Have you ever been frustrated because the same problems keep showing up in your business or relationships? Perhaps people aren’t taking responsibility, decisions keep getting delayed, or you find yourself having the same disagreements over and over.
You’ve tried to address the problems. You’ve explained what needs to change. But have you stopped to consider how your own behaviors, attitudes, or reactions might be contributing to the situation?
Leadership isn’t just about recognizing what needs to change around you. It’s about being willing to examine yourself.
As a Christian business owner or leader, your behavior, your treatment of others, and your response under pressure all influence the trust people place in you. If you want to become a better leader and achieve better results, self-examination is an essential place to begin.
Why Self-Examination Matters in Leadership
As leaders, we often see the behavior of others more clearly than we see our own. Experience and responsibility can create blind spots, making it easy to recognize what others are doing wrong while overlooking our own contribution to the problem.
We may genuinely want to help someone improve. At other times, we may need to correct an employee, address a difficult situation, or confront an ongoing issue. However, before we attempt to change someone else’s behavior, we need to be willing to examine our own.
What Jesus Teaches About Our Blind Spots
In Matthew 7:3–4, Jesus asks why we notice the speck in another person’s eye while failing to consider the plank in our own.
His illustration reveals an important leadership principle: we must be willing to recognize our own shortcomings before assuming the role of correcting someone else.
Jesus isn’t saying that we should ignore problems or avoid holding people accountable. Rather, He challenges us to examine ourselves before attempting to address the shortcomings of others.
The problem is that self-examination can be uncomfortable. It requires humility, honesty, and a willingness to acknowledge that our attitudes, decisions, or reactions may be part of the problem.
When we refuse to examine ourselves, we risk repeating the same mistakes, damaging relationships, and undermining the trust necessary for effective leadership.
Three Practical Steps to Practice Self-Examination
Self-examination doesn’t have to be complicated. You can begin by asking three straightforward questions about a recurring challenge in your business, leadership, or relationships.
1. What Recurring Problem Frustrates You the Most?
Identify a problem that continues to surface. Perhaps your team struggles with accountability, important decisions are repeatedly delayed, or conversations keep ending in disagreement.
Instead of immediately focusing on what others need to change, take an honest look at the situation.
2. How Might Your Behavior Be Contributing to the Problem?
Ask yourself what you might be doing—or failing to do—that contributes to the frustration.
Are you avoiding a necessary conversation? Are your expectations unclear? Do you react defensively when challenged? Are you expecting accountability from others without demonstrating it yourself?
These questions aren’t about accepting responsibility for everything that goes wrong. They’re about recognizing the areas where you have the ability and responsibility to change.
3. What One Specific Change Can You Make?
Choose one action you can take to address what you’ve discovered.
You might communicate expectations more clearly, listen before responding, follow through on a commitment, or initiate a conversation you’ve been avoiding.
Don’t create a long list of self-improvement goals. Start with one meaningful change and put it into practice.
The goal isn’t simply to recognize what needs to change. It’s to act on what you recognize.
From Self-Examination to Leadership Transformation
You can learn leadership principles, read books, attend seminars, and listen to excellent advice. But information alone doesn’t produce transformation.
Lasting change begins when you honestly examine yourself, recognize what needs to change, and take action.
As a Christian leader, this is an opportunity to apply biblical wisdom to your daily decisions, relationships, and responsibilities. The result can be stronger relationships, greater trust, wiser decisions, and healthier organizations.
Self-examination is not a one-time exercise. It is a discipline that helps you grow in character and become the leader your business and life need.
Remember this key idea: You cannot change what you refuse to recognize.
The question isn’t simply, “What needs to change around me?” It’s also, “Who do I need to become to lead more effectively?”
Because information is cheap. Transformation is priceless.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is self-examination in Christian leadership?
Self-examination is the practice of honestly evaluating your attitudes, behaviors, decisions, and responses in light of biblical principles. It helps Christian leaders recognize personal blind spots and identify changes that can improve their leadership.
Why is self-examination important for business leaders?
Self-examination helps leaders recognize how their own behavior may contribute to recurring problems. It can strengthen accountability, build trust, improve communication, and support better decision-making.
What does Matthew 7 teach about self-examination?
Matthew 7:3–4 uses the illustration of a speck and a plank to challenge people to examine their own shortcomings before focusing on those of others. For leaders, the principle is to approach correction and accountability with humility and personal honesty.
How can I start practicing self-examination?
Identify one recurring problem, consider how your own behavior may contribute to it, and choose one specific action you can take to improve the situation. Focus on consistent action rather than creating an extensive list of goals.
Ready to Become a Better Leader?
Recognizing what needs to change is only the beginning. The next step is putting that insight into practice.
If you’re a Christian business owner or leader who wants to strengthen your leadership, make wiser decisions, and achieve better results without compromising your faith or values, private coaching can help you gain clarity and move forward with purpose.
Schedule a free 30-minute discovery call with Ric Bender to discuss your leadership challenges and explore your next steps.