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Bishop's Blog: Extreme Center

Leadership as envisioning opportunity or threat

Published: 4/7/2008

Last week, I was driving home from the office, going north on Webb Road. Two school buses were in the left lane ahead of me just north of Kellogg. I was in the left lane, also. It suddenly occurred to me that there was a school on the left in three blocks and no turn lane there. If I wanted to keep moving and get home quickly, I should change lanes. I believed that those buses were going to sit in the left lane for a long time, waiting for breaks in the traffic to get into the school parking lot. So, I switched lanes. Sure enough, the buses were still there waiting to turn when they disappeared from sight in my rearview mirror.

Three lessons about leadership are illustrated by this little drama.

First, one has to have direction and momentum already. If you don't know where you are going or how quickly you want to be there, then it doesn't matter what you do or when you do it. Too many of our people are just drifting through life.

Second, leadership means envisioning future opportunities or threats based on one's situation and the trends. You cannot always predict the future, but vision means identifying upcoming opportunities for progress or threats to progress before they happen. Leaders must be students of their contexts.

Third, leadership means taking timely action. Had I waited until the buses actually stopped with me right behind them, I might have been unable to change lanes. If we wait until population growth has already ended in an area before starting a new congregation it will be too late. If we wait until the large class of sixth graders is in tenth grade before starting a confirmation class, we will have missed out.

I believe God is continually opening doors. I believe there are increasing problems and threats to our mission. Leadership is, in part, helping the church do what needs to be done at the right time.

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