“Don’t Believe Your Own Press”

This is another great lesson I learned from a dear mentor figure. As I began to show signs of gifting and calling as a younger leader, I remember hearing these valuable words that have stuck with me to this very day: “Don’t believe your own press.” I wasn’t sure what that meant at the time but as a younger kid, I was sometimes in the newspaper for playing sports. These articles often highlighted good games, etc., and it was real easy to believe what I would read. On the other hand, I certainly understand what it’s like to have bad press as well. Just as a reminder, I did enter into the PA Adult & Teen Challenge program due to my addiction, which also led to other poor decisions in life that led to “bad press.” With that said, I believe my point still has legs to stand on. When I “believe my own press” I tend to think about myself more than I should and this many times can lead to an attitude of entitlement. This is an obvious poison for a leader (especially a young leader) and it is amplified because this type of situation often times leads to isolation. When isolation sets in, the leader will have a tendency to separate themselves from more seasoned leaders and accountability for decision making. This once again comes back to displaying humility and being teachable even in difficult times and situations. A willingness to embrace this line of thinking also exudes confidence which ultimately helps a leader to not focus solely on themselves and display empathy in decision-making.