Model the Way Forward
June Chambliss
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”
I Peter 3:8
One of the most central responsibilities of a leader is to model the way forward. Leaders want to know: how do I lead my teams through hard or difficult times?
Leading others through difficult times requires the sometimes-intimidating task of having hard conversations. Many leaders and even many church pastors feel tension around addressing some of the hard issues we are facing today. According to a comprehensive religious freedom report by the Barna Group (2019), 9 out of 10 pastors believe that helping Christians have biblical beliefs around specific issues is a major part of their role as clergy. Yet, according to Barna Group president David Kinnaman, “pastors actually feel pressured to not preach on certain topics.”
It is becoming ever more challenging for Christian leaders to have simple discussions around issues of the day, even when using the Bible as the foundation for these conversations. At one time, it was simple enough to explain key points of an issue through the lens of the Bible, but not so much any longer. Our world is changing and with that, the ideals and mindsets of those we lead are changing as well. We find ourselves needing to engage in difficult conversations and yet we may not feel prepared to do so.
NEWIM is Leading the Way
Speaking of difficult conversations, NEWIM has stepped out in faith and God is leading us to have those awkward but necessary conversations on the topic of Race/Racism and the Church. I want to give a brief report on how these conversations have been going.
As women have come together, it has been a blessing to experience that we are kindred spirits. We have a shared desire to understand these conversations through the lens of the advancing God’s Kingdom here on earth. I have found such openness and "want-to-know" from others, expectations of learning, and a safe place for sharing genuinely. The conversations are engaging the topic of the week with honesty and rich insights from God’s Word. After each week’s conversation, we leave with joyful expectations for the next time together. Several have spoken about how God is revealing hidden places of the heart and mind that they want to tend to. The most important outcome is a greater awareness that we are called to become transformed Kingdom women whose desire is to be a part of the solution of living in harmony with one another.
If you want to know how to lead your others in difficult times, start with these two thoughts for consideration:
Patrick Lencioni states that when we avoid difficult conversations, it is sometimes an act of selfishness that we are disguising as an act of caring. Do not abdicate your leadership responsibility because it is difficult. If we do that, aren't we avoiding our God-given responsibility?
Stay in the loop to ensure that you continue or become connected to key information. As leaders, we run the risk of being increasingly insulated from key information because it is uncomfortable. I’m learning that people want clear and biblical teaching on the difficult topics facing our culture. To be a leader who leads the way, we must be informed. So go there!
Remember, one of the most valuable responsibilities of a leader is to model the way through difficult times, even if it means engaging in hard conversations.