The Other Side Leadership Success by Jon Lewis

Beware of the Dark Side of Success

Is it possible for a leader to experience so much success that it undermines their ability to lead?

There’s a powerful little story tucked into 2 Chronicles, chapter 26, that answers that question with a resounding yes.

When Success Turns to Pride

It’s about the life of Uzziah, the king of Israel, who began his reign at the age of sixteen. He started great, following the advice of his mentor, Zechariah, who “instructed him in the fear of God.” In return, God helped him against his enemies by giving him unusual leadership success. Not only did he develop a well-trained, well-equipped, and well-led army, but Uzziah’s leadership brilliance led to the design of creative military machines that could fire missiles from castle walls. Verse 15 states, “His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.”

But the very next verse delivers the cautionary twist: “But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.”

The pattern is as old as leadership itself:

• Success breeds Power.
• Power fosters Pride.
• Pride leads to Downfall.

Uzziah’s story reminds us that no leader is immune.

Four Ways Success Can Lead Us Astray

What are some ways that our leadership success could become a pathway to pride?  Consider these:

1. Forgetting our dependence on God – We begin to believe that our wisdom and skill got us where we are, shifting from the heart of a steward to the mindset of an owner. Intimacy with God quietly erodes.
2. Making our work too important – Success breeds desire for more success. The danger is that focus on our work can push spouse and family into lower priority jeopardizing healthy relationships in our personal lives.
3. Neglecting accountability – Personal accomplishment can convince us we no longer need mentors or wise counsel. Pride can easily blind us to our own blind spots.
4. Withholding mentorship – When self-importance drives our busyness, we often fail to invest the necessary time needed to mentor and encourage the next generation of younger leaders.

Three Practices to Guard Our Hearts

So how can leaders resist the pride trap that so often follows success? Scripture and experience point us to three simple but powerful practices:

1. Renew your devotional life – A consistent rhythm of prayer, worship, and Scripture keeps us grounded in God’s presence. I personally find it helpful to recite the Jewish morning prayer, Modeh Ani, daily, which includes the phrase, “Now, this morning, may I strengthen my soul by renewing my faith in You.”
2. Recommit to being a steward – The best way to fight the tendency of an owner-leader is to remember that everything we do is under the umbrella of a steward’s responsibility to his or her Master. As the old Steven Curtis Chapman song says, “God is God, and I am NOT.”
3. Restore accountability – Re-engage regularly with trusted mentors and peers who have your permission to speak truth into your life. Don’t let success isolate you as a leader.

Leading with Faithful Stewardship

The story of King Uzziah is more than history—it’s a warning and an invitation. God includes stories like this in Scripture to remind us that leadership success can be both a blessing and a curse.

If we remain humble, dependent, and accountable, we can continue as faithful Steward Leaders who avoid the dark side of leadership success.

Jon Lewis is a Senior Associate for Partnership Advancement with OC International. He focuses on encouraging global Christian leaders to be more effective in ministry. With over 40 years of experience, he has served as an MAF mission pilot in Africa and as CEO of Partners International.

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