Leadership Kryptonite #3: Critical Spirit

“‘Scoffer’ is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.” Proverbs 21:24 (ESV)

Zero offense intended to all the wonderful Debbys, Nellies, and Carls in our lives. Thankfully, you are not a Negative Nelly, Debby Downer, or Complaining Carl. However, I guarantee you know a few. They go by different names but always seem to work their way into a team. It’s known as a critical spirit, and it is a deadly form of leadership kryptonite.

At a previous church, we had a member of our team who lived with a critical spirit. He saw everything through a negative lens. He challenged every new idea, doubted every decision, and always expected the worst. Unfortunately, he brought the entire team down.

A person with a critical spirit is to a team what water is to a fire. They quench enthusiasm, hinder progress, and create an atmosphere of negativity. To lead effectively, we must recognize and address this destructive attitude.

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Leadership Kryptonite #2: Fear & Anxiety

Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7, ESV).

 

When fear and anxiety drive a team, they stifle creativity and innovation. They inhibit open communication, preventing honest dialogue. Together, they create misunderstandings and leave unresolved conflicts in their wake. They work against collaboration, create a culture of finger-pointing and blame-shifting, and bring down morale. Ultimately, fear and anxiety lead to indecisiveness and a reluctance to make bold choices that challenge the status quo.

 

This leadership kryptonite, left unchecked on your team, is like trying to drive with the emergency brake on full time.

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Leadership Kryptonite - Pride

"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18 (ESV)

“Everything rises and falls on leadership.” Maxwell calls it an irrefutable law of leadership. Every win or every loss will always be diagnosed back to one thing—leadership.

We spend a lot of time learning the principles of leadership, but what about the pitfalls? These pitfalls can break momentum, destroy a team, or turn a winning culture into a losing one.

It’s leadership kryptonite.

 

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Rhythm of Reduction

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” - Ephesians 5:15-16

As a minister, I feel the responsibility and rebuke in Paul’s statement to manage our time wisely. After all, our work has eternal significance yet we only have a finite amount of time to accomplish it. Truly the harvest is great, but the workers are few!

Because of reality, I have watched many leaders and volunteers burn themselves out working to build the Kingdom of God. Yet Jesus calls us to walk with Him in the “unforced rhythms of His grace”. He promised that He would not place anything heavy or ill fitting on us and called His burden easy and light.

So what is the secret to making the best use of our time and multiply our efforts without taking up an ill fitting burden?

The answer is in one of the healthy rhythms we learn from Jesus’s life — the rhythm of reduction.

 

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Healthy Habits

 

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly" (Matthew 11:28– 30, MSG).

 

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Embracing Healthy Conflict

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15-20

Most of us fear confrontation and choose to avoid conflict rather than embrace it.

The consequences of unhealthy conflict are catastrophic; fractured relationships, dysfunction, unproductive teams, divided organizations. Fear of these things is why we often choose to avoid conflict rather than employ it. We are afraid of losing a relationship so we choose to accept the frustrating status quo rather than to take the risk of challenging it.

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Your Leadership Effectiveness Is Directly Tied To Your Leadership Ability

Success requires leadership. It’s true, nothing happens without leadership. Personal success requires personal leadership just as corporate success requires corporate leadership. This means the greatest limiting or lifting factor for success is tied to your leadership.

This is called the “Law of the Lid”.

 

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“And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles” (Matthew 5:41, ESV).

“Go the extra mile” is a common phrase we use in business or leadership. The roots of this expression can be traced back to ancient Israel and the times of Jesus. The Romans had conquered the known world and built a system of highways that connected Rome to every one of their territories. It was true, “all roads lead to Rome.”

 

Every road had a stone marker placed at each mile. The stone noted the direction and distance to the nearest town as well as back to Rome. By law, a soldier could compel a subject from one of the conquered lands to carry a load, for one mile, but one mile only..

 

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Gal 6:9 "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

The end of the year polls of 2022 showed that 1 out of every 3 Americans said that 2022 was a good year. That means that a majority in our nation marked the previous year amongst the worst in their life. It’s tragic because it doesn’t have to be that way. What is the key to finding fulfillment in the year ahead? This first week of the year many are asking that question while setting new goals and resolutions. However, fulfillment is not found in doing more things, but doing more of the right things while working to eliminate more of the wrong things...

 

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Values are a set of principles or standards that governs our behavior. They are a reflection of the way we see ourselves and want to be seen. They speak to what we’ve placed importance upon and choose to emphasize. They are the foundation for who you are and what you will be able to accomplish. Values are important.

Do you know your own personal values? How about your family values? Have you made them clear? Can the important people in your life articulate them? Do you see the value in making your values clear?

 

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