treat with him . They immediately felt shame and saw each other differently . They felt the need to cover up and sewed some fig leaves together for clothing . Then , desperately , they scrambled to hide their failure from God . They were ashamed , afraid , and ended up running for their lives , only to have God eventually find them hiding under a rock . All hell had broken loose , not over an apple , but over a lie .
Freedom became fear .
Paradise turned to paranoia .
Relationships were ripped apart and trust was gone .
All because of a lie .
tree they wanted except one : the tree that was in the middle of the garden , the tree of knowledge of good and evil . What happened next changed history .
“‘ You will not certainly die ,’ the serpent said to the woman . ‘ For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened , and you will be like God , knowing good and evil .’” The serpent twisted God ’ s words into a lie . He exploited the humans ’ pride . “ It ’ s not for your protection that you should stay away from that tree , but for the prevention of becoming like God .” Eve , poisoned by pride , bought the lie that Satan was selling . She took the bait . She actually believed it .
Eve proceeded to make her way to the middle of the Garden of Eden . She grabbed an apple from that forbidden tree and she took a bite . Then she found her husband , Adam , and shared the sinful
This same scene plays out every day in boardrooms , locker rooms , conference rooms , and offices all around the world . Leaders inevitably find themselves embracing lies that have either been told to them or that they have created along the way . These lies shape their behavior and lead them to fear , paranoia , shame , and isolation . Business relationships begin to suffer , networking relationships become strained , and interpersonal relationships fall apart . The stress and pain of these failures cause leaders to question their abilities to lead well or even survive the game they are playing . They begin to doubt their competency , second-guess their calling ,
“ Freedom became fear .
Paradise turned to paranoia .
Relationships were ripped apart and trust was gone .
All because of a lie .
“
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