Common Leadership Problems
When I hear the word “Leader” or “Leadership” – I seldom think of problems that ordinary people seem to have. I am an ordinary person – at least I consider myself to be. I happen to serve in a leadership position.
There are 5 areas that everyone has to deal with that keeps us the same. I guess you could say that it unites us in facing these 5 problem areas. However – how we deal with them makes the difference.
The 5 areas are:
I have been reading and studying the man Moses. He is one of the great leaders of History. As you will remember, he stands out at a time when his people were in one of their lowest times. Their task masters, the Egyptians, treated them terribly. Moses came into his role of leadership almost unknown and then helps all of his people to leave the country of Egypt.
Moses experienced each one of the 5 areas over the period of 40 years of his leading his people.
Change is obvious I suspect. The “Children of Israel” people had developed under the Egyptian rule. Many, many years before they had come as hungry refugees. They had grown as part of society – but were always known as being different from the people that they lived beside. Now Moses leads them to a new step in life – a complete change from all that they had known. Change was not easy for anyone at that time. They left the security that they have known to enter complete insecurity – and a long walk across a lot of sand.
Fatigue is fairly obvious I am sure. Walk a long way and you get tired. Have a lot of people complain – all the time and you will grown weary. Moses likely is the best example for me. His job would be like a Mayor of a very large city. In this role – everyone had a problem that they expected you to solve for them. He experienced a City Council meeting – every day!
Depression had to be a part of his life. Some of the statements that he makes at stressed times show his psychological state. Imagining what he has done and where he has lived over the 40 years prior to his stepping into his leadership role gives us a hint. As a young man he has killed an Egyptian man – then he fled from the scene. He hid away on a very large sheep farm – along way from the wonders of an Egyptian palace where he started. You can only imagine the waves of feelings that he must have had. Yes – I believe that he was depressed at times.
Pressure in leadership is a given. All that you lead have expectations of what you do and what you should say. They know how to deal with the issues better than you do. They all have suggestions. But they expect you to lead. Step into any position of leadership and you will immediately know pressure. The way a leader deals with the pressure makes the difference between good and not so good leadership. Leaders would not be leaders without pressure.
Failure is part of everyone’s life. Moses had failure and lost his own right to enter the final “promised land”. He would only be able to see the country from the top of a high mountain. From failure springs new direction… and resilience. The fire of failure, the burning inside, drives us to take new preventive steps for the future. There isn’t a leader that I have studied that did not face failure at one point or another.
The Big 5 Areas are part of us all. But how we deal with the areas may be different. Knowing that we all go through these stages in our life is consoling for me. I am not alone – neither are you.
Where does God fit into it all? He will help us when we need help. He knows people better than anyone. He has specialized in people from the start of time. The best part is that he has knowledge of all their ways – and if they will listen – he will advise.
Now take a look at Adam… now there is a leader with problems. How about Abraham? Lots to think of today… Hmmm?
~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
There are 5 areas that everyone has to deal with that keeps us the same. I guess you could say that it unites us in facing these 5 problem areas. However – how we deal with them makes the difference.
The 5 areas are:
- Change
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Pressure
- Failure
I have been reading and studying the man Moses. He is one of the great leaders of History. As you will remember, he stands out at a time when his people were in one of their lowest times. Their task masters, the Egyptians, treated them terribly. Moses came into his role of leadership almost unknown and then helps all of his people to leave the country of Egypt.
Moses experienced each one of the 5 areas over the period of 40 years of his leading his people.
Change is obvious I suspect. The “Children of Israel” people had developed under the Egyptian rule. Many, many years before they had come as hungry refugees. They had grown as part of society – but were always known as being different from the people that they lived beside. Now Moses leads them to a new step in life – a complete change from all that they had known. Change was not easy for anyone at that time. They left the security that they have known to enter complete insecurity – and a long walk across a lot of sand.
Fatigue is fairly obvious I am sure. Walk a long way and you get tired. Have a lot of people complain – all the time and you will grown weary. Moses likely is the best example for me. His job would be like a Mayor of a very large city. In this role – everyone had a problem that they expected you to solve for them. He experienced a City Council meeting – every day!
Depression had to be a part of his life. Some of the statements that he makes at stressed times show his psychological state. Imagining what he has done and where he has lived over the 40 years prior to his stepping into his leadership role gives us a hint. As a young man he has killed an Egyptian man – then he fled from the scene. He hid away on a very large sheep farm – along way from the wonders of an Egyptian palace where he started. You can only imagine the waves of feelings that he must have had. Yes – I believe that he was depressed at times.
Pressure in leadership is a given. All that you lead have expectations of what you do and what you should say. They know how to deal with the issues better than you do. They all have suggestions. But they expect you to lead. Step into any position of leadership and you will immediately know pressure. The way a leader deals with the pressure makes the difference between good and not so good leadership. Leaders would not be leaders without pressure.
Failure is part of everyone’s life. Moses had failure and lost his own right to enter the final “promised land”. He would only be able to see the country from the top of a high mountain. From failure springs new direction… and resilience. The fire of failure, the burning inside, drives us to take new preventive steps for the future. There isn’t a leader that I have studied that did not face failure at one point or another.
The Big 5 Areas are part of us all. But how we deal with the areas may be different. Knowing that we all go through these stages in our life is consoling for me. I am not alone – neither are you.
Where does God fit into it all? He will help us when we need help. He knows people better than anyone. He has specialized in people from the start of time. The best part is that he has knowledge of all their ways – and if they will listen – he will advise.
Now take a look at Adam… now there is a leader with problems. How about Abraham? Lots to think of today… Hmmm?
~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
posted by Murray Lincoln at
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home