‘From that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.’ 1 Samuel 18:9 NLT
One of the truest tests of leadership is how you respond to the success of others. Do you rejoice, or secretly resent them? Do you feel like their blessing somehow came at your expense? King Saul sent David to fight Goliath. When he succeeded and the Israelites began to sing David’s praises, Saul couldn’t handle it. ‘From that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.’ Leaders who lack confidence are a danger to themselves and their followers. That’s because leadership doesn’t camouflage your flaws; it puts them on display. Whatever negative baggage you’re carrying grows heavier when you’re leading. ‘But I’m not a leader!’ you say. You should be! You should be showing people Jesus.
Insecure leaders generally have 4 common traits:
(1) They don’t provide security for others. To be a good leader, you must make your followers feel good about themselves. Honour them. Reward them. Promote them.
(2) They take more than they give. Insecure leaders are continually searching for validation, acknowledgement, and love. And so their focus is on obtaining personal security, not instilling it in others.
(3) They continually limit their best people. Insecure leaders don’t see their best people as co-workers; they see them as potential competitors who might rise up through the ranks and threaten their position. Such leaders generally find ways to take the credit for work that was done by others.
(4) They continually limit their organisation. When followers are undermined and go unrecognised, they become disheartened and even stop performing to their potential. When that occurs, the whole organisation suffers.
If any of these shoes fit you, it’s time to ask God for help.
SoulFood: 2 Kings 6:8–23 Matt 5:43–48
word4today an adaptation of The Word For Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024
