The Achilles Syndrome: A Reflection of the Ego.
God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my
name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.”
Exodus 2:15
In the movie Troy, Achilles, a perfect warrior driven by the success of his
own name, thought he could achieve all he wanted. In the end, he
realized it was all an illusion. It’s very intriguing to see how driven
Achilles was by his ego. Watching the movie, the thought that comes to
mind is: How can he be so arrogant?!
The ego has been the greatest enemy of man, especially in leadership.
According to Al Pacino in the movie The Devil’s Advocate, vanity is the
leader’s favorite sin. As leaders, we can be tempted to promote our own
name. One example: celebrity leaders responding to invitations by first
asking questions like, “How many people will I be speaking to?” They
want to accomplish as much as they can in a short time because life is
short. We’re not here to judge their heart. But it does show how easily
ego can lead the way.
Jesus Christ’s strategy was never about the crowd. In fact, during his
incarnation journey, his strategy was the exact opposite. He knew that
relationships and spending his time with a few would lead to solid
multiplication. And history reveals that!
As leaders, we constantly need to review our egos and make sure we’re
standing on a solid foundation. Looking to the leadership of Jesus Christ
and letting this amazing strategy lead us. Jesus Chris’s strategy was
focusing on the mission of restoring the relationship between people and
God. He knew that was why he had come. May Jesus Christ be the
foundation of our daily decisions and strategies. May our hearts not
focus on building our kingdom but, like Jesus Christ, remain focused on
the Kingdom of God.
Let’s not allow the Achilles Syndrome to dominate us. Let’s stop exalting
our own names and exalt the NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES.
Eduardo Mendes
Founder and President
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