January 28th, 2010
No Surprises
In leadership, as in life, there really aren’t any surprises. As God makes clear in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
Yes, there are surprises in the details. We can be surprised by the specifics of who, when, where, what, and how of what happens. But, if we understand people and the reality of life and leadership from a big picture perspective, we will never be surprised that certain things happen with regularity. In fact, we should always be living and leading in full expectation that these predictable things will happen.
For example, Jesus made it clear that “trouble” will happen in our lives and leadership, (John 16:33). It’s a predictable certainty, and we can and should expect it. However, He also told us that we could be “of good cheer” when it does because He has overcome it and, in Him, so can we. Through Paul and James, He also made it clear that God uses the predictable “trouble” we’ll face to shape our lives and to bring about ultimate good.
Now, for the “so what?!” From my experience, I’ve learned that there are three things we can always expect in life and leadership. In reality, I’ve found that they form the template for what we should expect.
- Crisis – events or circumstances will erupt that have the potential to deter, damage, or even destroy us
- Challenge – we will face new obstacles and roadblocks to our vision, purpose, values, and goals
- Change – successfully dealing with crisis and challenge demands, not only embracing change, but that we intentionally create appropriate change
When we understand the predictable certainty that these three things will play in both our lives and leadership, it gives us a huge advantage. We will be ready and prepared for them. We won’t be thrown off course or stride but we will be able to adjust appropriately in order to stay on mission. Though the specifics involved in these areas have the potential to cause pain and grief, knowing that they are inevitable realities can help us to live and lead well through them.
I’m curious, what would you add to my thoughts and/or list of predictable certainties?
Categorized: Leadership |
bob burnside
Pastor,I remember a talk you were giving . You had said something about being a pastor/leading others and If you were to be replaced the incoming pastor would have to be at least 50 yrs. old.I can’t get inside your mind and analyze why you said that but at my age 48, Iife experience and the understanding of ones self and others around them become less of a revelation (un-perdictability)and more of a reality(perdictable).If we were younger,emotionally,spiritually,and lacking the bruises ,our roles would be less than expected by the ones that are following,wether your a pastor,leader,parent… or anybody in a position of influence we have to be one step ahead of them.
cherilans
Brad, I appreciate your scriptural and well-written thoughts on leadership. I thought of the word “Calm” as one of the other things we can always expect in life and leadership with certainty. Just some of my thoughts:
Times of calm are when we can be at our best, steadily navigating through peaceful waters when all things are working well. Everything is in harmony and a deep, meaningful impact is being made.Times of calm are needed by all to rest, recharge, recuperate and reflect – from the times of crisis, challenge and change. It can be a welcoming time when we are content and satisfied with all that God has given us. This time is also needed by many to absorb what was learned instead of moving on (changing) to another task or challenge (Did we learn everything that was meaningful from that task or lesson?)
Times of calm can also be troubling: It can be a challenge to not become complacent so that no steady growth is seen and it can also be a time of stress (crisis) when a busy life calms down, one may become uneasy, anxious and feeling like it is the “calm before the storm”. And as you said, in these times, in God, we will overcome it.
Thank-you for delving deeply into these topics that are not only helpful, but which make us “think”. Looking forward to more! Thanks, Brad!
bob burnside
Heyyyy,I’m reading my post and trying to figure out what I wrote,can somebody help :-/
Brad Powell
Bob…just a clarification. Though I believe God has called me to NorthRidge for the long haul, if something were to happen to me, I definitely don’t think or believe that my replacement should be 50. Quite the opposite. I would encourage much younger. I was 32 when I first came as the senior pastor of NorthRidge. The church was looking for someone over 50. More than likely, this is where you got that idea.
Brad Powell
Thanks for your thoughts cherilans.
Dale Schaeffer
Great thoughts Brad…about 4 years ago I preached a message along these lines at the start of a new year. One principle that God has used to help me lead in times of challenge has been:
This year, both joy and pain will join me on the journey. Embrace the joy, and harness the pain.
Thanks for sharing.