I once worked at a church with a guy named Peter. Peter was an amazing communicator and vision-caster. When he spoke, I was motivated to dig deep to give my time, talents, and treasures for the mission. But as I did so and worked more closely with Peter, I learned that this gifted visionary was not a gifted administrator or implementer by any stretch of the imagination.

Over time, I noticed a pattern among those in his sphere of influence: one of initial excitement and enlistment, followed by frustration and eventually disenchantment at the lack of follow-through. People who left his ministry spoke of Peter not being trustworthy, even though he appeared to be a man who sought God's heart.

In earlier columns, I've suggested that trust in a leader rests on three legs: character, competence, and communication. Inner character is the cornerstone of this trust and must be uncompromised, while communication is a more subtle ingredient of credibility. In between these two rests competence.

I will ...