As a leader, there have been numerous times when I have been in over my head with the challenges and opportunities I was facing. God seems to call me to huge tasks. I think He does that to many people!
Regardless of how comfortable a leader may be in his or her position…
There are times when the leader has no answers…
He or she has exhausted every bit of knowledge gained…
The current strategies won’t work anymore…
The situation is beyond the current plans and systems…
When the leader doesn’t know what to do and/or doesn’t have a clue what to do next, here are some suggestions:
- Admit – The first step is to be honest with where he or she is. Pretending to know the answers when you don’t know them will not solve the problem. Most of the time, the people you are leading already know your inadequacies.
- Pause - It’s okay to take a break to clear your head. It could be an afternoon, a day, or a week, but sometimes you just need to get away from the situation long enough to gain a fresh perspective. I often disappear from the office Thursday afternoons on especially difficult weeks. I may take a long run, mow my grass, pray or read.
- Seek help – Find a mentor who has walked where you are currently walking. There is a benefit in surrounding yourself with people smarter than you about a matter. This is the time for the believer to rely more than ever on his or her faith; trusting that the God who called them to the task will be faithful to complete it. (1 Thess 5:24)
- Learn – Leaders should always be teachable. Again, assuming or pretending to have all the answers only slows or curtails projects and is quickly be discovered by others. Stretch yourself and learn something new.
- Improve – As you learn improvements needed, be willing to change. The tighter you hold onto methods that aren’t working the longer you’ll delay moving forward. Push through the overwhelming period and become a stronger, more capable and better leader.
Do you need help? Are you overwhelmed? Start the process towards getting better.
