Chip and the Law of Lift
In the city of Upward, leaders didn’t drive cars; they piloted planes. Their altitude rose or sank not by engines but by one law: altitude follows attitude.
Chip had just been promoted to lead the Liftworks team. But on his shoulder sat a splinter from long ago; ‘they overlooked me for years.’ That splinter grew into chips that weighed down both him and his team.
The First Chip: Tear Down
At their first team meeting, Tim proposed a new intake process.
Chip smirked. “Oh, that’s cute. Reinventing the wheel, are we?”
The room fell silent. TEAR DOWN landed on his shoulder. Mockery gave Chip a fleeting sense of superiority, but it shrank ideas and silenced voices. His glider lost lift.
The Second Chip: Defensive
Later, Dawn offered feedback on their messaging.
“Maybe we need to reframe it for clarity and perhaps…”
Chip cut in. “So what, you think I don’t know what I’m doing?”
DEFENSIVE dropped heavily. Feedback became a threat, not a gift. Dawn stopped speaking up. Another dip in altitude.
The Third Chip: Hurt
During budget discussions, Harry simply asked, “Why did you cut that line?”
Chip crossed his arms. “I knew you’d blame me.”
HURT pressed in. Everything became personal, every question an attack. The team’s trust thinned.
The Pile-Up
Other chips soon gathered: Dismissiveness when he brushed off ideas, Cynicism when he poisoned the air with sarcasm, Control when he hoarded decisions, and Micromanagement when he hovered over small tasks. The higher his title, the lower his altitude sank.
The Principle
A short and primitive analogy, but what we were limited by our attitudes? How dare they ask me? That’s below me. Who do they think they are?
Every time I express with an attitude it usually comes from deep rooted selfish. And the problem with that it reflects no humilty. Worse still? God opposes the proud.
I wonder what would happen if we approached our lives with Confession. Curiosity. Gratitude.
Perhaps we too could chose to listen, ask questions, and share credit. Slowly those chips can begin to fall, and our teams begin to rise again.
If you want to grow in leadership, attitude is everything. It bleeds into every facet of life. Sometimes it’s not just about what people say, but what they don’t say because they don’t feel heard. That’s emotional intelligence the secret that unlocks trust, fast-tracks growth, and reflects humility.
Almost every destructive attitude comes from selfish motives. But leadership is stewardship. If we can steward our own emotions and the emotions of those God has placed in our care. He can trust us with more responsibility.
So ask yourself: What chip has been wedged on my shoulder?
The good news: we can repent, change, and reset our minds.
Scripture to Meditate On
Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT)
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”