The fear of inadequacy is a state of mind in which you think your best is not good enough. Usually, it stems from a lack of appreciation or affirmation from important people in our lives. You might also feel this way if you are compared negatively to others. Many experience feelings of inadequacy. Even the great leader, Moses, felt he wasn’t good enough to be the spokesperson and liberator for the Israelites. Many professional athletes who exert themselves to attain physical prowess near perfection struggle with feelings of being ill-prepared.
Know that how you envision your life makes a difference in how you live your life! If you see yourself from a positive perspective, then you discover that you are a value to society. People desire to be valued not only for what they contribute but first for who they are as individuals.
It is important for people, whether they are leaders or not, to live their lives embracing the truths that build leadership skills which sustain societies with God as the head. Apart from God, we are inadequate to lead people. However, infused with God’s strength, we are equipped to face any challenge God calls us to do.
The Apostle Paul said, “not that we are qualified and sufficient in ability of ourselves to form personal judgments or to claim or count anything as coming from us, but rather our power and ability and sufficiency are from God.” Know that many of the leaders and heroes in the Bible struggled with the fear of inadequacy. So, you are in good company if you find yourself struggling with the notion that you are not qualified for a leadership role.
A leadership best practice is to value people for who they are as human beings created by God. But people also have a desire to be appreciated for the contributions they bring to the organization and their team. Effective leaders understand that appreciation isn’t just about the individual; it is about acknowledging the value they bring to the larger society.
Remember, the leaders of the bible overcame their fear as leaders and said yes to God. They stepped out in faith, essentially declaring, “I am depending on you for my success.” Our human ego likes to look good and claim the credit. But God puts us into a position of forced dependence so that the credit for our success goes to him. So, Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Dr. Walter Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
