We recently had a chance to visit with Kirk Billiter, author of the new book Strike the Flag: The Significance of Surrender in Leading and Serving Others, and a long-time friend.
CD: Writing a book is a significant undertaking. What led you to write this book?
KB: My short answer is: I had stories—many of them, lived, remembered, and redeemed by God. I began gathering them years ago, writing about God’s redemptive hand in my life and the quiet, steady ways He has proven faithful through both ordinary days and seasons marked by deep struggle and change.
The second thing my wife Rebecca and I did in 2021 that led me to write this book was join our friend, Eric Elder’s on-line writer’s cohort. We learned so much from him and others in the cohort. In 2022, the whole writer’s cohort went up to Starved Rock to meet for a weekend of writing and training. That jump started me to begin gathering the ideas for writing this book.
CD: Your writing is creative, almost poetic. Tell us about your writing style.
KB: I hope my writing in this book feels like sitting across the table with you over a cup of coffee. It is not polished to impress anyone. I wanted it to be honest and transparent to encourage everyone.
As my 6th grade English teacher, Mrs. Crain, used to say, “Keep your sentences short and crisp without losing the message!”
So, I tried to do that by combining honest storytelling, biblical truth, leadership wisdom, and artistic imagery to help readers discover that surrender to Christ is the pathway to authentic leadership and lasting transformation.
I doubt Mrs. Crain would have liked that prior sentence structure.
One more thing: Many of the leadership books I read begin with a single principle in each chapter. Instead, I wanted to begin each chapter with a personal story—a painful memory, leadership experience, ministry moment, or about being an artist—and allow the leadership lesson to emerge naturally from the story- always pointing back to God’s hand in all of it.
CD: Please explain the meaning behind the title of your book Strike the Flag.
KB: As I tell the story in the Introduction of my book. I woke up from my sleep to hear the words “Surrender, Strike the Flag for Vertical Victory.” I wrote it down at once. I researched it and never forgot it. The Holy Spirit gave those words for me to use to heal my heart, soul, and mind through the act of surrender to Him. In my book, I wanted every chapter to point readers to Jesus rather than to me, the author.
CD: Your story, as told in Strike the Flag, is powerful. You are transparent and vulnerable as you write. As you look back on the past 20 plus years, how have you seen the Lord working in your life?
KB: Thank you. I hope I have conveyed in my book that every significant story the Lord put in my life over the last 20 plus years had these steps revealed in them:
Brokenness →
Grace →
Surrender →
Transformation →
Purpose.
None of these stories are worth sharing without being transparent and vulnerable.
CD: Leadership is one of your passions. What are some of the leadership roles you have had? What are some of your leadership philosophies?
KB: I started my working career in retail as a jewelry store assistant manager, then as a corporate retail jewelry buyer and merchandising manager before being hired by State Farm and spend 20 of my 29 years with them in first line leadership.
My leadership philosophy was built around one simple conviction: the best leaders surrender before they lead. That belief became the foundation of my book, Strike the Flag, and the leadership framework I used for years.
The framework is captured in the acronym FLAG:
Foundation with Focus – Leadership begins with character, not position. Before I can lead others well, I need to be grounded in my values, clear in my purpose, and willing to continually grow. A strong foundation provides stability when circumstances become uncertain.
Lead with Love – People respond best when they know they are valued. Leadership is about serving, encouraging, and helping others become the best version of themselves. I strive to create environments where people feel seen, heard, and genuinely cared for.
Action with Accountability – Vision without action accomplishes little. I believe leaders should model integrity by following through on commitments, welcoming accountability, and helping others develop responsibility for their own growth.
Good In with Good Out – What we consistently allow into our minds and hearts eventually shapes our words, decisions, and relationships. I believe effective leadership requires continual learning, reflection, and personal development so that we can positively influence those around us.
Ultimately, my philosophy is that leadership is less about authority and more about influence. Whether leading a team, mentoring an individual, serving in ministry, or investing in family, I want my leadership to help others grow in character, purpose, and hope. I believe the greatest legacy a leader leaves is not a title or an accomplishment, but the people they have helped become stronger, wiser, and more equipped to serve others.
CD: One of the purposes for writing this book was for your children, grandchildren and one-day great grandchildren. Please tell us is about your family and your sense of legacy.
KB: When Rebecca and I met in 2005, we both had been married and divorced. Our combined family is 3 adult children and now 8 grandchildren, one great grandchild and another great grandchild on the way. The desire for me to write a book took on new weight after the birth of my first granddaughter in 2012. In that moment, something shifted in me—I began to think not just about the present, but about what would remain when I am gone. Legacy became more than an idea; it became a responsibility written on my heart. My grandfather, Billiter, passed away when I was only five years old, and I carry almost no memory of him, only fragments passed down by others. That absence left a quiet ache in me, and it stirred a deep longing: I do not want my own grandchildren to wonder who I was or what I believed.
I want them to know. I want them to have something lasting like a book.
And so, the vision of a legacy book was born—a written testimony for my grandchildren about their imperfect Papa Kirk, a man shaped by grace, carried by mercy, and rescued by a perfect Savior, Jesus Christ.
CD: Learning – professional and personal development- is very important to you. Why is that?
KB: The reason professional and personal development means so much to me isn’t because of the books I’ve read or the classes I’ve taught. It’s because the very first course I ever attended changed the direction of my life forever.
I was 25 years old when my cousin invited me to a six-week Zig Ziglar course called, “I Can”. I thought I was signing up to learn about self-esteem, goal setting, and developing a more positive attitude. I had no idea God had something far greater in mind.
Week after week, I listened, learned, and began believing that my life could be different. Then, at the conclusion of the course, the instructor, a local history teacher, extended an invitation to place our faith in Jesus Christ.
That evening, I said yes. At 25 years old, I became a born-again believer.
I’ve never lost my desire to learn because I know firsthand that you never know when one class, one conversation, or one simple invitation might become the moment God uses to change a life forever.
CD: Now that you have published your book, what are some of your reflections on writing a book?
KB: Now that Strike the Flag has been published, I can honestly say writing it was one of the most stretching and refining experiences of my life. I thought writing a book would simply be about putting ideas on paper, but I quickly learned it was much more than that. It was about discipline when I didn’t feel inspired, obedience when I wasn’t sure anyone would read it, and vulnerability as I revisited moments of my life I had long since moved past. The most difficult part was editing. Allowing others to read and offer changes was hard for me. It’s a control thing God is still working on with me!
It definitely deepened my gratitude. I don’t take lightly that I was given the opportunity to put my story into words. If it impacts even one person the way that first Zig Ziglar course impacted me, then every early morning, every rewrite, and every doubt was worth it. And I had lots of them!
CD: You write about your painting in the book. How did you start painting, and what are some of your philosophies in regards to your painting?
KB: I still think back to how it all began—not in a writing studio or a classroom, but in a simple invitation to a men’s retreat. There, I was given a small book called My Heart, Christ’s Home, and something in it awakened both my spirit and my imagination. As I read, God began to show me imagery—not just spiritually, but visually. I had just moved into a new condo with nothing on my walls, and I felt a quiet prompting to create a paint for Him in each room as a reflection of what Christ was doing in my heart. No training. No lessons. Just obedience.
What started as a simple act of surrender became the beginning of a ministry I never could have planned. Today, every painting is posted on social media with a scripture and a reflection of what the Lord has been showing me during my time in my studio. My paintings are all abstract and layered with lots of texture. The cross is also prominent on many of my paintings.
CD: I understand that there are other books that you are planning. Please tell us about them.
KB: I had hoped to include a 40-day devotional at the end of the book, Strike the Flag. However, I realized early on that the devotional needed to move to a book on its own. It has a title of 40 Days of Surrender.
I have a third book that I started several years ago with the title of Affirm Foundation – Affirmations for the Creative Servant’s Heart.
In addition, I’m working on creating a 64-card sort exercise called, “STRIKE THE FLAG COMPASS™ A Leadership & Discipleship Card Deck”
The card sort is a facilitated exercise to answer the question: “What kind of servant leader is God forming me to become?
My hope it could be used with high school groups and church small groups.
CD: Kirk, thank you for your time and for having written such a powerful book.
