Israel assumed that being chosen meant being safe. Amos, a shepherd from the south, carried a different message from God: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities” (Amos 3:2).
Therefore. Closeness did not lower the standard. Closeness raised the standard.
Leaders make the same mistake with a promotion. The title feels like a reward: more freedom, fewer people to answer to, and the right to be the exception.
The idea. Authority works the other way. Each step up means more people affected by your choices, more people watching, and more people copying what they see. What a team member does quietly, a leader does in front of everyone. A promotion is not permission. A promotion is a higher bar.
The action for this week. Find one expectation you hold your team to and have quietly excused yourself from: starting meetings on time, the expense policy, the tone of your email. Keep that expectation, visibly, this week.
“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required.”Luke 12:48, ESV
Jake
P.S. A leadership team can check this gap together with the Quarterly Integrity Review.