High Road Leadership
In life and in leadership, people sometimes treat you badly. That is an unavoidable fact. When you are treated in this manner, you have three options.
You can take —
• The low road where you treat people worse than they treat you
• The middle road where you treat people the same as they treat you
• The high road where you treat people better than they treat you
Leaders commit to taking the high road when others — intentionally or unintentionally — do you wrong. We all mess up. We all have annoying quirks, and there are times when we’re not pleasant to be around. When you recognize your humanness and know you need and have received grace, you are more open to taking the high road and extending grace to others.
No one takes the high road by accident. You must consciously choose that path. The high road is not the easiest road — it goes uphill and takes more effort to travel — but it is the only road that leads to the highest levels of living and leading.
Find encouragement in the words of Kent M. Keith, who wrote “The Paradoxical Commandments.” They will help you to choose the high road in your life and leadership:
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
Leaders don’t take the high road because it’s the only available option, but because it’s the best option. High roaders aren’t victims — they’re victors.
The author of Proverbs states, “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11). When you respond to ill-treatment with grace and forgiveness, you display an admirable character that elevates you in the eyes of others and allows you to experience the High Road Principle: You go to a higher level when you treat others better than they treat you.
Drawn from the NIV Maxwell Leadership Bible.
NIV Maxwell Leadership Bible
Every believer is a person of influence. In the NIV Maxwell Leadership Bible, leadership expert John C. Maxwell shows you the principles of leadership taught in God’s Word and how to use them.
Learn More
Well explained and full of wisdom
Thank you so much for these words. They have inspired me.
We as followers of Yahshua are commanded to love Yahweh and love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Yahshua used the concept of salt and light to refer to the roles of His followers in the world. We are to be salt and light. Salt flavors and preserves and light illuminates. If we follow Yahshua’s commandments and instruction for life, we will be living on the high road to Salvation and everlasting life.
This is insightful.
This is encouraging and rewarding.
Powerful stuff!
What an inspiration while waiting patiently for the Lord’s help in this challenging time!
Thank you for these inspiring teachings. Some of us don’t have a strong knowledge about the Bible and need things explained in simple words. I pray God’s richest grace on you all. Thank you.
Wow! What a beautiful way to start the day with such a reminder and challenge. Love it and thank you.
Really blessed by this write up from John.C. Maxwell.
I truly appreciate this principle
I’ve taken the high road for most of my adult life. Not always; I’ve retaliated sometimes and given as good as I got. The problem arose after taking the high road so often that the air up there thinned out & I could no longer breathe. Some people suck the oxygen out of the very rooms we share, let alone that on the high road they ultimately push me to take, but forget their own way there. It’s frustrated me to the point where I can take the high road, but have needed to place a boundary between me and the abuser. (Christian & non). Just saying.
You may not think you are a leader but if you are following Jesus you are a leader
Well explained, I have understood what being a leader entails and what one has to bear to fulfill your goal to help others.
I love how you wrote this! How awesome this is!! I’m saving this one!! It’s so true and so uplifting sister!! Thank you so much❤️❤️🫶🫶🙏🙏🥰🥰🥰
The message is sooo powerful. Thank you for sharing.
This is so insightful. It inspires me to do right.