Are you frustrated with your current leadership assignment? (136-3)

Effective leaders lead with consistency even when their personal life or work environment lacks structure and organization. Read Proverbs 14:4.

King Solomon of Israel, who wrote most of the book of Proverbs, lived in an agrarian society. Several of his proverbs lose their profound meaning when read by leaders three or four generations away from the land. Proverbs 14:4 talks about an ox and an empty or clean manger, etc. and is not instantly viewed as a proverb that would shape a leader’s thinking or actions. When restated in today’s leadership language it has a profound point; “An empty barn or stable (or business) stays clean but there is no income from an empty stable so get used to working in less than ideal situations.”

Every human is created in God’s image and just as God uses structure and organization to accomplish His purposes, every effective leader strives to bring structure and organization to their leadership situation. But, sometimes leadership situations are messy. The principles leaders know as truths don’t fit into place like an expensive puzzle. There will be times when those higher on the organizational chart are not organized; they don’t understand structure, decision making levels, lines of authority or even the need to give proper authority to carry out assigned responsibility. In these situations effective leaders adapt proven leadership principles and find ways to accomplish the objectives.

The Bible doesn’t provide leaders with any one specific system as the-one-and -only organizational structure. The Scriptures give several examples of different ways to organize, lead and be effective. Why? Because there is no one structure to fit every situation. Effective leaders adapt to channel resources to meet the task and mission of the organization. They don’t allow the situation to become an obstacle to effective leadership.

Are you frustrated with your current leadership assignment? Are you trying to change an unchangeable system rather than personally adapting to the unchangeable? Can you find ways to adapt proven leadership principles to accomplish stated objectives and keep the organization moving forward missionally? Can you find an example in the Bible of a leader with similar conditions in their life and adapt the principles God gave that leader to improve your own situation?