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Leadership Humility

By July 31, 2013August 30th, 2022Devotional

I am involved in several large projects; and I find myself more active in more things than I have tackled in some time. In the “old days” I would get pretty amped up when things didn’t go exactly right but I like to think that I have overcome some of those obstacles from having attended seminary for so many years. In fact, I credit my time with such God centered people as fundamentally critical to my growth as a leader.

One of the things that I have learned along the way is the fact that when people attain certain levels of responsibility in their companies, organizations, churches or other non-profits, they tend to forget their beginnings and somehow become a little more bulletproof from errors or lapses of judgement than they used to be. The common mentality is for folks to attain a modicum of success in order to stop doing the things they don’t like and start doing more of the things that they do like to do.

Now I’m not throwing stones here – nope, I suffer from the same tendencies. Recently, I have noticed the pattern, old and familiar, creeping back into the front of my mind. I am experiencing a tough time relaxing and trying to develop the people around me. I notice problems and want to rush in and “fix” whatever is wrong. And I would much rather push and pull rather than lead and motivate those people who depend on me for leadership. That’s not a good thing. I find that I do much better as a leader when I adopt a posture of humility and servant leadership rather than trying to direct all the traffic around me.

People respond better when you ask them questions rather than telling them what to do; and they like to be involved in the solutions rather than just the problems. So, this evening, I have been thinking about ways that I can re-focus myself on healthier leadership techniques. Things that will keep me from getting so amped up – and in that way, the people around me will be more apt to adopt a posture of humility as well.

The Scripture clearly tells us that Jesus adopted a position of humility in His leadership. The verse for tonight comes from Mark 10:42-25, where Jesus is using a teachable moment with His disciples to tell them about leadership. This happens right after the Sons of Thunder, James and John, petition Jesus to sit on His left and His right in His kingdom. Jesus admonishes them – asking if they can really do what they are suggesting – of course, the disciples had no idea what Jesus was going to go through. We are told, “Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” In other words, those who hope to lead must be willing to serve others.

My encouragement this evening is to let you know that acting more like Jesus in our leadership – of our companies, our churches and our families, can only lead to better outcomes and more pleasant experiences for all parties involved. My prayer is that you will dedicate some of your time to learning more about leadership and how important it is to sit at the feet of the greatest leader of all time, Jesus Himself, as he imparts His great knowledge to us – through the greatest book of instructions ever written – the Holy Bible. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…

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