Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (5)

Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (1)
Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (2)
Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (3)
Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (4)

Knowing the Signs of Growing Pride
Another vital element in enabling one to stay the course of humble leadership is recognizing the symptoms of a growing problem with pride.  There are four key areas of which Christian leaders should be especially aware: over-commitment, a grasping for power, a spirit of expectation, and increasing independence.   

1. Over-commitment. Over-commitment, while at first appearing highly spiritual, is actually the complete opposite.  When Christian leaders over-commit, they not only dilute the quality of their service and work, they reveal an inability to manage their time, a fear of telling others, “no,” or the desire to compete with others who are doing more.  It is often the case, when one finds over-commitment, he will find a leader who derives his identity and worth from his position of leadership.  This causes him to over-value his reputation as a leader; thus he fears telling others “no” since this might cause those under his care to regard him as a weak or incapable leader.  Over-commitment may also be the result of his desire to “keep up with Pastor Jones.”  Whatever the case, over-commitment is a sure warning sign that pride has found a welcome place in the heart of a leader.
2. Grasping for Power. The ministry of leadership is a ministry of servanthood.  Jesus tells us plainly that leadership within the church is not like that which is found in the world, where those in authority “lord” it over those under their care (Mark 10:42-45).  As Alexander Strauch notes, “There is no place for dominating, lordly leaders in a family that is to be marked by mutual love (I Peter 1:22; 3:8; 4:8; 5:14), brotherhood, submission, and humility” (I Peter 2:13; 14, 18; 3:1; 5:5) (Biblical Eldership , 247).  Pride in this area is seen in a leader’s hoarding the pulpit, in the micromanaging of other leaders, and in his anger when his authority is challenged.  When these symptoms occur, pride is most likely the disease.
   
3. A Spirit of Expectation. Pride also manifests itself in a leader when he begins to expect a certain kind of gracious treatment from others in view of his position.  This attitude, however, reveals this leader is thinking of himself too highly.  Jesus told his disciples, “‘A servant is not greater than his master.’  If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).  It is the height of arrogance to suggest we should be treated better than our Lord.  When leaders are living with an attitude of expectation, they are ensnared in the grip of pride.
4. Increasing Independence. Christian leaders who think too highly of themselves will also tend to drift away from fellowship and accountability, since they believe they are able to fight spiritual battles on their own.  This attitude, however, betrays a woeful misunderstanding of one’s need for community in their perseverance as a Christian and as a leader (see Hebrews 3:12-15; 10:24-25).  This dangerous trend can be countered through regular, authentic accountability with other trusted men in one’s church or organization.

Establishing Competent Successors
Finally, it is critically important for Christian leaders to train and establish competent successors.  In Collins’ study, he found a company’s enduring success was often dependant upon the successors put in place by the leader who brought about the initial success.  Collins writes, “In over three quarters of the comparison companies [companies that only enjoyed short-term growth or faced comprehensive ruin], we found executives who set their successors up for failure or chose weak successors, or both” (Collins 2001, 26).  Earlier, Collins writes, “the comparison leaders, concerned more with their own reputation for personal greatness, often failed to set the company up for success in the next generation” (Collins 2001, 26).  These leaders were unable to brook anyone leading the company to success other than themselves.  Unfortunately, this selfish and self-centered attitude typically preceded the company’s eventual failure.

In contrast, Christian leaders can cripple their pride and promote future success for their churches and organizations by the purposeful training of potential leaders.  Preparing competent, spiritual-gifted men helps a Christian leader hold lightly to their position and recognize they are only a small—and replaceable—component to their organization’s success.

Conclusion
The Scriptures make it clear that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).  Ironically, this truth is illustrated in a world that, for the most part, ardently challenges the idea that humility is essential for the task of leadership.  For Christian leaders, this means they must relentlessly and proactively pursue true humility for the glory of God and the good of their people.  As we have seen, their failure to do so will mean disaster for themselves, the marginalization of their organization, and the blighting of Christ’s holy name.