Four Steps to Leadership: Self-Control

 We continue this week discussing the four steps to leadership with the third step, which is self-control. In my opinion, this is often a stumbling block for those in positions of leadership, for man's fallen nature will fight him every step of the way. As fallen beings, we all have our own sinful inclinations, and this is referred to as concupiscence. Humans struggle with these inclinations as it is natural for them to be of our desires, and our imperfect intellects can at times have difficulty in discerning evil.

Man does not choose to do evil because it is evil. Man commits evil actions only because evil will appear to him as good in the moment. In Aristotelian philosophy, this is known as an apparent good. Self-control should then be classified as the ability to filter out the apparent goods in order to act according to that which is truly good. The most commonly known apparent goods will fall into what are known as the Seven Deadly Sins. These are pride, wrath, envy, greed, gluttony, lust, and sloth. To someone who does not have control over themselves, each of these sins can appear enticing as they themselves are in fact distortions of true good. 

This is why in order to have self-control, one must first have humility, the appropriate view of one's self in relation to the world, and prudence, the habit of discerning the good through the use of reason. In order to master one's sinful inclinations, he will need divine assistance as well which has been given to us in the person of the Holy Spirit. 

1 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." If we live according to the desires of the flesh, our concupiscence will control us, but if we live according to Spirit, we will possess self-control and will be able to combat concupiscence. This is true Freedom. Freedom is the ability to choose to do what we ought via the perfection of the will through the perfection of the intellect, and it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that this can be achieved.

Self-control also will lead us to accountability, as through the mastery of our inclinations we are able to take full ownership over our actions, and if this be the case we can take ownership of our faults as well. Those without self-control will always look to blame someone else for their faults, yet leadership roles would require us to be fully accountable for our actions, which includes our faults.

Self-control acts as the bridge to the final step to leadership, Self-sacrifice. In order to be able to offer one's self as gift of service, one must first have mastery over one's inclinations. Stay tuned next week for the discussion of Self-Sacrifice and how it is the final step leading to true leadership.