I recently interviewed Anne Beiler, founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels, about the pitfalls of success. She had completed eight years of school and was a stay-at-home mom in the Amish community when she decided to help support her family by starting a pretzel business. From humble beginnings at a farmer's market, Ann grew the business to over 900 stores worldwide before selling the business.
Such success, although very enviable, can bring many temptations and pitfalls. We must take measures to protect ourselves from them. As Proverbs 22:5 teaches: “Thorns and snares are in the way of the treacherous; If anyone takes care of his life, get away from them.”
It is important to know what traps (or traps) may lie ahead. The first trap that people often fall into is praise. When Beiler started her business, Auntie Anne Pretzels, people began praising her for her success. But she kept thinking: “I’m not that great, I only finished eighth grade, I’m from the Amish community, I’m a housewife.”
But in the end, she admitted that she began to believe the praise, deceiving herself that it was all due to her merits, and not to the grace of God. We find this warning in 1 Corinthians 3:18: “Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks to be wise in this age, let him be foolish in order to be wise.” If your successes cause praise, do not deceive yourself, remember: your success is only by the grace of God.
Another common pitfall is power. As business leaders grow in success, they also tend to grow in power, which can easily lead to corruption. Harvey Weinstein had the power in the film industry to promote or oust actresses. He abused this to seduce many women in exchange for offering them a career as a movie star.
In Ecclesiastes 4:1 we read: “And I turned and saw all the oppression that is happening under the sun: and behold, the tears of the oppressed, but they had no comforter; and in the hand of those who oppress them is power, but they have no comforter.” Power can be used generously for the benefit of others, or it can be abused. Find someone to be accountable to who will help you protect yourself from the intoxication of power.
The third pitfall is confidentiality. Seeking solitude is important during times of reflection and relaxation, but some successful leaders take solitude to the extreme. Some become isolated due to personal insecurities; others choose solitude out of a growing arrogance that they are better than others.
Isolation is one of our spiritual enemy’s favorite tools. There is a warning in 1 Peter 5:8: “Be sober and watchful, for your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” When you are isolated, you can easily overlook or discount your own shortcomings and those of your organization. Living in a community with transparency is the best and safest strategy.
The final trap is pride. In the banking industry, I have seen several companies begin to achieve rapid success, receiving very favorable news coverage. The pride of top managers often led them to seek more and more attention. When I saw several articles about a company, I would visit clients to make sure their business was not being neglected. I have found that the pursuit of arrogant praise often leads to neglect of everyday activities. And this sometimes contributed to failure. Proverbs 16:18 warns, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Copyright 2023, Non-Traditional Business Network. Adapted with permission. Visit: www.unconventionalbusiness.org. UBN is faith in action, serving the international small business community.
Questions for reflection/discussion
NOTE. If you have a Bible and want to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 11:14, 12:15, 13:13-14, 16:2, 17:3,10, 19:20, 27:17; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
