Radical Wisdom: A 7-Day Journey for LeadersSample

Leaders Go First

Drive through any small town and you’ll see buildings crammed side by side. First there was a store, then a cafe, then a bank, then a barbershop. Before you know it, there’s a little town with sidewalks, churches, and schools.

It struck me that someone had to go first. The first building had to be built with four walls before anyone else could come beside and attach one with only three. Whether it’s a town, school, business, or church, someone has to go first if anything new is going to happen.

Is there something you’ve been thinking about starting? How do you know if you should? Here are a few questions to ponder . . . 

• Is there something you feel could and should be done?
• Is it a burden? Does it weigh on you?
• Have you thought and prayed about it for a long time?
• Do you have experience or expertise that can make it happen?

You’ve heard the saying, “God doesn’t call the prepared, He prepares the called.” That is sometimes true. The wisdom of Proverbs points to seeking many counselors. And Jesus talked about counting the cost before launching into things.

While experience is the best teacher, it’s often expensive training (sometimes called the school of hard knocks). If we’re following Jesus’ model for life, we’re in community with others, hopefully including wise and discerning folks who would be glad to help you think through your idea.

But thinking through the idea isn’t enough. Just like someone had to build the first building, you must act. Action reveals options that analysis will never reveal. Leaders do things. They don’t get stuck thinking endlessly.

You won’t know unless you go. And you can go, knowing you don’t go alone.

Question: What would you start in the next year if there was a zero percent chance it would fail?