How to Be Impeccable So You Can Be Impactful: A Biblical Guide for Church Leaders
Be Impeccable with Your Word
Most leadership problems don’t start in the finance room or the sanctuary.
They start with pew and parking lot conversations.
What you say.
How you say it.
What you never said, but should have.
That’s why one of the most powerful leadership tools isn’t your strategy, it’s your speech.
The Leadership Principle
“Be impeccable with your word” comes from Don Miguel Ruiz’s book The Four Agreements. It’s a secular book, but the wisdom aligns deeply with Scripture.
In short, it means:
Speak with integrity
Say only what you mean
Avoid gossip or harmful speech
Use your words to build, not destroy
For church leaders, this is more than good advice. It’s an essential spiritual discipline.
Because the weight of your words is heavier when you are a church leader.
Why This Matters for Church Leaders
Leadership rises and falls on trust. And trust is built (or broken) by what we say and how we say it.
Here’s what happens when leaders don’t watch their words or are careless in their communication:
Vision loses clarity
Teams become divided
Gossip fills the silence
Members question their belonging
Staff doubts their value
Integrity begins to leak
But when leaders are impeccable with their word, a different culture forms:
People feel safe
People feel scene
Communication becomes clear
Conflicts are handled with courage
Trust grows, even in hard seasons
Let’s unpack this further.
4 Ways to Be Impeccable with Your Word
(And the scripture to support)
Here’s how to live this out in your leadership.
Simply and biblically.
1. Say What You Mean
Matthew 5:37 (NIV)
“All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Don’t say it if you don’t plan to do it.
Don’t promise it if you don’t mean to follow through.
In leadership, broken words lead to broken trust.
And broken trust creates broken teams.
Say what you’ll do.
Then do what you said.
This doesn’t mean overexplaining or micromanaging. It means being clear, honest, and reliable.
If you said you’d call, call.
If you said you’d pray, pray.
If you said “Let me think about it,” actually think about it—and follow up.
Pro tip for leaders:
Use fewer words and more follow-through. It builds more confidence than surface speeches.
2. Don’t Use Your Words to Hurt
Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up...”
Leadership isn’t just about what you say. It’s about how you say it.
The pulpit isn’t the only place people listen.
Your staff, volunteers, and family are always tuned in.
Sarcasm in meetings.
Passive-aggressive emails.
Side comments in sermons that target individuals.
Backroom gossip masked as “concern.”
It all sends a message. And it slowly corrodes credibility.
Ask yourself:
Are my words building or breaking?
Are they affirming or attacking?
Being impeccable with your word means speaking to people, not about them.
3. Speak Truth with Grace
Colossians 4:6 (NIV)
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt…”
Church leaders are often tempted to swing to one of two extremes:
All grace, no truth: avoiding confrontation
All truth, no grace: bulldozing people
At various times, I’ve been guilty of both of these.
Neither is healthy. And neither reflects Jesus.
The goal isn’t to avoid hard conversations.
The goal is to have them with maturity. And humility.
Here’s a model you can use:
Name the concern clearly.
Own your tone and posture.
Leave room for dignity.
Grace doesn’t dilute truth. It delivers it gently.
And truth doesn’t erase grace. It anchors it in love. And surrounds it with empathy.
You’re not just managing people, you’re shepherding souls.
Your correction should feel like care, not punishment. As shepherds, we guard and guide.
4. Practice Internal Integrity
Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)
“The tongue has the power of life and death…”
Being impeccable with your word isn’t just about how you talk to others.
It’s also about how you talk to yourself.
Internal integrity means refusing to compromise your calling, your gifting, your impact, or your influence.
It means refusing to rehearse lies like:
“This isn’t working.”
“This isn’t worth it.”
“I’m not a good leader.”
“No one cares what I do.”
“No one sees what I do.”
“No one sees me.”
“If I rest, I’m selfish.”
Every time you speak negatively about yourself, something in your soul agrees with it.
But when you speak life, your leadership becomes lighter.
Pro tip for leaders:
When self-doubt rises, match it with Scripture.
When insecurity whispers, respond with truth.
When burnout speaks, speak rest over your soul.
Impeccable leaders speak life out loud and internally.
Action Steps
Want to put this into practice this week?
Here are 5 things you can do:
Audit your promises.
Go back through your texts, emails, and calendar. Is there something you said you’d do but didn’t?Eliminate gossip.
Refuse to speak about anyone behind their back. Shut it down when others try to.Have the hard conversation.
If you’re avoiding a truth-telling moment, schedule it. Prep your heart. Speak with grace.Speak life to your team.
Catch someone doing something right and tell them.Start your day with a spoken affirmation.
Say out loud: “I speak life over my calling. I will lead with clarity and productivity today.”
When Your Words Are Impeccable, Your Leadership Is Impactful
Being impeccable with your word is one of the most powerful patterns you can develop.
In a world full of noise, people are hungry for leaders whose yes means yes and whose words carry weight.
So speak clearly.
Speak kindly.
Speak truthfully.
Speak faithfully.
Every day, not just Sunday.
Need Help Developing a Leadership Culture Rooted in Trust?
I help pastors and church leaders apply these same principles in their context by designing strategies that work, implementing systems that last, and developing leaders who multiply.
Let’s work together to align your voice with your values.
Schedule a free discovery call today.
Visit ericvhampton.com to start the conversation.
See you next Saturday!
Eric V Hampton
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Pew Patterns. My new book helps leaders like you make sense of the shifting spiritual landscape and build churches where people don’t just attend… they belong.
The Healthy Church Leader Annual Review. My annual review guides you from celebration (remembering past wins) to expectation (planning future wins) as you pursue your Christ-centered mission.
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