Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4 (NIV)
Have you ever observed or worked for leaders who seemed to put their personal interests ahead of everything else?
Godly leaders don’t operate this way. They work to get the organizational mission accomplished while striving to care for those under their supervision.
Even with the best of motives, keeping this balance can be hard. As the battalion chaplain, I remember challenging an airborne commander to consider shortening an intensive training exercise because the warriors were getting too worn down. He listened, but in the end stayed with the original plan because he honestly believed the unit was failing to meet standards in a number of areas.
The outcome? The three-week long exercise ended. Training goals were met. Unit personnel not only survived but thrived under the test.
Why? The commander was a leader of character and everyone trusted his judgment. They knew he genuinely cared about each of them and their families.
The content of this Devotional comes from “Daily Strength for the Battle (You, God’s Word, 5 Minutes): Volume 6 Developing the Leader in You” (2020) and is copyrighted by Scott and Judy McChrystal. Used with permission.
