The Siren’s Call vs. God’s Call: How Leaders Stay True When the World Pulls Hard

The Song That Wrecks Leaders: A Reminder That True Leaders Stay True

Every leader has heard the call.

Not the call of purpose – the call of distraction.

In ancient Greek legend, the Sirens sat on rocky cliffs and sang songs so beautiful that sailors abandoned their mission and crashed their ships chasing the sound.

Their voices promised insight, ease, and glory. But the path always ended the same way – with wreckage.

Today’s leaders face the same danger, only the voices are different:

• “Go faster.”
• “Protect yourself.”
• “Take the shortcut.”
• “Get the credit.”
• “You can handle this alone.”

Sound familiar?

I’ve heard those voices too – and I’ve followed them enough times to know the pain they bring. But I’ve also learned that God’s voice is steadier, quieter, and infinitely more trustworthy.

“My sheep hear My voice… and they follow Me.” – John 10:27

The question isn’t whether the sirens are singing.
The question is: Whose voice are you listening to?

Where the Two Voices Diverge

-The Siren’s Call Offers Ease. God’s Call Requires Obedience.

The Sirens promised Odysseus a shortcut. Leadership today offers the same illusion.

Early in my entrepreneurial journey, I created a rule I thought was wise:
“I’ll only focus on one project at a time.”

It sounded disciplined. It sounded safe.
But it was a shortcut built on fear – not faith.

In my book, I describe how this rigid rule led me into the worst season of my business life:
six consecutive failures, massive debt, and the painful realization that I was following my own logic instead of God’s leading.

I wasn’t chasing sin – I was chasing control.
And the siren of control can be just as dangerous as the siren of compromise.

God’s call rarely offers ease, but it always offers direction:

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:6

Straight doesn’t mean smooth.
It means guided.

-The Siren’s Call Focuses on Self. God’s Call Focuses on Stewardship.

Another siren leaders face is the temptation to put self-preservation above stewardship.

When one of our retail electricity providers fell three months behind on payments to Amerigy Energy, every business textbook would have told me:

• “Stop paying your brokers.”
• “Protect your cash.”
• “Wait until the money comes in.”

But that isn’t leadership. And it certainly isn’t God’s way.

We made the decision to pay our brokers out of our own pocket, covering their commissions even while we waited for ours.

It wasn’t easy.
It wasn’t “strategic.”
But it was right.

And God honored it. The loyalty and trust we built from that decision still bless our company today.

Leadership isn’t about doing what’s advantageous – it’s about doing what’s faithful.

-The Siren’s Call Pulls at Emotion. God’s Call Speaks to Identity.

Sometimes the siren isn’t pride or profit… it’s fear.

There was a season when payroll consumed me.
Every two weeks I carried the weight of the entire company on my shoulders.
I worried myself sick – literally – trying to make sure every team member was paid.

Fear whispered:
“You’re alone.”
“You have to hold this all together.”
“Failure is coming.”

But that wasn’t God talking.

God reminded me – sometimes gently, sometimes through exhaustion – that:

• He is the Provider
• He is the Source
• He is the One who called me

Identity silences the sirens.
When you know who you are, you stop being controlled by what you fear.

-Even Criticism Is a Siren

One of the earliest lessons I learned in leadership came long before I launched my companies.

As a teenager at First Baptist Church in Lufkin, I had a front-row seat to the beginning of Rick Warren’s ministry. I saw his authentic heart for people. Years later, when critics took shots at him, I didn’t have to wonder whether they were right – I had seen the man’s character up close.

Public criticism is a siren.
Comparison is a siren.
The urge to chase approval is a siren.

But leaders anchored in God’s call don’t drift toward the noise.

Anchors: How Odysseus Survived the Sirens

Odysseus didn’t try to silence the sirens – he anchored himself against them.

He:

1. Stopped the noise reaching his crew
2. Bound himself to the mast
3. Empowered others to restrain him, even if he begged them not to

That’s leadership:

• Guard your inputs
• Tie your life to God’s Word
• Give people permission to pull you back when you drift

THE MAST TEST™: Your Framework for Staying on Course

Here’s the practical tool that ties your story and Scripture together:

M – Mission

Does this align with God’s mission for my life?

A – Accountability

Who is holding the rope for me?

S – Scripture

What does God’s Word instruct here?

T – Time

Have I waited long enough to hear God clearly?

God’s call becomes clearer when we slow down enough to listen.

Action Steps for Leaders This Week

1. Identify your siren.

Is it fear? Ego? Hurry? Control? Comparison?

2. Write down your mission.

Put God’s calling where you can see it.

3. Share your direction with someone who can hold you to it.

Leaders drift most when they isolate.

4. Cut one distracting input.

Wax in the ears. Reduce the noise.

5. Spend 10 minutes listening to God.

Leadership clarity starts in stillness.

That’s a Wrap

The sirens will always sing – offering shortcuts, safety, or applause.
But God’s call leads to purpose, growth, and legacy.

You’ve lived enough life to know:

• Drift doesn’t look dangerous at first
• Small compromises create big shipwrecks
• God’s call always leads to flourishing, even when the path is steep

Let the sirens sing.
You’re tied to a stronger mast.
You’re following a higher call.

Today’s post inspired by a message by Pastor Todd Core at https://Harmony-hill.org

About Lee Allen Miller

Lee Allen Miller is a media strategist, broadcast consultant, and President & CEO of MSG Resources and CEO of MSGPR. He is also the Executive Director of the Advanced Television Broadcasting Alliance (ATBA), where he advocates for the future of low-power television and faith-based broadcasting. Miller specializes in helping ministries and media organizations integrate digital and traditional media to expand their reach. His expertise spans television, radio, streaming, and social media, and his work continues to shape the future of faith-based media. Read more.