When Me is Bigger Than We

Listening to the conversations between children on a playground can be interesting and entertaining. If you have ever had that opportunity, then you might have heard comments like these:

“I am the leader; you have to do what I say!”

“No! You are supposed to follow me.”

“That is mine, give it back!”

“I’m supposed to go first!”

“Hey everybody, why aren’t you listening to ME?”

You would expect to hear comments like this from immature children. Promoting Number One in a child’s world comes naturally, but as leaders we should not have to be reminded we are not the “center of the universe.”

Unfortunately, some adults fail to leave this mindset on the playground with other childlike tendencies. This particularly presents a problem if those same adults occupy leadership roles.

 Here are a few of the traits “ME-centered” leaders tend to share.

Ten Common Traits of “ME” leadership:

1. Tendency towards self-promotion
2. Inconsistency in establishing policies or decisions
3.  Refusal to admit personal failure
4. Using guilt as a tool to motivate or manipulate
5. Lack of integrity or trust
6. Living/operating by a double standard
7. Marginalizing “perceived” threats to maintain control
8. Condescending interactions with employees
9. Prioritizing personal desires ahead of the team’s best interest
10. Leadership influence which is limited to “positional authority,” rather than earned respect

Five Biblical Patterns for responding to “ME” leadership:

1. Promotion – Psalms 75:6-7 (Realize God does the promoting, so respond instead of reacting to the people who occupy leadership roles in your world.)
2. Position – Mark 12:17 (Give freely to superiors what is due them by virtue of their position even when they may not have deserved it.)
3. Obedience – Hebrews 13:17 (Obey leaders and allow God to call them into account.)
4. Authority – Romans 13:1 (Acknowledge and accept God’s role in authority, both the just and unjust.)
5. Testimony – 1 Peter 2: 13-15 (Embrace the opportunity to glorify God by your Biblical response.)

BTW…it is easier to sit in judgment, react, rebel and criticize your authorities than it is to respond biblically. It can be incredibly freeing to cease fighting your authorities and put that same energy into growing your character and personal leadership abilities. What are some of the things you have learned by responding rather than reacting to authority?