Integrity is the heart of leadership.
Let that simmer in your mind for a moment.
Dishonesty may hide behind talent and skill for a while, but the rotten fibers will eventually corrupt the whole cloth and what lies beneath will be exposed. It is simply a matter of time.
God pointed this out when He mediated a dispute within the very first human family. Cain was mad at his brother. The Lord tried to reason with him, but Cain refused to listen. God’s short statement to him remains a warning to us. “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door” (Genesis 4:7). Purposely choose to do something other than right and sin will ultimately be your ruin. It is only a matter of time. Cain’s lack of integrity – his refusal to be honest with himself – drove a wedge between him and his brother, his parents, and his God.