Tim McDermott “Our Biggest Enemy as Leaders”
Stepping into a leadership role at a station is a very difficult step and also a very rewarding one. Being “in charge” gives you some superpowers, super preferences and super privileges. When someone asks you to make a decision, you have the superpower not to respond in the moment. You can wait and get back to them when you want. You also have the superpower to hire and fire – which has great impact on someone’s life. You have the superpower to get what you want, when you want it. You also have super preferences. People by nature want to make the boss happy so they want to know what you like – and how you like it. From the way things are done to the way meetings are conducted to even the food you like – all eyes are on the boss. And you have super privileges. Special access to events, relationships and even public credit for how great things are because of your leadership.
All of these things can feed our greatest enemy as a leader – pride.
The Bible is clear that God hates pride. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6 NLT). If there is one thing we don’t want as a ministry leader, it is to have God working against us. I have noted over my career how colleagues I knew – before they became the boss – were really good humble people. Then when they became the boss, something changed. They became a different person. They started judging people, stopped listening to other people’s opinions and even called other people out for their issues. There is a fine line between confident and courageous to being cocky and condescending. Unknowingly, leaders can cross back and forth between that line.
I wish I could give you three steps on how to overcome pride but honestly, I keep finding new levels of pride in my life. It’s like an ugly onion. The more I go on, the more I get pealed. So, from that perspective, here are things I have found as a leader to help me fight this enemy in my own journey.
- Be in an accountability group with people who don’t care about your position. The hardest part is finding that group – especially if your station or ministry is well known. The group doesn’t have to be large – maybe three or four people you trust and people you will listen to. I know of one leader years ago who was asked this question, “Who in your life can tell you no – and it sticks?” He said, “No one.” Not too long after that, he had a very public fall. If you are married, your spouse can be a great resource to help point out moments where you were prideful. I ask my wife that question often and she will tell me. (It’s nice to ask rather than being told).
- Delegate your superpower, super preferences and super privileges. Imagine getting invited to an exclusive event and bringing one of your staff. Imagine asking a staff to make a big decision and then not second guessing them later. Imagine acting with grace during a hard personnel decision. Imagine getting a station award and letting someone on the team accept the award. I witnessed that last one a few weeks ago. The leader of the organization sat next to me while one of his staff accepted the major award on stage. I asked him why and he told me he wanted that staff person to accept the award. Years ago, Steven Curtis Chapman shared how he liked to move around the stage to be next to individual band members to make sure the spotlight wasn’t always on him. We need to do that as leaders.
- Boldly ask God to show you areas where you have pride. This is a hard prayer to pray, but I have found God will answer that prayer – and sometimes it can be ugly. I never thought about it until recently, but social media posts can be a great area of pride. Look who stopped by our station today (and who didn’t come to your station.) Look where I went with a label and you didn’t go. Isn’t my life great – and yours is not? I get that social media by nature is “self-promoting” but think before you post – especially as a leader – what message you may be sending to your staff and to others with your posts.
Our industry is ever changing. All CEOs jobs are temporary, so we need to treat everyone well. The person that we are bossing around and being condescending to, may in a few years be the same person we are working for or asking us to hire them.
Be humble. Be kind. Plant seeds of grace in everyone’s life.
Tim McDermott is the greatest article writer in the history of HisAir.net. Oops. I mean Tim wrote this article because he hopes you won’t make the same ones he has. He has the scars to show he is not a perfect leader and can be reached for consulting help at Tim@Tmcdermottcpa.com
