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Home » Leadership Essentials, Staff/Volunteer Leadership

Leadership Essentials: Forward Progress

Submitted by James Higginbotham on June 21, 2010 – 4:52 amOne Comment

I love starting new projects. I think part of it is my spirit of entrepreneurship that enables me to visualize a better future and a desire to put together the team to get there. The difficult part often isn’t getting started but continuing to make progress when things aren’t as exciting.

Excitement is usually found at the beginning of a new project, where obstacles haven’t had a chance to invade your vision. Everything is fresh and new, with unlimited possibilities.

Excitement also comes at the end of the project. As you know, finishing something can be amazing as it produces a finality and removes a load of stress and pain.

In between is where the struggle lies. A struggle to keep the vision in the midst of difficulties, lack of resources, or lack of motivation. In between the starting line and finish line is where our leadership is truly tested. People may never show up or perhaps leave your team for different reasons. Money isn’t in abundance or budgets are cut mid-project.

It is during this time when your leadership will make or break your project. It is during these times when you must find that inner drive to keep things moving even when you don’t want to get out of bed.

It is during this time when God asks each of us to “lay down our life”, not to death but to death of self. Rather, to the death of our emotions; to the death of our own interests; to the death of our own view of how things should turn out.

If you want to keep making forward progress on your project, it is time to let go of what you want and let God direct you daily on what to do and where to go. He may have alternate plans from the original vision you had. Or, perhaps He wants to teach you and grow your character during these times. I know He has done this to me many times. While the process is painful, over time it gets easier to make forward progress when I know that God is directing and I simply need to lay down my vision in place of His.

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One Comment »

  • David Tonen says:

    Ah! This resonates with me too. I am learning (slowly) that I need to converse with God daily about my projects, my work, and my clients. He has been teaching me this – the more of His vision I receive, the more exciting the project is.

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