Put Yourself Aside

Scripture

“Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” (Philippians 2:3-4 MSG)

Thought

Have you ever had a co-worker who was so obviously obsessed with climbing the ladder and “playing the game"? When the boss walks in they sit up straight. They laugh at every important person’s jokes. They put on a show when around “important” people and then their true colors come out around the regulars. They are obsessed with gaining whatever advantage they can. Desperate for the climb, they unfortunately feel when they climb high enough they will be important too.

It’s become obvious to everyone but themselves what they are doing. Everyone sees it, but they don’t.

Over the long haul, our true desires in leadership will be revealed. If you’re really just wanting to climb the ladder, eventually people will take notice. If you’re really just after the title and the status it will become clear. If you’re really just wanting to make a ton of money it will be obvious. If we do this thing long enough, it’s going to be clear to everyone what we’re really in it for.

It’s true for the transformational leader as well. If you really just want to serve, add value and lead - your people will eventually know. But unlike the transactional coworker you will likely know long before anyone else does what your motives are. You’ll know before they do - because this type of leading takes intentionality in private.

This decision has to be made in privacy of your own heart and mind. It’s made every morning as you read. It’s made as you take a walk on the trail alone. It’s made on the treadmill at the gym. It’s always made in private soul searching and it’s always made ahead of time.

It eventually overflows out of your leadership and into the lives of those around you.

It takes time for our real desires to come to the surface, but if we make a habit of putting ourselves aside, helping others get ahead, people will notice. Eventually as they respond to your serving and leading, your relinquishing of your own advantage, they will lean in to every word you say and that is when you have captured real influence.

That’s when transformational leadership can transform an entire team.

Call to Action

Push someone else to the front today. Who on your team can you honor and uplift today?