How’s your ego? One of the most challenging things for a leader is dealing with ego…with pride. If things go well, we have a tendency to pat ourselves on the back for the good planning and the good leadership we give that leads to success. If things go wrong, we can come up with a whole list of reasons why our plan failed.

  • Others didn’t execute our good plan as well as they should have.
  • Situational timing caused the plan to miss the mark.

Our ego works to keep us on top and others below us.

Someone has said, “A bad day for your ego is a great day for your soul.” That may be a good starting point for us today. Taming our ego…our pride…is one of the most difficult things, and one of the key areas where Satan does his work. Sadly, most of us don’t realize the amazing potential that awaits us if we can just let go of our pride, control our ego, and embrace God’s plan.

The Lord speaks directly about this issue. James said it well.

 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

James 4:10 NLT

When think about this, I like what Ken Blanchard says about EGO. In his book Lead Like Jesus, Blanchard equates our human ego to an anachronym.

EGO = Edging God Out. 

That really says it, doesn’t it? When our ego takes over, we claim praise for ourselves that rightly should go to God. We tend to forget that anything we have, think, or do…anything…is a result of God’s grace in our lives. The Lord gives us breath. He brings about circumstances and experiences that help us develop and grow as leaders. And His Spirit provides inspiration to our thoughts. Yet we often simply Edge God Out and let our ego take over. We claim praise that belongs to the Lord and take it as our own. Edging God Out. And that is dangerous.

Through Jeremiah the prophet, the Lord admonishes us.

This is what the Lord says:

“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,

    or the powerful boast in their power,

    or the rich boast in their riches.

 But those who wish to boast

    should boast in this alone:

that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord

    who demonstrates unfailing love

    and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,

and that I delight in these things.

    I, the Lord, have spoken!

Jeremiah 9: 23-24 NLT

Ken Blanchard offers another definition for EGO that we would be wise to embrace.

EGO = Exalt God Only.

That means doing what Jeremiah wrote those thousands of years ago…boast only that we know God and understand and acknowledge that He alone is God…and we aren’t!

One of the warning signs that we are Edging God Out, according to Blanchard, is the constant use of the pronoun, “I”. I did this. I deserve that. My plans…my ideas…. And on and on. Take inventory of your own language and see how many times you fall into this trap. A phrase like, “If the Lord allows…” should be more than a trite slogan. It should permeate all we do. And we need to quickly and sincerely add at the end of an accomplishment, “Praise God for His great work in my life.”

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, gave good advice.

Pride leads to disgrace,

    but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 11:2 NLT

So…what will it be for you and your ego. Will you Edge God Out? Or will you, more and more, day by day, Exalt God Only? The decision is yours. The glory belongs to God.

God’s best…