Inner formation → virtue → character → leadership
Leadership today is not primarily a skills problem.
It is a formation problem.
Inner formation requires the cultivation of the human virtues.
Virtue forms character.
And character is the essence of true leadership.
What follows is a Rule of Life for Leaders — not a checklist, but a framework for becoming the kind of person others trust, follow, and are formed by.
Save it. Revisit it. Add to it.
I. Interior Life — Guarding Attention & Truth
A leader cannot give what he does not possess.
Choose signal (your mission) over noise (anything that distracts you from your mission); choose depth over distraction. Resist the temptation to join in conversations that distract you from the signal.
Reduce non-productive screen time; increase interior silence and contemplation.
Don’t live in the past (it stops the shoulda’, woulda’ or coulda’ thoughts) or the future (causes anxiety) —live today; it is enough.
Think critically; go to the source rather than outsourcing your judgment to others.
Practice daily gratitude.
- Do an examen every evening.
“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.”
— Jim Rohn
Leadership commitment: I will guard my attention so I can lead with clarity rather than reaction.
II. Character & Self-Knowledge — Becoming the Kind of Person Who Can Lead
Authority flows from who you are, not from your role or title.
Know yourself: temperament, strengths, weaknesses, and patterns.
Accept responsibility for your life as the sum of your decisions. Know that today, right now, you can change your life’s direction.
Reject the victim mentality for yourself and challenge others in your life to do the same.
Discipline language and conduct—what you normalize, you multiply.
- “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying…
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and slander be put away from you…
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.”
— Ephesians 4:29–32
- “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying…
Inner formation requires intentional work on the human virtues:
Magnanimity — aiming high in purpose while serving something greater than self
Humility — seeing oneself truthfully, without inflation or self-contempt
Self-control — governing impulses rather than being governed by them
Justice — giving others what is rightfully owed in word, action, and decision
Courage — choosing the good despite fear, pressure, or cost
Prudence — discerning the right course of action at the right time for the right reason
“Your past doesn’t define you, it prepares you.” — Darren Hardy
Leadership commitment: I will cultivate the virtues required to lead well, knowing that character—not position—gives leadership its authority.
III. Leadership & Responsibility — How I Engage the World
Followers complain about problems. Leaders take responsibility and solve problems.
Focus on behavior, situations, and issues—not the person.
Maintain the dignity, confidence, and self-esteem of others.
Preserve constructive relationships with employees, peers, and managers.
Take initiative to make things better.
Lead by example—your conduct teaches before your words do.
“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way.
If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”
— Jim Rohn
Leadership commitment: I will act on what I can influence instead of waiting for ideal conditions.
IV. Relationships & Community — The People Who Shape Me
Leadership is lived in community for others, not in a bubble for yourself.
Prioritize spouse and children before professional claims.
“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” – Mother Teresa
Be deliberate about proximity—who you allow to influence you.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” — Jim Rohn
Invest in relationships that build virtue and wisdom.
Practice everyday charity: patience, courtesy, generosity.
Contribute through presence, not just productivity.
“There are two kinds of people. Those who push you up and those who pull you down. Associate with those who push you up.” — Lou Holtz
Leadership commitment: I will be the leader who pushes others up.
V. Stewardship of Body, Space & Time
Disorder consumes energy meant for mission.
Care for the body through movement, moderation, nutrition, and rest.
Create order in home and workspace. Declutter your space.
Simplify where excess (things, noise, interruptions) distracts. Stop push notifications to your phone or email. Declutter your mind.
Plan the year intentionally rather than drifting into it. A plan focuses your mind to what is important.
Leadership commitment: I will create order in all areas of my life so I have the capacity to lead well over time.
VI. Meaning, Vision & Wonder — Remembering Why I Lead
Without wonder, leadership devolves to management.
Leadership is not merely a role or a career.
It is a vocation — a calling to serve the common good through the responsible use of authority, resources, and people entrusted to us.
I lead as a steward, not an owner.
I recognize the dignity of every person affected by my decisions.
I seek good goods produced in good ways, ordered toward good work.
I balance the demands of profitability with responsibility to people, community, and society.
I resist the reduction of business to power, profit, or efficiency alone.
I will live an integrated life, not a divided life knowing this split between faith and daily business practice can lead to imbalances and misplaced devotion to worldly success.
Business is meant to serve people, not the other way around.
I will read enduring works that enlarge the soul and sharpen moral imagination.
I will return often to first questions: truth, purpose, origin, and meaning.
I will seek experiences that broaden perspective and renew humility.
I will remember that every decision is a pursuit of happiness — and train that pursuit toward what is truly good.
Leadership commitment: I will lead as a steward of a vocation, ordering my decisions toward human dignity, the common good, and lasting value.
