The enormous insecurity of King Herod became clear when strangers announced the birth of a new king. When Herod heard the news, he became furious, self-absorbed, impatient, and agitated - all signs of an insecure leader. Insecure leaders share the following traits in common:
- They give others no security.
- They take more than they give.
- They restrict their best people.
- They limit or sabotage their organization's success.
- They spend more energy keeping their job than doing their work.
Effective leadership begins with a leader who is self-secure, emotionally and spiritually healthy. Why is that? Why must leaders have a healthy security within themselves? The following points help with this reflection:
- Leadership flows more out of "being" than out of "doing."
- Leaders need a strong inner posture in order to behave strongly.
- Insecure leaders lead their organizations onto a plateau.
- Self-security is the foundation for leaders in difficult situations.
- Insecure leaders will never produce self-secure successors.
- Inner strength is the only hope of finishing well the path a leader has begun.
Most leaders wrestle with feelings of insecurity. A leadership role, by definition, draws people's eyes toward it - and toward the leader's personal insecurity as well. This makes leaders feel that all the tasks tied to their role appear disproportionately large. They also tend to cover up their weaknesses rather than being honest about them. Self-secure leaders with a strong and healthy character overcome feelings of insecurity and face the public pressure of their role. They act with integrity and behave accordingly.
Effective leaders have security in four basic human needs:
- They have security in their worth - when it is missing, they feel inferior.
- They have security in their belonging - when it is missing, they feel lonely.
- They have security in their purpose - when it is missing, they feel out of place.
- They have security in their competence - when it is missing, they feel inadequate and afraid.
Self-secure leaders have come to understand the following for themselves:
- They draw their personal worth and inner security from their "shared history" with God.
- They settle with God in advance the question of whether they should take on an influential leadership position.
- They do not place their emotional health in someone else's hands, but trust their relationship with God instead.
- They let go of the expectation that other people will meet their basic needs, and take responsibility for that themselves. Leaders will only be self-secure when they stop expecting others to meet the needs that only God can meet.
Matthew 2:1-18
The wise men from the East
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet (Micah 5:2),
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
The flight into Egypt
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying (Hosea 11:1), Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Herod's slaughter of the children
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying (Jeremiah 31:15),
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.