Motivation

Today's devotional is from The Leadership Walk: Devotions for Leaders of Today and Tomorrow

When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes - Esther 3:5-6.

Haman squandered a wonderful leadership opportunity because he was blinded by hatred for the Jews and Mordecai. He had unlimited access to the king, authority, power, and wealth, yet personal gain and revenge motivated him to make poor decisions that eventually cost him and his family their lives.

What's more, Haman used people to further his own ends and, when they couldn't benefit him or did not honor him, he looked to eliminate them. Leaders must confront their own heart and face what is motivating them to lead and succeed, realizing that some attitudes are not in their best interests and will eventually undermine what they have set out to do.

LEADERSHIP STEP: What motivates you to lead or to become a leader? Take out a sheet of paper or go to your journal and write out what you expect to receive as leader and what you hope to give as leader. Be honest and transparent. Then examine the list to look for patterns or hidden motivators. Is the receive list longer than the give list? What does this list tell you about your motivation for leadership? What can you do to improve the balance on your list?