Welcome back Be the One family!
Pastor Steven here, I am so excited to go into the next part of our series on leadership, "Dealing with Discouragement"
Discouraged: As we move through the weight of leadership there comes a time when everyone hits the wall. Every leader hits the wall of discouragement and wants to return to the days when it was easier, lighter and less complicated. We have narrowed it down to three distinct areas.
People hit the wall when:
1. Discouragement happens when there are leadership breakdowns.
Where there is an absence of clarity, people make things up. Leadership breakdowns happen when people can’t see the picture of where you are taking them. Clarity makes The Picture clear and understood.
Every organization has to fight for clarity or there will be discouragement. As Leaders, we don’t just want to assist the hurting, we want to paint a picture of what the world can be if people build a life. As a ministry, we want to make clear, Be the One was formed to awaken a generation of difference makers. This is why we fight for clarity because we are focused on the goal.
Clarity is working hard to make the WHY clear. When a company is moving with clarity there is:
~ Purpose - We understand why we are doing everything we are doing. There is a clear end result in mind and we press on because we know our reason.
~ Priorities - We keep the main thing the main thing! We don't get so caught up in the just details and minutiae of working that we forget what is most important.
~ Focus - What you are aiming at is what you will hit. The job of a leader is to set the focus for your team and clearly identify the win.
2. Discouragement grows in the absence of communication.
Every relationship you’ve ever had requires communication.
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” - George Bernard Shaw
People have questions that need answered. People have different backgrounds, personalities, and learning styles. All of these cause people to process differently. This means when you say something, people have to process through all three voices. People have insecurities even they are unaware of. People make up what they are supposed to do if clarity isn’t given. Discouragement grows as people make assumptions. They will do like they did in their last job, church or even marriage if leadership doesn't commit to communication. Good communication means making the time and staying intentional about what people need to know. Communication is the glue that holds TEAMS together. Healthy communication produces a team that can weather discouraging moments.
3. Discouragement is heavy and makes you want to quit.
I wish we could tell you that if you step into leadership there will never be unmet expectations or pain, but that would not be the truth. As we have already seen, all leadership carries weight however it is how you deal with the weight that will either make you bitter or better.
“Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” - Dale Carnegie
It’s in the moment you want to quit that we would like you to pause. Think about all those who are following you, those you have led and those you’ve painted the picture for. Those are the people God has entrusted to you to show the way forward. Don’t quit because if you do, they have a reason to quit. No one gets to just shut on and off leadership. Leadership many times means pain and misunderstanding, yet this is what God has called us into leadership for. We are the ones who carry the responsibility for building the kingdom. Sometimes it's wonderful and fulfilling and other times you want to tap out. Be the One family I want to challenge you with this: - How can you grow in leading your people when they hit a wall? - How are you as a leader fighting your own discouragement? Join us next week as we talk about ways to defeat discouragement!
Love ya, Pastor Steven Sexton