and error, you try and you fail and you learn from your mistake, or you learn from the wisdom, from the experience of other people. So encourage dissent and challenge blind optimism. You have to be optimistic. General Colin Powell talked about that a lot, but it doesn't mean that everything is always going to work out. But I think as a leader, you do have to have a positive attitude. If there is a problem, there's gotta be a solution. And hopefully you are confident enough to figure out what that solution is going to be with the help of your team, but you don't want blind optimism. You have to be realistic. But I believe you have to use data and have data inform your decision. But I think it's important as a leader to have a positive mind and a positive attitude and figure out whatever the problems might be and come up with the right solution for your industry, for your organization. So where might I be underestimating risk right now? And who helps me see what I might be missing. That's another reason why I believe you need to have diversity and people from diverse background, diversity, equity, and inclusion, belonging, right? Accessibility. I think that's important. I think people who have different background, who come from different culture, who have different educational background, different ways of thinking, because if you only hire people who look like you, who think like you, who came from the same background as you, you are going to have the same exact blind spot and you don't want that. You want diversity because diverse teams are high-performing teams. They perform a lot better than monotonous teams. So the anchor reflection is wisdom begins when I admit what I don't yet see. So you have to be honest, you have to be humble. And that's one thing I've really learned for all of the flag officers I have ever worked with and those that I have interviewed, right, from General Petraeus to General McChrystal to General Britto, all of these great military men and women, it's really amazing how humble they are when you get to know them. They don't have this big head, oh, I know everything, I am in charge and you guys work for me, but it's actually them working for their troops, trying to find solutions, removing barriers, and really always open, right, for solution, no matter where it comes from the chain of command. And I think that's really wonderful to see. I think that's servant leadership in action. Alright, leadership lesson number 3: Temptation often looks like validation. So we're going to read verses 10, 11, and 12. Temptation looks like validation.

And there a woman met Him with the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. She was loud and rebellious. Her feet would not stay at home. At times she was outside, at times in the open square, lurking at every corner.

Well, sometimes temptation is going to lurk at every corner, and it looks like validation. So flattery, secrecy, and attention are common tools of manipulation. So leaders are most vulnerable when affirmation replaces accountability. All right, so be cautious of praise that bypasses peers or processes. Build feedback loops that value truth over comfort. I think you really need to have a team as a leader, a team of people you can trust, people who can speak the truth to you, speak truth to power, tell you exactly what it is. And when I was a commanding officer, The people I really trusted to do that for me were my chief, the chief mess, especially my senior enlisted leader, the most senior enlisted person in my command, because that person, she really knew the white hats. She knew the junior enlisted folks and what they needed. And if I did anything that would make life difficult for them, I gave her full permission, come to me. I don't care about rank. Just sit me down and tell me, sir, I believe you are mistaken and this is why. Now she was always very, very polite and nice, but she would tell me, the truth. And I think everybody needs a truth teller, right? Because sometimes you are in a position of leadership and you are in charge of the mission of your organization and all of these people, sometimes you may get the big head or just be mistaken. Maybe you just don't know, make a decision that doesn't make sense. And you need to have those people who can come to you and speak to you frankly and say, okay, sir, ma'am, I understand what you want us to do, but I think it's a mistake and this is why.. And you as a leader, you really have to sit down and really listen and consider that, right? Because I think that's very, very important. So, and then you do have to normalize transparency. It's okay for you to make mistakes. You are human, but you have to learn from those mistakes. And again, listen to your team member. So do I confuse admiration with alignment? And who can challenge me without fear? Building psychological safety, that's so important, where your people feel safe enough to speak up when they need to. And they don't feel like if they say something that goes against what you are attempting to do, that there's going to be negative reprisal, right? They need to feel safe that they can make mistakes and learn from them and that they can contribute as well, provide their feedback. Alright. Not every open door is a divine opportunity. So you have to use wisdom and discernment. Lesson number 4: Rationalization is the gateway to compromise. We're going to read 13:20. Rationalization, gateway to compromise.

So she caught him and kissed him.

With an impudent face, she said to him, "I have peace offerings with me." Today I have paid my vows, so I came out to meet you diligently to seek your face, and I have found you. I have spread my bed with tapestry, colored coverings of Egyptian linen. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until morning. Come, let us delight ourselves with love, for my husband is not at home. He has gone on a long journey. He has taken a bag of money with him and will come home on the appointed day. Well, if this is not temptation, I don't know what temptation is. And I remember, I think it was 2 days ago, I talked about Joseph, right? He was tempted by Potiphar's wife, the wife of the master of his house. And what did Joseph do? He ran, right? We talked about gazelle intensity. When you see temptation, don't be like, "Oh, I'm gonna use my willpower. Oh, I'm gonna be able to make it," because you are human and you will fall. I can guarantee that. So you have to have those guardrails in place, and rationalization is the gateway to compromise. So whenever you can smell an hint of temptation, I think you really need to put yourself in check. Have all of those guardrails we've been talking about in the Book of Proverbs to make sure you stay focused on your mission and your goals. Okay, so leadership insight: the danger isn't temptation alone, but it's the story we tell ourselves to justify it. Oh, just this one time. Oh, maybe that's not too bad. Oh, nobody is going to find out. That's where you really start getting in trouble. So compromise rarely begins with rebellion, it begins with permission. So application, pause when decision requires secrecy, examine motives before outcome, and teach teams to question convenient logic. Oh, it's so convenient, let's just do it this one time. Well, is that aligned with your core values? Is that aligned with the mission of your organization? Like the other test, the grandma test, you know, what would my grandmother think about what I am about to do? And another podcast I would like to recommend was the one, I believe it was season 7, with Commander William Spears. He is a warrior, submariner officer, but also a Stoic philosopher. That was a great discussion. We are just about morality, honor, and really the warrior ethos. I think that that would be a good podcast for you to watch as well. All right, anchor reflection: if I must hide it, I should not lead it. Okay, because whatever is done in the darkness will eventually be brought to the light. All right, leadership lesson number 5: momentum can mask misalignment. Momentum can mask misalignment. So 21 through 23, let's go.

Verses 21 through 23: With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him. Immediately he went after her as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, he did not know it would cost his life.

Well, that is the thing, right, with temptation. In a moment of weakness, you do something and you don't even know that you are really signing your own death warrant. So momentum can mask misalignment. So confidence, speed, and momentum can look like success. Until consequences arrive. So leaders often mistake movement for progress. Okay, how do you apply that? Slow down, make your decision, take the time to think. Again, I'm going back to what Terry Maxwell taught us, Season 5, Episode 3, right? You have to create that space, you calm down your nervous system, and you can make rational decisions. Require ethical checkpoints, not just KPIs. Especially in Silicon Valley, we have so many KPIs, but ethical checkpoint, ethics is very important. Again, I'm going to refer you back to Season 4, Episode 133 with my former Naval Postgraduate, Naval War College professor, Dr. Casey Luscious. She taught us ethics and decision-making in theater. Very, very important to practice that before you are under pressure. So reward restraint as much as result. So that's the application. All right. So am I moving fast to avoid reflection? Are you? And what's the long-term cost of this decision? Like I mentioned before, from the book of Proverbs, that's really one master key I have learned from it. The ability to have a long-term perspective, not just today, not just right now, not just microwave, but tomorrow. Next month, next year, 3 years from now, 5 years from now, what's going to be the consequence of my decision today? I think the longer your perspective, the better decision you are going to make. Is this really worth it? One night of passion, this one moment of vulnerability or weakness, how is that going to affect my life, my family, my future? So think about it. Alright, the anchor reflection for lesson 5: Speed without wisdom will accelerate failure. Again, for those taking notes, speed without wisdom will accelerate failure. Alright, leadership lesson number 6: One leader's fall impacts many. So the fall of a leader doesn't just impact this leader, but it impacts many other people. That's going to be verses 24, 25, and 26.

All right.

Now therefore, listen to me, my children. Pay attention to the words of my mouth. Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways. Do not stray into her paths, for she has cast down many wounded, and all who were slain by her were strong men.

She has cast down many, many wounded, not just one, but many. All right. Leadership failure is rarely isolated. Teams, families, organizations, sometimes even countries and missions absorb the blast radius of compromised integrity. So what are the applications? Model personal accountability. And again, I believe you need to have an accountability group. If you're a man, a group of men, 2 or 3, that you can really make yourself accountable to, that's gonna have huge benefit to your future, in my opinion. Okay, address small breaches early and teach that leadership is stewardship, not entitlement. So it's also a mindset, right? So who is affected by my private decision? As a father, it could be your spouse, your children. As a business leader, it could be your entire organization who is affected by the private decision that you make. And do your actions strengthen or strain trust? Think about that. Okay, anchor reflection. My influence multiplies both wisdom and damage. So what we do is like a seed that we plant and then we get an harvest, good or bad. So think before you click, but think before you act. All right, the last lesson, leadership lesson number 7 from Proverbs chapter 7, that's going to be boundaries are leadership strategy. You want leadership strategy, you need to live within boundaries. Okay, make sure you have some God words. So that's going to be Proverbs 7:27. That's going to be our last verse today.

Here we go.

Her house is the way to hell, descending to the chambers of death.

Her house is the way to hell. Boundaries are leadership.

Strategy.

So the chapter really ends with a warning. Unchecked paths don't lead to neutral outcomes. Leaders must decide in advance. Again, like Dr. Casey Lucius taught us in season 4, episode 133 of the Leadership and Success podcast, you have to decide those things ethically in advance where they will not go. You have to make up your mind and Be resolved like Joseph, run away from Potiphar's wife, even leave your beautiful mentor behind, but you have to keep yourself pure. You have to stay coherent, a person of integrity with your own values and your own morals and your ethics. Live out what you believe and believe what you live out. Do what you say and say what you do, because integrity is very, very important. Again, I go back with Stoicism Commander William Speers. I think that was on season 5, episode 7, I believe. So go ahead and watch those podcasts because it's really going to make you think. All right, so how do we apply this? Establish personal and professional guardrails. Put distance between yourself and known risk. And then number 5, saying no as a leadership skill. Because if you say yes all the time, you're never going to be able to say yes to your own goals, your own priorities. So learn to say no. Say no to temptation. Say no to anything that doesn't look like it's your priority. It's what you need to focus your time and your energy on. And maybe you can just delegate, have somebody else do it. But getting in the habit of saying no, I think is very, very important. Because I used to be a people pleaser. And I think many, many people are like that. I don't want to hurt your feelings, so I will just go along and do it. No, you have to be clear. Let your yes be yes, let your no be no. And sometimes you have to say no, or just not today. Right? All right. So what boundaries protect my mission and character? What boundaries protect yours? And where do I need to create distance, not discipline? The anchor reflection for the last lesson, and again, lesson 7, boundaries are leadership strategy. Strong leaders build fences before the storm arrives. Again, you have to do it before the storm arrives, because once you are in crisis, you will not be thinking about it. Kind of like in the Navy, right? And I think the entire military, in the US, we train the way we fight. Training, training, training. This way, when you are actually in the fight, it's like muscle memory. Oh, I've been here before, I've done that before. I mean, it's just automatic response because you've been training for a very long time for that possibility. All right, strong leaders build fences before storms arrive. All right, my closing statement for Proverbs 7. So this chapter really leaves leaders with a sober but empowering truth, right? Integrity is not protected in the moment of temptation. I think that's probably the greatest lesson from Chapter 7, in my opinion. But integrity is protected in the discipline, boundary, and conviction established long before pressure arrives. And you have to do that daily. Every day you wake up, okay, today I'm going to be disciplined. Today I am going to live within those boundaries. Today I will live by my conviction, by my moral code, by my core value. You have to make that commitment every single day because the day you don't make the commitment, it doesn't matter who you are and how much you have accomplished, you could literally lose it all. So that's important. So leadership does not fail loudly at first. It drifts quietly through neglected wisdom and Unchecked Confidence and Rationalized Compromise. So another book plug, Season 4, I believe it was Episode 2, my mentor Chris Robinson, Executive VP for Maxwell Leadership, his bestselling book, From Drift to Drive. That's a great book to read. The High Achiever's Guide to Breaking the Chains of Complacency. Because sometimes even when you've achieved so much, you get to become a little bit complacent. Even with whatever your workout routine or whatever it might be. And sometimes you just have to be reminded, okay, let's not be complacent and let's get back to doing in our routine what's going to help us accomplish our goal and protect us as well. So wise leaders choose vigilance over vanity, foresight over impulse, and character over convenience, knowing that the strength of their leadership is ultimately measured not by how boldly they lead in public, but by how faithfully they govern themselves in private. So that's the key. That's all I've got for you. So again, let me know where you are joining us from, what your insights are on any of the verses I didn't highlight, or even if you resonate with what I am saying and what your thoughts are. I would like to know that. Okay, now we are going to end, and before I do, let me make I'll let you know what's going to happen. So tomorrow I am going to have two great interviews. I'm going to be speaking with Charlie Wetzel. And Charlie Wetzel is really the writing partner of Dr. John C. Maxwell. Dr. Maxwell has written over 100 books, almost all of them number one New York Times bestsellers. And Charlie is a key, a critical key to that. His name is not on the book as a co-author, but he's really helped Papa John with all of the writing he has done. So we're going to be talking about leadership without the spotlight. So that's going to be tomorrow. And tomorrow also, I will be speaking with Tamara Ray Stevenson. She is a food justice visionary, cultural engineer, and scholar practitioner. We're going to be talking about leadership with nourishment, and she's the bestselling author of the Wanda Kids series only available on our website and organization, I Am Wanda. So that's gonna be tomorrow. And then tomorrow as well, I will be speaking with one and only Dr. Ives Gibson. He's an Harvard Business School professor, but also a retired colonel in the US Army. All right. We're gonna be talking about going from cockpit to Harvard professor and how leaders are forged. You don't wanna miss this. And right after him, I will be speaking to Anna Wheeler, US Army veteran, former Black Hawk crew chief, cyber strategist, and a change agent. We're gonna be talking from Black Hawk to boardroom leadership under pressure. I really look forward to that. And then this Sunday, I'm gonna be speaking to another cybersecurity expert. That's going to be Daya Ramesh, cybersecurity leader and founder and operator. We're going to be talking about cybersecurity being existential. And then next week on Wednesday, I'm going to be speaking to another veteran, but also cybersecurity expert. She's a tech CEO, Commander Erika Dobbs, US Navy retired. Like me, she joined the Navy as a seaman recruit E-1, and she retired as a commander. Battle-tested servant leader, a tech CEO and veteran. Entrepreneur. We're going to be talking from seaman recruit to Navy commander turned CEO. That's going to be a fascinating discussion. And on the same day, I will be speaking to somebody who doesn't need any introduction. That's Lisa Fan. She's a mentoring architect. She's had at least one TEDx talk on mentorship. She's written two bestselling books, The Mentor's Guide, but also Breeding Differences for Better Mentoring. So that's going to be Wednesday next week. So I really look forward to all of this discussion. And then I will be back again tomorrow for our special edition. I don't know what time yet, but I am going to decide that right after this show. So tomorrow morning we're gonna go through Proverbs chapter 8. It's gonna be January 8th. So we're gonna go through Proverbs chapter 8. Again, not a religious podcast, but it's going to be really ancient wisdom mentoring from the book of Proverb. So for Proverb chapter 8, we're going to be seeking ancient wisdom and leadership lesson that are still applicable today in 2025, in the 21st century. All right, that's all I have for you, and thank you so much for watching. And I hope to see you first thing tomorrow morning with my friend, and he's also one of my mentors, Charlie Wetzel. And I can't hardly wait to do that. All right, see you tomorrow.

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 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.