“To whom much is given, much will be required.” – Luke 12:48
Leadership is not about titles or authority, – it’s not even a skill – it’s about influencing others through your example. The moment you step into a leadership role, whether formal or informal, you are entrusted with the power to shape the lives of those around you. That influence is a gift, but it also comes with a weight. Leaders are held to a higher standard because their choices ripple through the lives they touch, for better or for worse.
Being an influential leader can be compared to occupying a penthouse suite in a high-rise building. From the top, the view is phenomenal – clear, commanding, and full of potential. Everyone looks up to the leader, admiring the success, the vision, and the position.
The penthouse suite offers prestige, but it also comes with its own challenges.
What many don’t realize is that the penthouse is full of windows. Every move you make is visible to everyone below. Every decision, every conversation, and even every small misstep is observed, analyzed, and often scrutinized. What can feel like a small choice to you might seem like a monumental shift to others.
This visibility can be overwhelming, and it’s easy to become cautious or even paralyzed by the fear of being misjudged or misunderstood. Leaders often feel the weight of expectations from all sides, unsure of whether their actions will be perceived as strong leadership or self-interest. It can hold back their influence, making them second-guess their decisions or avoid making bold moves.
But here’s the truth: the power of leadership isn’t just in making bold decisions. It’s in being willing to make them in full view of others, knowing that the right choices, rooted in integrity and vision, will inspire the trust and respect that follow. Embracing the transparency of the penthouse suite, rather than retreating from it, is what ultimately builds lasting influence.
“Leadership is not about being the best. It is about making others better.”
The Responsibility of Influence
As leaders, we cannot live as we once did. We can’t afford to be casual with our words, careless in our decisions, or reckless with our actions. Why? Because people are watching. Whether you know it or not, someone looks to you for guidance, whether it’s your team, your family, or even a stranger.
Your influence can inspire greatness or breed discouragement. It can build others up or tear them down. Stewarding your influence well means being intentional in your actions and self-aware of your impact. It means recognizing that the higher standard you’re called to isn’t a burden—it’s an honor.
The Challenge of Transformation
The hardest part for many leaders is recognizing that leadership requires personal transformation. You can’t lead at a high level if you stay the same person you were before. Old habits, unchecked emotions, and selfish thinking will keep you stuck. To lead well, you must grow well.
Your Words Matter: Every word you speak has the power to inspire or destroy — Speak with purpose.
Your Actions Matter: People will follow your example more than your instructions. Lead by living out the values you want to see in those under your charge.
Your Presence Matters: Show up intentionally. People notice not just what you do but how you do it.
The Scale of Leadership Potential
I have been speaking on this scale a lot lately.
Why do some leaders plateau at mediocrity while others rise to transform the world? It comes down to mindset, discipline, and stewardship.
- The 80% Level: Most leaders stay here. They meet expectations, maintain the status quo, and achieve moderate success. But they stop growing. Their influence is limited to a small sphere because they fail to recognize the full weight of their responsibility.
- The 15% Level: These leaders stretch themselves. They invest in personal growth, pursue excellence, and push their influence beyond the immediate. They leave a mark but often stop short of TRANSFORMATIVE impact.
- The 5% Level: World-changing leaders. These leaders embrace the full weight of leadership, not as a burden but as a calling. They relentlessly pursue personal and professional growth – not for personal gain but to better serve others. They are selfless, disciplined, and focused on creating a legacy that outlasts them.
The 5% leaders aren’t born – they’re developed. They choose to steward their influence with humility, intentionality, and vision, even when it’s flippin hard.
Being held to a higher standard isn’t easy. It can feel isolating. It can feel unfair. However, that higher standard is what makes leadership meaningful. Leaders who embrace this understand they don’t get the luxury of excuses, shortcuts, or self-serving behavior. But here’s the truth.. Leadership isn’t about you. It’s about the people you serve. It’s about leaving those you influence better than you found them. The higher standard may feel heavy, but it’s a reflection of the weight of the lives God has entrusted to your care.
“The price of leadership is the weight of responsibility.” — John C. Maxwell
Don’t miss this – Leaders shape futures. Whether you lead one or many, your influence is a tool that can build or destroy. Steward it wisely.. Leadership isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. The world needs leaders who will rise to the challenge and live up to the higher standard. Will you be one of them?
I’ll land the plane with this… Where do you fall on the leadership scale? Are you staying comfortable in the 80%, striving steady in the 15%, or pressing toward the 5% of leaders that change the world? Recognize the power of your influence and the privilege of your calling. Choose to grow. Choose to lead intentionally. And choose to embrace the higher standard. Evaluate your words, actions, and presence. Are they building others up or tearing them down? Ask yourself this… Am I stewarding my influence well, or am I being careless with this responsibility?
“You don’t have to change the world all at once, but you do have to lead as if you could.”