Self-entitlement among new leaders is dangerous.It is one of those malignant characteristics that has a way of backfiring on us and our works. It suggests we are deserving of something, even when we have not truly worked for it. Surprisingly, I felt myself walking in this very attitude when I first began working on my online venture. I made assumptions and mistakes that prevented me from truly experiencing authentic growth and success. This mindset is often found among thousands of new leaders, especially those who call themselves Christians. Many leaders today treat the Lord as if He’s a magical genie. They make “wishes” or prayers, and then expect the manifestation of their prayers to come forth without them ever putting work behind it. And without realizing it, immature leaders behave a lot like spoiled children who don’t know the first thing about working hard to see the promises of God manifested. When those desires aren’t realized, their first reaction is to blame God for not fulfilling His promise. This is essentially the lesson I learned back in 2015. As you may already know, I struggled in building my online platform. While I was able to garner a few clients here and there, I failed to set up my business so I could have ongoing monthly income. And do you who I blamed for that? Certainly not myself! It was easy for me to look at the Lord and say, “Well, why aren’t You making this thing prosperous?” In other words, I was accusing Him of not doing His part. And that’s a very dangerous position to be in, especially when you know He has called you to do a great work. I thank the Lord for His grace and loving-kindness; He didn’t hold my immature attitude against me. Instead, He directed me to His Word and to other resources that helped me learn how to achieve success. Self-entitlement isn’t always a matter of you being selfish or narcissistic. You and I may never fit within that part of the definition. But self-entitlement is this feeling that because you are a leader, and because God has given you an idea for a leadership platform, then you are entitled to success without doing much work. That’s dangerous, and it will certainly stifle your productivity. This may be a hard truth to stomach right now, Beloved, and I can understand that. But it doesn’t negate the reality. Most new leaders that I have worked with have displayed this nature in some way or another. I’ve had audience members who said they quit their calling because their platforms weren't taking off. I’ve had writers say that if God wanted it to be blessed, then everything would have worked out well. I’ve heard many reasons and excuses for people’s shortcomings. But what I have yet to hear is the leader who says, “Yes, God gave me the vision for my platform and books; but I didn’t put any action behind my faith, and that’s why my work failed.” A leader like that would have given the most accurate assessment as to the demise of the vision. And when someone is that honest about his shortcomings, it’s easier for God to come through and provide the training he needs to thrive in the work. This was a realization I came to back in 2015. I had a choice to make: Would I continue making excuses, or would I do my part to see this vision come to life? I chose the latter. Self-Entitled Leaders Are The Least ProductiveI want to help you better understand how self-entitlement manifests itself among new leaders. I remember a couple of instances in which a client had mentioned that because she wrote a book and had shared it on social media, then people should have quickly purchased it. She expressed how frustrated she was because no one was supporting her ministry. She murmured and complained about Christians not working with other Believers. As I listened to her, I asked if she had taken the time to nurture her own audience, and if the people she “marketed” to had known about her and her project beforehand. Her reply: “No.” I then told her there’s a science involved in the process of building a product and selling it to the market. And if entrepreneurs and leaders did not follow the rules of the game, then they couldn't expect to see great results. I could tell from this particular consultation that her thoughts didn’t agree with my advice. Why? Because she’s one of those new, self-entitled leaders; and since God called her to write that great book, then people should have automatically purchased it while making her rich. This is a form of self-entitlement, and this is one way that it manifests in Believers. I don’t know why we do this, but we assume whenever it comes to building a ministry, then we as Believers don’t have to do much work. Everything should happen magically or miraculously, to use a more Christian term. But God has established order and progress; and He has presented each one of us the opportunity to experience success as long as we are willing to follow His natural laws. This is something the world’s greatest business leaders understand, and why so many of today’s wealthiest people are outside the established church. Jesus addressed this same sentiment when He spoke about the shrewd manager (Luke 16:1-9): “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ “‘Nine hundred gallons[a] of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels[b] of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Shrewd people understand that in order to survive and thrive, they must put forth some work. They don’t rely on what they believe they are entitled to, unlike most “people of the light.” They get to work, and they make definite plans so what they desire, they obtain. And that’s what all new leaders must understand. Get Rid of Self-Entitlement, and You Will Prosper It’s not often I write about the negative elements affecting our work. I try my best to bring words of encouragement so you are motivated to continue on this journey. But at times, I need to address certain problems I see among new leaders, not to make you feel guilty, but to empower you. Listen, everything I teach comes from my own experience. I’ve made several mistakes along this pathway, and I use my story to connect with you. So, when I tell you self-entitlement is a real factor that affects your productivity, I speak from experience. I want you to know there is a way to get rid of that mental attitude. And it starts with humbling yourself. That means you cease in believing God owes you something simply because you want to do His work. He doesn’t owe you anything and neither do any of your followers. You’re not entitled to massive book sales. You earn and work for book sales. You’re not entitled to a large platform. You work to build that platform over time. With the same care you give towards being a diligent servant for another person’s company, that’s what you need to give to your work of ministry. That’s what I needed to learn. And when I began giving that same diligence and positive attitude to my leadership platform, that’s when I started growing. It all goes back to learning the principles and nature of God’s laws. So, Beloved, I want you to start evaluating your own attitude about your work. Are you expecting something without first giving thought to how you will do your part to make it manifest? If so, then understand there are elements of self-entitlement you must address. And if you need direct assistance in this area, I want to encourage you to consider working with me as your trainer and coach this year. In Conclusion ...Thought leadership is a powerful method for elevating your platform and bringing your message to millions of people nationwide. But to be most effective, you will need proper training from an expert coach who has delivered the kind of results you desire. Beloved, in this new era, I want to teach you how to tap into your God-given abilities so you thrive as one of His leaders in the earth. Whether your vision focuses on the social, political, or economic spheres, you can fulfill God's calling on your life when you have the right spiritual and practical training to make it a reality. Today, I invite you to join our growing rank of leaders who are learning to do things God's way so we get His results. Your training is crucial to this development, and at The Felecia Killings Foundation, we've crafted a dynamic leadership program and event just for you. Register for Our Bi-Annual CCM Leadership Convention | Build Your Thought Leadership in the Social, Political, or Economic Sphere Join Coach Felecia Killings and her guest speakers for our annual 3-day event hosted in Atlanta, GA.
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AuthorFelecia Killings is the Founder and CEO of The Felecia Killings Foundation, a Conscious Conservative think tank and coaching organization that trains rising leaders for full activation in the social, political, and economic spheres. Through her training hosted on her website, her podcast, her leadership network, her social media platforms, her books, and her annual leadership convention, she equips leaders with spiritual and practical tools that help them bring revival and reformation to the communities they serve. |