Reason one: insecurity. The Florentine philosopher Machiavelli said, ‘The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.’ Insecure leaders are threatened by talented individuals, so they surround themselves with weak people. As a result, the work suffers, and everybody involved suffers too. When a leader responds to a genuine question by saying, ‘How dare you challenge my authority,’ they’re dangerous and often not worth following. Insecure leaders usually fail for two reasons: they want to maintain control over everything, or they’re afraid of being replaced by someone more competent. Either way, leaders who don’t encourage teamwork weaken their own potential and discourage those around them. President Woodrow Wilson said, ‘We should not only use all the brains we have, but all that we can borrow.’ John the Apostle tells us that Diotrephes, a leader in the church, ‘loves to have the pre-eminence’. What was this man’s problem? He wanted to blow everybody else’s light out in order to let his own light shine. So, John writes: ‘When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the travelling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church. Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God’ (3 John vs. 10-11 NLT). Let God’s approval – which you already have – make you secure!

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.