Voices That Matter: Who to Listen to in Leadership by Christopher Swing

Summary

In this episode, Christopher Swing discusses the critical lesson for leaders on discerning who to take advice from and who to ignore. He emphasizes the importance of filtering voices into three categories: those who genuinely care and tell the truth, mentors who have experience, and those whose advice is rooted in God's word. He warns against the dangers of listening to negative voices that can distract from one's purpose and encourages leaders to seek wisdom and discernment in their decision-making.

Takeaways

• Leadership can be lonely and confusing.
• Not every voice deserves your attention.
• Opposition is a part of leadership.
• Filter advice into three categories.
• Wounds from a friend can be trusted.
• Seek mentors who have walked the road ahead.
• Avoid advice from those who want you to fail.
• Advice should never contradict scripture.
• Discernment is crucial in leadership.
• Surround yourself with those who want to see you grow.

Chapters

00:00 Navigating Leadership Advice
03:01 Identifying Wise Counsel
05:09 The Importance of Discernment

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Please feel free to check out the organizations that support us:

Vantage Surgical Solutions - https://vantage.healthcare/
Vantage Surgical Solutions Careers - https://vantage.healthcare/careers/
Chris Contact Info - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherswing/

And the ones we support:

Missions:
Developing Kids Ghana - https://developingkidsghana.com/
Eastern Dominican Christian Mission - https://easterndominican.org/
Broadway Christian Church - https://broadwaycc.churchcenter.com/home/
57/70 Task Force: https://5770taskforce.org/

Chapters

• 0:00 Navigating Leadership Advice
• 3:01 Identifying Wise Counsel
• 5:09 The Importance of Discernment

Transcript

Christopher Swing (00:00)
Welcome to Faithful, the podcast where we explore the intersection of leadership, faith, and impact. I'm your host, Christopher Swing, president and CEO of Vantage Surgical Solutions. Through thoughtful conversations with business leaders, missionaries, and change makers, we uncover the principles that guide their work and connect them to timeless wisdom. In season one, we're diving into the foundational organizations and experiences that shape my own leadership journey. Whether you're a leader in business,

faith or your community, this conversation is packed with inspiration and practical wisdom. Thank you for joining me on this journey of discovering how faith and leadership intersect in meaningful ways. Let's dive into the episode.

Christopher Swing3 (00:44)
Hello and welcome back to Faithful.

Today I want to talk to you about a lesson that every leader must learn early on. Who to take advice from and who to ignore.

It's been said many of times that leadership can be lonely. At times though, it's confusing and often very noisy. Everyone has an opinion. Someone to help, others not so much. So how do you discern the difference? Let me start with a hard truth. Not every voice deserves your attention.

Chris (01:24)
Faithful is proudly sponsored by Vantage Surgical Solutions, where excellence meets innovation in advanced healthcare solutions. With a foundation built on integrity, creativity, and commitment, Vantage empowers leaders to shape the future, just as we explore leadership through faith on the podcast. Vantage Surgical Solutions, standing for excellence, leading advanced healthcare solutions.

Christopher Swing3 (01:53)
There's a danger to listening to those who do not speak from wisdom, but speak from insecurity. Maybe they want to see you fail consciously or not because your growth threatens their comfort. These voices often come in subtle forms of sarcasm, passive aggressive comments, public criticism disguised as jokes or private whispers.

that erode your confidence. If you're leading anything worthwhile, especially from a place of faith,

Opposition will come.

Jesus Himself.

faced it, even in his hometown.

Matthew 13 57 says, and they were taking offense at him. But Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and in his own household.

The danger comes when we subconsciously accept the noise that's coming in.

and we let the voices shape our direction, distract our purpose, or worse, make us question the calling God has placed on our lives.

that was kind of dreary and dark, but who should you listen to and take advice from then?

I've learned to filter voices into three categories.

those who love you enough to tell the truth, gently and in private. Proverbs 27.6 says, wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. A faithful advisor doesn't flatter. They care enough to confront with humility and grace.

Those who've been where you're going, mentors who have walked the road ahead, can't speak with clarity and context, they understand the stakes, the weight, and the cost of leadership.

found that I get more negative or seemingly misdirected advice from those who

maybe don't want me to be successful subconsciously. It's very rare that people who have exceeded my success will look back and...

provide negative feedback or counterproductive feedback related to information that I need to know.

It's kind of like Dave Ramsey says, you wouldn't take financial advice from your broke uncle and I would add, or cousin. And so I think it's important that we discern who we're receiving advice from. And then finally, the third group is those who are rooted in God's word. Advice.

to never contradict scripture. The people worth listening to are those who anchor their counsel in truth, not trends.

Chris (04:56)
Faithful is brought to you by Vantage Surgical Solutions, where we believe in progress through passion. If you're inspired by innovation and excellence in healthcare, we invite you to join our team. At Vantage, we're not just shaping the future of healthcare. We're empowering individuals to make a difference. Visit our careers page to explore opportunities and see if your journey aligns with ours. Vantage Surgical Solutions, where passion meets purpose.

Christopher Swing3 (05:28)
We need to guard our ears and protect our heart. As leaders, we need wisdom, but we also need discernment. Just because someone is loud doesn't mean they're right. Just because they're close doesn't mean they're healthy. Ask God for discernment to separate wise counsel from destructive noise. Here's a personal practice. Before I act on any major advice,

I ask myself three questions. Does this align with God's Word?

Does this person have a track record of integrity? Do they want what's best for me, or just what's comfortable for them?

Leadership isn't about pleasing everyone. It's about serving faithfully. And that means tuning your ears to the right voices. Let the loudest voice in your life be God's. Surround yourself with a faithful few who speak truth, walk with integrity, and want to see you grow, not fall. The enemy wants to distract you.

with discouragement,

but you weren't called to lead based on public opinion. You are called to lead based on purpose. So stay focused, stay faithful, and remember, the right voices will push you toward God's calling, not pull you away from it.

Thanks for joining me on Faithful. If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone who needs a reminder to tune out the noise and stay rooted in truth. Like and share, and please encourage someone else to listen. Until next time, lead with purpose, lead with faith. See you soon.