Wolf of Wall Street, Dirty Jobs, and The Big Short

Leadership

What a leader he was. Crowned at the ripe old age of 16, when his friends were learning to shave and drive a chariot, Uzziah became king of Judah.

Knowing he didn't know what he didn't know and, unlike most teenagers, realizing he couldn't run the place without wise advice, he surrounded himself with counselors, namely the prophet Zechariah and really crushed it, reigning for 52 years as one of the nation's longest sitting leaders.

The Bible says he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and was blessed for it. Militarily, he expanded the kingdom, defeating enemies all around him and innovating some of the most advanced weapons of his day. Economically, he developed irrigation systems, expanded agriculture, and trade with surrounding nations. He fortified Jerusalem and strengthened its infrastructure. He was faithful to God, and over his many years, he succeeded on almost every front, and his fame and influence grew. Then he realized it.

Look, I'm cruising around in a couple of luxury chariots, revenue is through the roof, I'm dropping undefeated seasons one after another, and the people adore me. I'm as close to a god as there is, so why should I let a few measly temple workers tell me where I can and can not go?

"But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God..." (2 Chronicles 26:16)

When God says don't do it...don't do it. The inner sanctuary was meant for God's ordained people, and Uzziah was not one of them. He went in anyway and paid the price. Struck with leprosy, he lived the rest of his life in exile. From The Wolf of Wall Street to Dirty Jobs in a flash.

Don't let a little success turn your humility into a halo.

The lowest lows tend to come after the highest highs.

Never lose sight of what it took to put the W on the board and that you didn't do it alone.

God calls out three major sins in the Bible: haughty eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Pride will take you down faster than the big short, and you'll be licking your wounds, wondering where all your subjects went.

As the most uninteresting man in the world would say, stay humble, my friend.