Leadership Lesson: Your HUMBLEST self is the one that will be promoted.   

What do you do when you want higher level leaders to invest in you?  

Here is what you DON’T do:

The moment is a little bit burned into my mind.  I was in the car arguing with my pastor about a finer theological point.  I was too defensive.  I was caught up in defending my position and myself.  At only 23 years old,  I was not appreciating that this man had FAR more love and respect for me than I was demonstrating toward him. 

And he WAS loving me, but possibly LOSING HOPE that he’d be able to teach the young punk who was with him.

• I was too brash.
• Too convinced in my own mind.
• Too argumentative.

Here is what younger me hadn’t properly understood: 

My mentors, whom I was lucky to have in my life AT ALL, had the power to open or close doors for me. 

In trying to prove that I was smart or clever, I probably convinced them: 

• That I would be difficult to lead,
• That I would have a hard time receiving feedback, or
• That I would have a maverick spirit.

This was actually the OPPOSITE of what I felt.  

I desperately longed for older, wiser men of God to affirm that there was some level of gifted-ness and potential me, and help me develop it. 

Unfortunately,  my actions likely caused some of the very greatest men of God I have ever known to keep me at arms length. 

• Have you ever under-appreciated those who chose to take a chance on you?
• Have you ever been less-than-grateful to those who brought you to the leadership table to begin with?
• Has entitlement ever caused you to disrespect those who were being gracious with you (but you didn’t have the humility to know it)?

There isn’t much profit in living IN regret but here are two lessons you can take with you into the NEXT opportunity:  

1. Invite MORE Feedback From Your Leaders Than You Think You Need. 

“To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.”

(Proverbs 12:1, NLT) 

“Listen before you answer. If you don’t you are being stupid and insulting.” (Proverbs 18:13, GNB)

Most leaders, especially young ones, do not have an excellent grasp on their blind spots. Sure they might know SOME of their giftedness, but few are paying attention to their personality liabilities.   

Quality leaders on higher levels CAN see them though.

That DOESN’T mean they’re rejecting you.  It DOES mean that they want to know that YOU KNOW those blind spots are there.

Ask you leaders to weigh in on your:

• Clearest strengths
• Clearest weaknesses 
• Punctuality 
• Follow-through 
• Competence 
• Attitude 

Then ask if there is anything else they’ve left out to spare your feelings.

This is not easy, but it will do MORE than sharpen you.  It will teach your leaders that your are a person who takes feedback well and grows from it.

If you don’t think you would benefit from more feedback, start again at the top of this post.

2. Ask What You Can Do For THEM, Not What They Can Do For You.

• Joshua needed time under Moses.
• Joseph needed to serve under Potiphar.
• And David needed to serve under Saul.
• Elisha needed to serve Elijah.

God tends to raise up those who have a let-me-help-YOU-attitude.   Do all you can, even if it is humbling work, to be faithful not only under a PERSON but under the VISION God has given them. 

That means you do what is best for the vision God has deposited into THEM, even if it works against YOU. 

Your day will come.  If you’ll faithfully leverage all of your energies to build what God is ALREADY building through another leader, the Lord will see that you’re trustworthy enough to stay on HIS agenda instead of your own.   

And that is something He can build on.  

Leadership Lesson: Your HUMBLEST self is the one that will be promoted.

Pray it:

Jesus – You did not count equality with God as something to be grasped. Teach to me be teachable, and to honor my teachers. Thank you for all of the opportunities you’ve already given me and for the doors you will open in the future.  Give my leaders and coaches spiritual insight to help me progress further and faster than I ever could on my own.

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Posted on April 10, 2018