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Guest Blog: Anna Meadows
Anna is our Youth Pastor on our Northwest OKC Campus. She writes…
“Insecurity Sucks”
Insecurity sucks. Plain and simple. It really sucks when it comes to insecurity in leadership. It is nearly impossible to be a successful leader if you’re insecure.
Here are a couple reasons why:
- People don’t feel comfortable following an insecure leader.
- Insecure leaders take everything personally.
- Insecure leaders won’t take risks.
- Insecure leaders spend too much time worrying what people think.
So what’s the answer? There are two, actually: - Remember what God’s Word says about you. If insecurity is the bondage that holds you back, God’s words are the truths that will set you free. Believe them!
- People don’t think about you, the way you think they think about you. (read that again, slowly) It’s true, because they are too worried about what YOU think of THEM!
Insecurity sucks. So, quit!
What insecurities are holding you back right now?
How have you seen insecurity sabotage you or someone else’s leadership?
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In my opinion the word combination “Insecure Leader” is an oxymoron. Not only does “Insecurity Suck” but “Insecure Leaders” make it suck for their followers.
To answer your question; I have seen insecurity sabotage leadership capacity… time and time again.
Nice Post Anna!
Right on, Anna! Our last senior pastor was big-time insecure, and it trickled down to the whole staff in one of two ways (depending on the personality of the staff member): most became very tentative and fearful of making somebody mad, while others became very frustrated with the inability take reasonable risks. Needless to say, we didn’t accomplish a lot as a staff until we got a new leader. The “bigger” your role as a leader, the more important it is for you to deal with your personal issues. Sometimes this takes professional counseling, so swallow your pride/fear/whatever and do it!
Good Stuff - Anna.
insecure leaders breed insecure cultures.
Nothing worse than creating a leadership culture or environment where everyone is scared of saying anything.
1/2 anna meadows hits the big time again!!
I don’t know anyone who leads that doesn’t struggle with this from time to time, if not all of the time! Thanks for the reminder and the fresh challenge from a fellow Youth Minister!
Anna - I love this post. I once heard someone say, ‘Insecurity is the cardinal sin of leadership’. This post will help me when I battle with insecurity.
Great post!
I read this and thought, this is for me! I recently stepped into an interim pastoral role as a college student in a campus ministry-so the transition from simply being a peer leader to being the head honcho has been difficult at times. I am such a sensitive person and worry about each little comment someone makes and what they really meant and what the receiving party felt-thanks for pointing me to the Word so that I could be set free to lead!
Whoo-hoo for youth pastors having a shout out! Great job Anna. I’ve had to get over the insecurity of what students thought about me - not in our services or settings, but on their campuses, with their friends. I’m a pretty confident guy, but when I stepped onto their turf, everything changed…as if God needed me to be ultra cool and hip…how arrogant! Well, things are changing now! Good post!
My biggest insecurity (and a really scary one at that) is my calling. I often begin to doubt and question what exactly it is that God has called me to. I have seen this sabatoge my own leadership in that I become indescive and lazy or focused so much on myself that I forget that I am actually serving others.
Anna - you are a HUGE inspiration when it comes to living with confidence in who God created you to be - you live this out so well! Great post! Your title rings so true and is a reminder that it’s not only horrible, but it sucks the life out of leadership, originality, risk-taking/faith, teaching, relationships, etc. etc. etc. Thanks girl!
Kenyon–The enemy will ALWAYS attack you at your area of greatest influence… It is no wonder we feel insecure about our calling…
Jayma–Thank you for your encouraging words…
Brian–I’ve also experienced feeling insecure on school campuses…Remember: People don’t think about you the way you think they think about you. They are more insecure than you are… you can lead them to confidence…
Great Post Anna! Insecurity does suck!
Blane–This is what I’ve learned about being a young leader…People NEED you to lead! They are looking to you… so there is no time or space for insecurity… Another thing I’ve learned is that “if you think you can’t… you’re probably right.” Believe in your heart and mind that you CAN lead with God’s help! Praying for your ministry today!
This is one of the best guest blog posts that I’ve read on here in a while. It was so succinct and easy to read/skim.
You make a great point. I’m definitely going to re-post this.
yay lifechurch!
Great post Anna. My insecurity? Craig already talked about and it was killing me until I realized it will never never happen…trying to please everyone. Wanting to be liked. Makes tough decisions even tougher.
Anna - as a “former” youth pastor (I work mostly with couples and the parents of teens now, but once a youth pastor …always a youth pastor), I appreicate your candid-ness and succinct ctritique of insecurity in leadership.
for those of you looking for the verses that define our identity in Christ, here is a Top 10 list from a card we jsut made for our Upstream series (www.church-redeemer.org):
1. forgiven and saved by God’s mercy and grace- eph. 2:8-9
2. a new creation - 2 corinthians 5:17
3. a child of Father God - romans 8:16
4. salt and light in the world - matthew 5:13-16
5. an ambassador of Jesus - 2 corinthians 5:20
6. a co-heir with Jesus - romans 8:17
7. a temple of the Holy Spirit - 1 corinthians 6:19
8. a vital part of the body of Jesus - 1 corinthians 12:27
9. a servant and saint of God - 1 peter 2:16 & romans 1:7
10. blessed …to be a blessing - ephesians 1:3
I’ve definitely let insecurities falter my leadership. I ALWAYS think about what others think about me…and I’ve been so used to acting in ways to please them (I’m embarrassed to say this - I don’t want it this way.)
I’m still listening to God and growing in the section of just focusing on what HE says about Me.
He says I am called. I must live the life of someone who is called…not letting others (or my view of what others think about me) stop me from living my calling to the fullest!
Anna, great post! (very timely, too) I, like Kenyon, have struggled with my calling. I have run away from God’s calling for a few years and finally surrendered my life to His will. Still, as you mentioned, satan will attack this as hard as he can. Just the other day I had a talk with my dad and he told me that if I become a pastor he will be ashamed of me and ashamed to tell his friends what I do for a living. Needless to say, this did not do much for my security. Still, (at least at this point) this has not deterred me from God’s call on my life. Thank you Anna for your reminder that who we are has little to do with what others think and say and everything with what God says about us.
Right on Anna!
Great post Anna! You and Tony are super awesome leaders at Northwest and Todd & I have learned bunches from you guys! Thank you!!! Keep up the good work!
Having insecurities in leadership can come from any number of things…general self-esteem issues…being gun-shy from previous hurtful ministry situations…fear of being disliked/wanting to please everyone…the list could go on.
I do believe that everyone–at some point in their leadership–deals with insecurities that need to be dealt with (ie: look at Gideon, Moses, etc.). Using Gideon & Moses as my examples, two things were true of both of them: 1) They each had a skewed view of themselves. 2) In the natural, OTHER PEOPLE could have come up with any number of reasons why they WOULDN’T or COULDN’T be successful (Gideon was a young man (inexperienced) from an otherwise unremarkable clan from the tribe of Manasseh, and Moses had a speech impediment).
Both of them could have let those things hold them back from greatness…but knowing WHERE your confidence comes from is KEY! As you said, “God’s words are the truths that will set you free [from the bondage of insecurity].” Knowing WHO you are in Christ, and being confident in the gifts that HE has given you to carry out His purposes (and knowing that they are valuable to HIM) is all that matters. Even as Christ-folowers, we will never please everyone. We are responsible to act and to conduct our leadership not in our own confidence, but through His!
Kayla–Thanks!
Bill–You’re so right… we can’t please everyone… isn’t it refreshing?
Will–Thank you for the verses…
Jared–people don’t think about us the way we think they think about us… Thank God!
Emanuel–Stay strong in your calling. If God is for you, aint no one can stand against you!
Wendy–Thanks for your insightful words!
Great reminder. Hey, I needed that! Thanks Anna.
Amen sister! You said exactly what I learned a couple of years ago. God took me through a year long “cleansing” of insecurity that had completely taken over my whole life. To anyone who is battling this-the power of God can change the way you think and act. It’s a battle for sure…but Christ in you can help you overcome it
I totally agree with this post!! I was just expressing this sentiment today with one of my friends….it is definately a battle of the mind. I liken it to a wound that you are trying to let heal, but it keeps getting reopened anytime we accept an incorrect thought from the enemy. This is an issue that I am stil dealing with, but one thing that has helped me was my thinking that it’s not that serious…meaning that I have had to learn to just focus on what God has called me to do and the rest will fall into place.
I have learned that when I am completely focused on Him, I am in some type of spiritual bubble where the acceptance of incorrect thoughts doesn’t penetrate but is instead deflected.
Once again, great post.
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Insecure leadership sabotaged my last job. My boss, who I thought was a prideful leader, turned out to be an insecure leader. It hurt us both and was not good for the ministry or me. It tended to make me insecure in the decisions I had to make.
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Wow, the more I read about leadership, the more I realize that we all struggle with the same things!
My Brother is a Minister who leads & he taught me this: “Insecurity is rooted in selfishness b/c you are trying to be secure “In-Yourself.” The solution & victory from “in-security” is solved by becoming “Secure-In” Jesus Christ!
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Thanks for Posting this it helped me to read this and understand some things.