How can jealousy hinder a leader’s effectiveness?

1 Samuel 18:6-9When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals. This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!” This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

James 3:14-16If you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

Leaders can be crippled by jealousy and drive their greatest supporters away. In this context, we are defining envy primarily as desiring what we don’t have and jealousy as possessiveness and fear of losing what we do have (though the words are often used interchangeably). Saul was jealous that he would lose the devotion and loyalty of the people because of their admiration for David. Wise leaders learn to celebrate, not compete, with others.

Acts 17:5-6Some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council.

Jealousy can make leaders act in ways that are completely opposed to the values they profess and teach. Jealousy for attention or affection drove the Jewish leaders to manipulation and to extreme action, even seeking to harm or kill others.