Written 12/9/2016; revised 5/5/2024

There’s something you should know about me: I make mistakes.

Not a few, not several, but a lot. Why I have no problem admitting this, I don’t know.

Granted, I count it all joy, yet this doesn’t mean I enjoy confessing weakness given I prefer to shadow it under the comfort of closure.

Yet, after digesting one of the worst weeks of 2016, I can honestly say while it hurts to fall down, there’s gain in the rise up.

‘Cause truth is: A good leader best learns from his failure not by how he stays ahead of it, but by how he responds to it.

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Permit me to unpack…

When we talk about leaders doing ‘leader’ things, it makes sense those things remain above reproach. I think we can all agree there.

However, given leaders are people too, one must remember their mistakes are just as inevitable. Thus, how leaders handle adversity, setbacks, and errors in judgment is worth discussion.

For instance, in my ministerial role, there are times a protective heart can become overprotective if offense (real or perceived) compromises trust. Knowing my weakness, there are moments when I start to feel anxious and troubleshoot a problem before praying into it.

In these moments, I find the best way to realign and reset is humility.

Now, humility is one of my favorite topics, in part, since Jesus sets the ultimate example, not to mention, when I’m healthy, the trait isn’t difficult to employ. Growing up, I wasn’t always teachable, but once I started integrating humility into relational troubleshooting, maturing in meekness became more seamless, clicking into gear the more I realized I needed forgiveness on a daily basis.

In the case of this post’s inspiration, I overstepped a boundary in my attempt to establish one. Despite good intention, the execution was marred by impulse and entitlement. After processing my lapse in judgment, I realized…

1. To receive grace, one must first accept mercy.
2. The best way to do this is to yield our humanity to humility.

Applying these two steps, it wasn’t long before I went to my pastor and set up a meeting to apologize to those I offended. The process was exhausting yet liberating to the extent I allowed myself to be a grace filter. The more humility flowed through transparency, the more offense evolved into peace and understanding.

All that said, my point in sharing this story is:

1. Humility is a precious gift but also a powerful weapon and an exit strategy for those tempted to take reconciliation into their own hands. If pride (or any derivative) is like being locked out of your car, humility is the wire hanger that breaks the jam and gets you back to where you need to be.

2. There will be times when we think we’ve got it, only to find we’ve lost it. Thankfully, when we receive grace and apply humility, we become more concerned about what is right than who is wrong. By dying to our right to be right, we essentially find the right way to the right path. That’s the power of humility in action.

As for the month ahead, stay tuned as I plan to revisit my toxic workplace series and unveil some traits of healthy/non-toxic work cultures.

‘Til then, stay humble, my friends, and consider praying in the Bible verses below.

Selah.

Graphic creds: Adobe Stock