In this talk, the speaker explores the often‑overlooked role of submission—referred to as the “S‑word”—in effective leadership. He begins by noting that many leadership books (e.g., John C. Maxwell) equate great leaders with great learners, a mindset that requires a submissive posture toward those who teach or mentor us. Drawing on personal anecdotes from coaching his sons’ basketball teams, he illustrates how the desire to lead can create an internal divide: publicly preaching respect for authority while privately resisting it. He recounts his own struggle to submit to mentors he perceived as less knowledgeable, which delayed his growth. The speaker then turns to Scripture, highlighting Jesus’ submission to his earthly parents and the timing of his challenges to authority, using this as a model for believers to submit until appointed. Throughout, he urges listeners to honestly assess whether they struggle with submission both publicly and privately, and to view the process as ongoing work empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Chapters
What's up? So I want to talk to you a little bit about the S-word in leadership. Uh, if you've ever studied any leadership books, you've probably heard in some type of context that great leaders are great learners. Uh, that's one of my favorite quotes. If you read any John C. Maxwell material, I'm sure you've heard in some capacity. But however, we have to understand that when we are learning, it's assuming the heart posture of being submissive. To that authority, you know. Well, like I said, whether that person is teaching us, whether they're mentoring, coaching, or just playing any part in our development, they are here to help us. And, you know, I basically learned this in practice a lot more, uh, when I was basically coaching my, uh, my oldest son's basketball team. And of course, I'm sure I'm going to deal with it as I start over and coach my youngest son's basketball team. Uh, but like I say, you know, when it comes to leadership, uh, when we are destined or striving or even called and we're going through that journey, uh, sometimes, you know, we can get so caught up and that I'm here to lead, God is appointing me to lead, and it's hard to stay submissive to someone else that's over us. But we understand it when it's in the context of other people following us. When we're leading them, we preach it all the time. And I'm not just making this ministry-specific, it's secular and in the ministry. But we, you know, basically we just beat that drum all the time. Submissive, submissive, respect your authority. But at the same time, like I said, we can have the same divide within ourselves when it's time for us to submit because we are a leader amongst others. And everybody doesn't struggle with it, but I think if a lot of us be more truthful, sometimes it kind of feels like a divide within when we're consistently adding value to people's lives, but then when it's time to receive value in our lives, And so for me, you know, uh, just especially in my early career, like, you know, I became an avid reader, like, real deal at 21, 22. But I was a reader, you know, it was a lot of theory, a lot of examples. I haven't really just practiced these things. It took time to actually apply and tweak and learn these principles and just, okay, see how, how do they fit in the context of my life. But because I was an avid reader, because I had pretty good mentors and so on and so on. I felt like it accelerated me. So what ended up happening is that I had an issue— not that it was just like intentional, but it just created this, like I said, this divide within where it was hard for me to submit to people that I knew more than, that I felt like I knew more than, um, because like I say, they weren't just readers. They didn't, you know, um, Study the John C. Maxwell or the Michael Hyatt or the James Hunters and stuff like that of the world, you know, like studying servant leadership. But however, what I'm trying to say is God appointed them to be in that role. And so what started to take place is like I would say things like, man, you know, I just can't wait till I get my opportunity. I can't wait till I get my moment. And this just continued to foster and I didn't want to submit. I projected submission, but deep down inside I didn't have a heart posture of submission. I just couldn't wait till I passed them, or I couldn't wait till I got my opportunity to lead. So I missed out on a lot of things. And so because of that, I believe that God just basically allowed me to stay, you know, and cultivate what needed to be cultivated. He had to deal with me and my heart when it came to this word, submissive, being submissive, that S word. And so, uh, and then, you know, as this time went on and things like that I just remember just kind of reading through the Bible, you know, I would read certain stories and certain things would jump out. And then I just believe that no matter, you know, how much seminary school we go to, how much we hear the preaching and teaching, uh, it's the power of the Holy Spirit to illuminate those passages, uh, because I don't believe no one can just truly give us revelation. You know, they can give us general revelation but not spiritual revelation. And so as time went on, um, things just started to happen, and, you know, I just got God just spoke to me and brought it to my remembrance as I was just like studying the Gospels. And you know, I noticed that here is Jesus, the Savior of the world, the Redeemer of the world. He was the Word, He was one with the Word. He just wasn't a person speaking it. And what happened was I'm like, man, you know, He's in this synagogue, He's growing up. A lot of times they were talking about the, as they were teaching the Torah and things like that, they were literally speaking about the living God right there in their presence. Uh, as Jesus submitted to his earthly parents, you know, Mary and Joseph, uh, he didn't never challenge them according to scripture. You know, I think it was a few accounts— I'm paraphrasing— that I know one time they were asking where he was and he said, you know, you should have known, basically, I was in the temple being about my Father's business. And that's the only time he, I guess you can say, kind of challenged authority, is when he was basically being about his Father's business. And I think we should apply that same thing. But the point is that he was the living word of God. He was the word of God, but he still submitted to the authorities that be until it was his appointed time. And so I just want to ask you, you know, if you're striving to be a leader, a leader, uh, if you're just in anything, any capacity, if you are a leader, uh, ask yourself, you know, hey, do I really struggle with the S-word? And, uh, not just publicly But ask yourself, you know, do I struggle with this privately? Because if you do, it might be some time to do some work. I'm continually doing it and it's still hope. So like I said, I just wanna really ask you today, do I struggle with the S word in the context of leadership or in the areas that God has called me to be submissive to?
