leadership in between

If you are in any kind of leadership, you probably find yourself caught between.

Between projects, between unhappy co-workers, between management and employees and between the vision and reality. In many ways that is what leadership is - being between the people you lead and wherever it is you are leading - pushing forward the vision while dealing with reality.

Nancy Ortberg said this, "Vision is full of possibilities and optimism. Reality is more often filled with disappointments and difficulties. And a leader needs to stand between those two things."

This is difficult especially if the reality is that the vision is not being supported or accomplished. I love living within an exciting vision, but reality is the everyday often very small steps toward the vision.

I am a leader and I stand between.

The only reason I do is because God has placed me there.

walk out the door

With the new week before me I realize tomorrow I need to sit down and prioritize my to do list.

1. I have to create some blog training for my teams
2. Finish writing evaluations for my staff
3. spend some time reviewing old systems that we aren't really using anymore and rework or abandon them
4. create 2 new small groups
   
5. organize an ongoing writing schedule
   

As I was considering what to work on first I came across this question on one of the blogs I was reading.

If we got fired and they hired a new guy, what would the new guy change or do different? Let's walk out the door and walk back in, and make those changes.

Walk out the door and walk back in, what a great illustration! We would have a completely different perspective on what had to be done if we were new on the job. I want to stay fresh minded and identify things as a leader that aren't working.

The blog went on to say...When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near. You look back with smiles and lots to celebrate, but you don't have a lot to work forward to.

How sad to only be able to look back and to no longer be visionary. I really want to dream, to look ahead. I think with all the problems facing our country right now, we as leaders will be required to have a clearer, stronger vision than ever before. If the economy continues in the direction it seems to be heading, memories may be all many of our people have left.

We need to all walk out the door and come back in again to see things as they really are and to be brave and visionary enough to make changes that need to be made. And to always base those changes in the never changing message of Christ where our hope comes from!