Pride & Power

I have discovered something interesting about leadership. As you lead others there is the human tendency to vear from this path I know is right. This path allows me to gain favor with others. It opens doors of influence. It even allows me the opportunity to fail occasionally but continue leading. This path is the path of humility and authority.  Finding that appropriate balance between these two characteristics can be a challenge, but it’s imperative.

As a leader it is very easy to allow the accolades or accomplishments to puff you up. Before you know it, rather than having vision for the future, all you see is your huge head! That’s why humility is so important. Humility is defined as “freedom from pride and arrogance”. As a leader we can’t afford to have pride obstruct our view of reality. Find that healthy balance of humility. Don’t be a push-over, but be accurate in your view of who you are as a leader.

On the other hand, we have authority. If you’ve ever worked with a ‘power-hungry’ co-worker or boss, you know how difficult authority can be. If we overestimate the authority we really have, we run the risk of losing our effectiveness as a leader. Just as we must have an accurate view of who we are as a leader, so we must have an accurate view of our authority as a leader.

Remember this: Authority is earned. Humility is proven. Continue down that path of humility and authority. As you walk down this path of humility and authority, keeping a healthy balance of both, turn around and you’ll see a mass of people walking stride for stride right behind you.