Leadership Looks A Little Different These DaysSample

Day 3: Embrace Mistakes 

All experiences, both the good and the bad, are powerful lessons for leaders.

The most agile and adaptable leaders haven’t always gotten it right. Perhaps they were too cautious. Perhaps they waited too long. Perhaps they were too stubborn and weren’t receptive to feedback or the wisdom of God or others. 

Leaders who lead well through change often personally know what it means to miss the window of opportunity. They often have a personal motivation to avoid the pain that comes from experience in knowing what the right thing was to do, but missing the critical moment to take action and activate their faith. 

Let’s consider Abraham for a moment. He received an unimaginable promise from God late in his life. He also made a whole bunch of mistakes trying to force that promise to happen in his own power, including moments of disobedience and deception. He missed more than a few critical moments to act on the beautiful promise he was given by God. By the time Abraham’s son, Issac, was born 25 years later as a fulfillment of that promise, Abraham and his family had experienced their fair share of strife and confusion as a result of his mistakes as a leader.  

But after Issac’s birth, you see Abraham behaving much differently. You see a man who knew the power of acting in the right moment. When God spoke, Abraham listened and immediately acted.  

God, I can too easily think back to my past mistakes and realize moments where I waited too long to take action on where You directed me. I know that You use all things for Your Glory and for my good, and pray that You help develop in me the wisdom to learn from these past mistakes. I trust the promises You have for my life, because You are completely trustworthy and faithful. Help me to listen to Your voice, and take action with joy and anticipation of good things.