When My Leadership Met My Pride: A Lesson I Didn’t Expect

I sat there, shocked.
How could she talk to me like this?
I was her Supervisor, after all.

I had just completed a routine call review. It wasn’t glowing, but it was honest. I followed policy. I gave clear notes, written with fairness and truth. So how could she not see the good intention and accuracy behind my review?

The Weight of Leadership

Part of my job was to review my team’s calls every seven days. I was then evaluated on how well I evaluated them. My bonus depended on it. My reputation as a new leader depended on it.

Didn’t she understand that?

I felt the heat rising in my body. The pressure, the defensiveness.
Without thinking, I stood to match her stance—trying not to be aggressive, just… firm.

But still, I stood my ground.

A few moments before, a seasoned employee had sat through my technically accurate review of her call. After going back to her desk and looking more closely at the form that I had just meticulously explained to her, she came over to my desk and strongly communicated her reasons for disagreeing. 

I sat at my desk and she stood, towering over me. Her body language and voice were strong indicators of how she felt. 

Why Did It Bother Me So Much?

Later that evening and for days after I couldn’t shake it.

Why was I still bothered?
Why did that one interaction continue to occupy space in my head and heart?

It took a while, but I realized something I didn’t want to admit. Even as I type this now, it’s hard to say.

It was my pride.

My authority was questioned.
My assessment was challenged.
My reputation felt threatened.
My income was potentially on the line.

All of it tied to a fear of being seen as weak by higher leadership. I worried:

“If I don’t hold the line, I won’t move up. I might not get my bonus. I’ll be seen as weak.”

I was never explicitly told any of this but I believed it anyway.

The Pressure to Perform

Maybe you’ve felt this too. The unspoken pressure to meet impossible expectations. To be perfect. To never waver. To equate performance with worth and position with identity.

I didn’t realize how much of my security I had placed in my role and reputation until it was challenged.

A Faith-Based Reflection on Pride

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
— Proverbs 16:18 (NKJV)

God’s Word speaks clearly about pride. It’s subtle, creeping in through fear, perfectionism, and the desire to control how we’re seen.

This situation revealed a blind spot in my heart not just in how I lead others, but in how I allow God to lead me.

True leadership, the kind modeled by Jesus, isn’t about control, performance, or status.
It’s about humility, service, and trust in God’s provision.

What I’m Still Learning

I’m learning to lead with grace, to let go of needing to be seen a certain way, and to trust that God honors integrity more than image. I’m learning that humility doesn’t make me weak—it actually frees me to lead with peace, not pressure.

Have you ever had a moment where pride showed up in your leadership?
I’d love to hear your story. Add your story below and I would love to hear what helped you through.