No, Billy is not humble in the simplistic sense, but he has
made himself vulnerable to the Spirit to redeem his ego. That is
what has made possible the image of the stallion, full of power
and vitality, racing against the buffeting wind, but instantly alert
to the Spirit’s check.
The tensions and pressures of both external and internal forces
are not insignificant. As Carl Gustav Jung has said, “Fear of self-
sacrifice lurks deep in every ego.” If Billy, “mere mortal,” can carry
such weight and respond so sensitively to the Spirit, so we can at
least aspire to sharpen our ears. The process of redeeming the ego
is a lifelong one, but absolutely essential to leadership.
LEADERSHIP
LESSONS | EgoApplying the Principles
The word egohas at least two definitions: (1) “a regarding of one’s
self with undue favor,” with synonyms of conceitor vanity, and (2)
“a sense of one’s own dignity or worth,” synonymous with self-
respect. Redeeming the ego can be described as how effectively our
own ego is marked by the second definition rather than the first.
This is captured in the observation by Estelle Smith that
“Humility is strong—not bold; quiet—not speechless; sure—not
arrogant.” Fred Smith puts it this way: “Humility is not denying
the power you have. It is realizing that the power comes through
you, not from you.”
What are the ways that leaders can harness the power of ego
so that it doesn’t hinder but instead serves the cause?
Be Aware of Mysterious Forces
It does not take long in reading biographical material about
General Robert E. Lee to be struck by how committed a Christian
he was and how his perceptions and actions were shaped by his
reliance on the Scriptures. He viewed living out his religious
beliefs as essential, and his intense drive to do so fully was a lot
The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham