Leadership and Rejection
I wonder if rejection is a prerequisite for leadership?
Are there any leaders, ones that people voluntarily follow, that don’t know the sting of denial. It’s likely the primary pathway God uses to humble and break those who walk arrogantly.
Some of the greatest leaders I know did not enjoy favour with everyone around them:
1. Jesus, the greatest leader of all times, was forsaken by the very people he loved and embraced.
2. The apostle Paul, culture shaper extraordinaire, had to remind the people in the churches he founded that he was “the good guy” when facing opposition from false teachers.
3. Even my mentors, every one, could call up a long list of people who misunderstood or wrongly accused them.
Why is rejection important for a leader? Because it has potential to accomplish two things: it can draw us into a life of submission, confession, and humility before the Saviour; or it can drive us to dig in our heels a little deeper, clench our fists a little tighter, and curse those who curse us.
So, if you want to lead then you might want to get ready for rejection. Rejection hurts but it’s not as important as what you do once you’ve been spurned. For what you do will determine the kind of leader you become.
