Leading with Humility

Recently my wife and I were with some new friends who were helping us think through and refine the calling that we believe God has for us. In leadership it’s always good to invite friends and third parties who don’t know you at all to speak into your life and make some observations about your character, your leadership, and your relationships with others.

After a few days of conversation, lots of coffee, and a battery of questionnaires and interviews with folks the results were in: stay the course, God is in fact leading us to where we thought he was. After talking through our gifts and abilities, strengths as a couple and my strengths as a leader, my friend pulled out another list and said, “Here are where your weaknesses lie.”

Gulp. Weaknesses? “Surely I didn’t have any weaknesses,” I thought to myself, “not after the glowing report you just gave me.”

“You’re arrogant,” he said. Not "a hint of arrogance," not even "people think you’re arrogant." You ARE arrogant. Gee, thanks. But I knew he was right: it was a spot-on observation.

Leaders exude confidence. You know them right from the start. That confident freshman who wants to lead everything, the junior small group leader who is the best teacher in your movement on campus and everyone knows it, including her. That all-star staff member where everything they touch turns to gold, and they too know it. Confidence is not at all a bad thing, but what can happen(and apparently happened with me) is that my confidence is coupled with a hint, an air, a strong whiff of stinky, smelly arrogance. So what’s a leader to do?

Here are three things I need to remember:

1.  Jesus never had that sense of arrogance.  It says that Jesus, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” The son of God, God himself took on humility so that he might be the greatest leader of all. Which brings me to my second point.

2.  Humble yourself.  Peter says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,” At the right time, God will bear fruit through you so, don’t be so cocky, humble yourself, give others the credit, and wait on God to exalt you.

3.  Finally, channel that confidence into continuing the good works God has for you.  “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

God is using you. And he will bring the work to completion. Your confidence in him is well founded. He’s wired you to be a leader, you need to lead. But walk in humility, give God the credit, and continually ask God to help you walk in the power of the Holy Spirit so that unlike me, arrogance doesn’t get in the way of people following you towards Jesus.