Keep Your Distance
19.05.09 18:12 Filed in: Leadership
As leaders we must
often take people to places they have never been
before. I have heard it said that as a leader I
cannot take people to a place I have not been myself.
(I would suggest that overall this statement is
true.) But what about when it’s not true? I have some
friends that always like to push the line and without
fail if I say something is 99.9% certain, they will
always ask, “Well, what about the 0.1%?” Allow me to
push the leadership line for a second here...
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU AS A LEADER, HAVE TO TAKE PEOPLE TO A PLACE THAT YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO BEFORE??
I think this is the unspoken challenge of the leader--to take individuals to a place none of us have been to before. Joshua had some very unique challenges he faced as a leader. He had been to the promised land before as a leader underneath Moses. One big problem, it was 40 years ago and he only scouted the land, he never took possession. So what did he do?
Joshua 3:2-5 [MSG]
After 3 days, leaders went through the camp and gave out orders to the people: “When you see the Covenant-Chest of God, your God, carried by the Levitical priests, start moving. Follow it. Make sure you keep a proper distance between you and it, about half a mile - be sure now to keep your distance! - and you’ll see clearly the route to take. You’ve never been on this road before.” Then Joshua addressed the people: “Sanctify yourselves. Tomorrow God will work miracle-wonders among you.”
I think Joshua outlines this instance very clearly and I think there are some truths we as leaders can learn from someone else who had to take people where he had never been before--taking possession of the land. I will be outlining my thoughts over the next few days... In the meantime I would love to hear any of your experiences... leading people to a place you have never been.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU AS A LEADER, HAVE TO TAKE PEOPLE TO A PLACE THAT YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO BEFORE??
I think this is the unspoken challenge of the leader--to take individuals to a place none of us have been to before. Joshua had some very unique challenges he faced as a leader. He had been to the promised land before as a leader underneath Moses. One big problem, it was 40 years ago and he only scouted the land, he never took possession. So what did he do?
Joshua 3:2-5 [MSG]
After 3 days, leaders went through the camp and gave out orders to the people: “When you see the Covenant-Chest of God, your God, carried by the Levitical priests, start moving. Follow it. Make sure you keep a proper distance between you and it, about half a mile - be sure now to keep your distance! - and you’ll see clearly the route to take. You’ve never been on this road before.” Then Joshua addressed the people: “Sanctify yourselves. Tomorrow God will work miracle-wonders among you.”
I think Joshua outlines this instance very clearly and I think there are some truths we as leaders can learn from someone else who had to take people where he had never been before--taking possession of the land. I will be outlining my thoughts over the next few days... In the meantime I would love to hear any of your experiences... leading people to a place you have never been.
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