So … over the years, I’ve struggled with insecurity as a leader.
Maybe you have too.
Most leaders I know struggle with some level of insecurity.
But there was a season when I didn’t really know I was insecure. And with most things leadership, knowledge is power. You can’t address a problem you’re unaware of.
In the meantime, how would you know whether insecurity occupies some real estate in your life?
Because self-awareness is a major step toward personal change, here are five signs you’re an insecure leader:
1. You are constantly comparing yourself to others.
We have lots to learn from other people, but insecure people aren’t driven so much by a desire to learn as they are to know whether they are better or worse than others. There is a world of difference between tracking with someone to grow and learn, and tracking other people or organizations to see how you stack up. One is healthy, the other destructive. As Andy Stanley says, there is no win in comparison.
2. Your sense of self-worth is driven by your latest results.
Your opinion of yourself rises and falls with your attendance, blog stats, comment thread, reviews and what others say about you. I do monitor most of those things, but I’ve had to learn not to obsess over them. God’s opinion of me doesn’t change with people’s opinion of me. I need to learn from trends and learn from others, but I cannot let someone else determine my worth. Preachers, you aren’t nearly as good as your last message, or as bad.
3. You can’t celebrate someone else’s success.
This trait is a tell tale sign that you are insecure. Why can’t you just give a compliment? Why can’t you be genuinely happy when someone else succeeds? Life is actually not a zero-sum game—at least not life in God’s Kingdom. For you to win, someone else does not have to lose. If you can’t compliment a competitor, why not? If you can’t celebrate a colleague, is it because you are worried others might think they are better than you? You do not need to be the only one who is ‘great’ at something.
