Leading with Integrity: Based on Christian Morals and Values

By Cody Seaton

A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR LIVING A LIFE OF INTEGRITY

Leading With Integrity provides a common-sense approach to applying Christian principles and values in everyday life. Inspired by the desire to help others, the author uses real-life experience to illustrate the practical hands-on application of skills that will help business owners and managers succeed while maintaining a high level of integrity.

Focusing on leadership and organizational structure with support from biblical teaching, this book provides a positive guide on how to be a successful leader and live a life of significance. The methods described can be applied on every level, whether you are just beginning your career or a senior executive. The straightforward, common-sense principles can be a benefit to all.

Integrity is the true measure of a person and the most essential character trait of a good leader. Good moral character and integrity will earn respect and trust among your peers and help you excel in every aspect of life.

The author provides a refreshing view of how to succeed with honor and integrity in a world of diminishing values and morals. Ranging from large corporations to family and individual development, you will learn how to succeed through open communication and honesty.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cody Seaton is a professional businessman, leader, and disciple of Christ. Born in Amarillo, Texas, and grew up in northeastern New Mexico. Cody returned to Texas after high school, earning an Associate degree in Ranch and Feedlot Operations from Clarendon College, a Bachelor's degree in Applied Arts and Sciences, and a Master's degree in Business (MBA) from West Texas A & M University.

Cody owned and operated a successful small business for over ten years, building fence and livestock facilities. He is a proven general manager, leading and motivating teams for over twenty years. He is an expert in real estate acquisitions, government contracts, project management, policy implementation, program oversight, team leadership, marketing, and customer retention. He has worked in various industries across the country with extensive hands-on experience. With a strong desire to share his values and practical knowledge Cody hopes to encourage others, helping them succeed through fundamental Christian principles that can be applied to business and everyday life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887513072

Book preview

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Leading with Integrity

Based on Christian Morals and Values

Cody Seaton

ISBN 979-8-88832-979-5 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88751-306-5 (hardcover)

ISBN 979-8-88751-307-2 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by Cody Seaton

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Foreword

Chapter One

Establishing Credibility

Chapter Two

Building Moral Character and Integrity

Chapter Three

The Job Seeker

Chapter Four

Marketing

Chapter Five

Selling with Integrity

Chapter Six

Organization and Structure

Chapter Seven

Submitting to Authority

Chapter Eight

The Business of Balance (God, Family, Career, and Self)

Chapter Nine

Leadership within the Family

Chapter Ten

Living a Substantial Life

Bibliography

Foreword

Does it matter to God that you are living with integrity to the commands He has given you?

This was the first question I asked myself when I read the book Leading with Integrity: Based on Christian Morals and Values by Cody Seaton. Well, yes, it does, I replied in my mind.

This is not an unusual question to ask when you want to obey God's word and follow His lead. God does indeed speak to people today in different ways with unique methods.

"The prophet Joel prophesied,

And afterward,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your old men will dream dreams,

your young men will see visions.

Even on my servants, both men and women."

(Joel 2:28, 29 NIV)

God wants to talk to you through this book and encourage you to do everything in life with integrity. It does not matter if you think you're doing well or not in life; put God first with the integrity of your heart, and all things will be added to you.

David was called a man according to God's heart; he was not perfect and made many mistakes. The root difference was in his attitude, recognizing he needed to change his heart with integrity and confidence in God.

This is why I appreciate my friend Cody's book, Leading with Integrity, so much. He has given us a masterful work to use in stewarding these crucial aspects of leading our lives with integrity. I have seen when he had to decide according to convenience versus integrity, and he chose integrity. I know God has big plans for Cody, and He is using this book to impact many others around the world.

Thank you, Cody, for this important and valuable labor of love for others. I am very proud of you; the Lord is taking you to greater things.

Cintia Salgado

Prophet to the Nations

Chapter One

Establishing Credibility

I would like to share some of my life experiences and lessons learned focusing on the value of integrity and moral business principles. This book intends to provide practical business guidance and life solutions from a Christian perspective. As Christians, we often look to God only for our desires when in truth, we were created to serve God, not the other way around. Many people only turn to the Bible or go to church when they need help, guidance, or comfort. Others attend church or participate in religious events for social or entertainment reasons. We should seek God for guidance in all areas of our life, including our careers and business.

It is often assumed that leadership is all about titles and positions, but it is actually about your actions and the example you set for others. A high position or job title in a company does not make you a leader. The first thing to learn about being a leader is that you can't make everyone happy, and there will be people who disagree with you and dislike you. With that being said, many will be offended by my views and disagree with the conservative Christian principles on which I base my beliefs and life. That's okay; you can be an effective leader and not always agree with everyone. Someone's opinion of you does not have to become your reality, and you are not doing yourself or the organization any favors if you please everyone.

Telling the truth is the essence of leadership. If you have integrity, nothing else matters. And if you don't have integrity, nothing else matters (Former Sen. Alan Simpson).

Leadership does not exist solely at the top of an organization. Leadership does not require supervisory authority; individuals can lead from any role or position. Successful leaders use communication, intelligence, and accountability to achieve work, exert influence, and adapt to changing circumstances regardless of the position. This is hard for governments and businesses to understand, but time in grade and experience does not always make a person a good leader. Promoting the wrong people to leadership roles is a mistake many organizations continue to make.

With real-world experience working in various fields and positions across the country. I see the need for significant change that will require developing strong leadership to implement and sustain corporate and individual core values. The main driving force for writing on this topic is the lack of leadership, morals, and integrity in business. Christian values are becoming increasingly harder to find, and my goal and desire are to help others become better leaders and managers. Christians need to be a positive influence and lead by example.

The true measure of a person is not how much money you make, the position or title you hold, or how many possessions you have. The accurate measurement can be seen in good character, ethics, values, morals, compassion, and how you treat others. Power and success are given, not gained; only through humility and a pure heart can one truly reach their purpose.

You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers, as it is this day (Deut. 8:18 ESV).

I would like to begin by telling you a little about myself so you will understand the perspective from which I am writing and help validate the practical knowledge and experience I have on the subject. Over the years, I have attended and supported many Christian churches, attended leadership conferences, and listened to countless motivational speakers and preachers. I can't speak for anyone else, but I have found that it's always easier to relate to someone who has lived through the experiences they are talking about. I believe God allows struggles in our life to direct us where we need to be, to fulfill our purpose.

I believe my life experiences, both failures and successes, can be used positively to guide others, helping them avoid some of the mistakes and problems I have encountered. Using practical, common-sense principles and biblical truth, I desire to help others excel in their lives and professional careers.

Growing up in a rural area in Northeastern New Mexico, I began working at a young age. Work was a way of life, and we didn't know any different. We did chores before and after school and cut firewood in the summers because the wood was our only heat source. When I was around ten years old, I started my first business selling fresh eggs to neighbors from chickens we raised. If I remember correctly, we had about forty Rhode Island Red chickens laying brown eggs. We bought some at the feed store, and others hatched from an incubator. When I was in the fifth grade, I began working in my dad's welding shop on Saturdays and during the summer. I swept floors, picked up scraps and helped wherever needed. My grandfather was a general contractor who built houses and some commercial buildings, so I was exposed to various construction projects and picked up a lot of valuable skills at a young age.

I've always had a passion for horses and cattle, so when I was thirteen years old, I made a deal with a neighboring rancher who was a friend of the family to buy my first horses, an old mare and a yearling filly. We agreed that I would work off the payment because I had no money to purchase them outright. So I did various chores an entire summer, from building fences to working cattle. That was the beginning of my dreams and aspirations of being a cowboy. When I was fourteen years old, I went to work for a large cattle ranch of fifty thousand—plus acres located in New Mexico and Colorado, with the headquarters being in New Mexico along the Dry Cimarron River.

I worked most weekends, holiday breaks, and summers until I graduated high school. I graduated with a class of eight to give you an idea of how small of a community I grew up in. During that time, I learned a great deal about ranching, discovering there is much more to the job than just riding horses and working cattle. Branding and shipping seasons were always the busiest and most exciting times of the year, and that was when we got to be on horseback and do a lot of cowboy work. That only lasted a few weeks in the spring and again in the fall. Much of the ranch work was good, old-fashioned hard labor, from stacking hay to building fences.

While I spent most of my high school years working for that ranch, I also rode and broke horses on the side; I remember having as many as nine horses I was training for various people. It was very prosperous at the time because some other high school boys and I would hire out during shipping and branding season to help surrounding ranches. It was an opportunity to get paid double because I was also paid for the horses I rode. When you are that age, you feel invincible, so getting bucked off and banged up with cuts and bruises was a part of it, and I never thought that much about getting hurt. The money seemed reasonable, and being young, I thought it would always come easy, but after high school graduation, the actual bills of living on my own and college expenses hit.

I decided to attend Clarendon Junior College in the Texas Panhandle, where I earned an associate degree in ranch and feedlot operations (RFO). All I ever wanted to do was ranch and cowboy. I envisioned I would do that for the rest of my life. I worked through those first couple of years doing various jobs in the evenings and on weekends. I worked for large cattle feed yards and local ranches, rode horses, hauled hay, and did about anything to make money.

After junior college, I took a cowboy job for another large ranch along the New Mexico and Colorado border. While not all a joining, this ranch consisted of eighty thousand—plus acres. I lived in a small ranch house in the foothills of Colorado just across the New Mexico state line. It was a stunning ranch, and if I had been married, I probably would have made a career of it, but the money wasn't great, and to be honest, I got very lonely. It was approximately seventy miles to the nearest grocery store, not easy for a twenty-one-year-old single man.

I am thankful for the opportunity because I learned a lot and was exposed to some quality old-school ranching families. They helped instill high moral values in me that I try to live by to this day. I didn't realize it at the time, but I think I lived at the tail end of an era of Western life that will never be seen again. I remember many days when I would saddle my horse before daylight, pack a lunch, ride off to check cattle in the high country, ride forty to fifty miles, and return late in the evening. It was a way of life that I miss and will always be a part of me. However, as a young man, I knew I had to go back to college for higher education and make more money if I was ever to achieve the dream of having a place of my own.

After a couple of years in Colorado, I returned to Texas and enrolled in a bachelor's degree program at West Texas A&M University. I quickly realized I did not have the money or income to get by; I couldn't afford to live even with student loans. This was before the time of internet job searches, so I went down to the Texas workforce commission and began searching for a job. I knew I wanted to find something agriculture-related, but I was surprised to see a posting looking for a cowboy to care for wheat pasture cattle. I called the number, and the man said he had already hired a full-time cowboy but that he could use me on a day labor basis.

I didn't expect much to come of it, but I worked there six days a week for almost a year. One other cowboy and I had the task of taking care of over four thousand head of wheat pasture cattle and training horses. We had