Leadership Lessons: Pride

PART ONE

“But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.”  [2 Kings 5:1]

The king of Aram loved Naaman, and for good reason.  Naaman was commander of the army and was a valiant warrior.  Further, as leader of the army, they were a conquering force—he had won many victories.  Yes, not just one, but multiple victories!  Naaman was a force to be reckoned with.  The king was proud of Naaman and was confident in his abilities to lead the army.  But Naaman had an issue: Leprosy!      

Naaman had probably seen the army doctor for a prescription, but being the warrior that he was, he tried his best to ignore his persistent condition, hoping it would just go away.  Naaman did not believe in God; however, he probably prayed or sacrificed to his gods, but no cure ever came.

God did not cause Naaman’s leprosy, but He was going to use it to bring good in Naaman’s life.  However, Naaman was going to need to learn some lessons along the way. 

Pride is not a “4-letter word,” but it’s just as ugly!  Just writing the word evokes all kinds of emotions!  We try to avoid people that are prideful, especially leaders.  Why?  Because it is all about them:—their title, their position, their authority, their need to be right.  A very wise man said this about pride:  “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” 

Pride… be willing to recognize it in yourself and then deal with it directly.  As leaders, we need to put in extra layers of security to guard against this destructive force.  

Great leaders are defined by how many people they are serving, not by how many people are serving them! 

Start today! Serve others and watch your leadership capacity grow exponentially!