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Knowing Who You are When Everything Is Coming Unglued

March 2008 “Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews and held in high esteem by his fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.” - Esther 10:3 [NIV] J. Paul Landrey International Director TOPIC (Trainers of Pastors International Coalition), Inc. P. O. Box 965 Elkhorn, NE 68022 USA Website: www.topic.us Email: topic@topic.us

Knowing Who You are When Everything Is Coming Unglued ~ Self-definition keeps a leader on course when all else has jumped the track. Mordecai the Jew knew who he was and saved a nation. He’s a prime example of one fact: identity makes the difference. A clear personal identity is a precious possession, especially when everything comes unglued. Mordecai left a self-defined legacy because he clearly knew who he was. See Esther 10:3 (to the left). Each phrase is virtually an identifier for the man described eight times in Esther simply as “the Jew.” Mordecai’s life turned out well, although its fabric was woven of the warp of threat and the woof of crisis. Identity explains why Mordecai survived and thrived. When you know who you are, what you do follows automatically. He moved quietly behind the scenes during a turbulent time in Old Testament history, but made a public, long-term contribution to the survival of God’s people. Think of what he did. Mordecai reared Esther, his uncle’s daughter (Esther 2:7 & 15). He uncovered the assassination plot against the king and saved the ruler’s life (Esther 2:21-22). He coached Esther during the Haman crisis when the Jews faced extermination (Esther 3-9). All of these feats were undertaken simply as “the Jew.” All of these actions were taken without a hint of personal ambition or any demand for the limelight. In actuality, Mordecai was the real hero of the only book of the Bible dedicated to telling the story of the survival of the Jews. Typical of Mordecai, he moved in near anonymity and functioned as a servant in this crucial saga. What kept Mordecai on course when he and his people faced annihilation? Did he rely on his sense of belonging to God’s people? Yes, simply as the Jew. Tradition and roots? Always the Jew. The Commandments, especially the Firstt Commandment? Yes, the Jew. Each factor undoubtedly helped shape who he was. His leadership grew directly from his identity. Remember that Mordecai didn’t lead because he sought to be a leader. He merely provided leadership out of who he was. His self-definition sustained and guided him. There’s a principle to be learned from Mordecai’s leadership experience. Identity provides leaders a place to stand and a strategy from which to operate. Wanted: Leaders who have discovered who they are and operate consistently out of their self-definitions. Wanted: Leaders whose comfort with and confidence in their identities allow them to function either behind the scenes or in the foreground with equal ease and constancy. Wanted: Leaders who resist “I-centered” dictatorial and “we-centered” group-absorbed approaches to leadership because these strategies are neither who they are nor healthy for their groups. Wanted: Leaders who will commit themselves to self-definition while remaining in touch with their followers, maintaining clear positions on issues, and keeping their anxiety in check. Adapted and printed with permission, from Good News from Great Leaders by Robert D. Dale © 1992 (The Alban Institute, Washington, D.C., pages 3-14).