Faithful Over the Few
“Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”
- Matthew 25:21 (NKJV)
I’ve always hated the phrase “fake it until you make it.” Pretend you know what you’re doing and hope no one notices. It is not wise to be ignorant, even less so to be arrogant. But pity the poor soul, who is arrogant in his ignorance. This is not leadership, this is insanity, it sounds like something from an outdated Playbook, and of course, it reminds us of our old friend, Barney, but if we’re honest, it sometimes reminds us of ourselves. In our weakest moments, we all have a little Fife in us, trying to project a confidence we haven’t truly earned.
Instead of “faking it until we make it,” we should “learn it until we earn it.” Developing technical or practical expertise in your field is essential to leading others competently. The worst thing that can happen to a leader is to be exposed as a fraud. If you don’t know where you’re going, how can you possibly lead anyone else to the promised land?
That’s why operational skills are so critical, but leadership also demands something more. There are universal leadership principles that apply across every field, whether you’re leading a pit crew or a Fortune 500 company.
Leadership isn’t magic. It’s a method.
The first step is simple but critical: humbly acknowledge what you don’t know so that you can learn and apply the methods of a true leader.
“The ancient Masters didn’t try to educate the people, but kindly taught them not to know.
When they think that they know the answers, people are difficult to guide.
When they know that they don’t know, people can find their own way…”
- Chapter 65 of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching (Stephen Mitchell Translation)
