The Challenge of Challenging the Process. A leader\’s perspective

There is a common trait in every leader, the passion and burden to try things out in new ways. An effective leader is never comfortable with the status quo. One of the characteristics of an effective leader who is ready to move things ahead is the restlessness. It is in every leader, the burden to try things in new ways. To test the status quo-to challenge the process. If you are a leader, you have probably had similar experience carrying out your responsibilities. Leaders are constantly evaluating and critiquing the world around them.

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When most people are moved by the speech or message. We leaders are busy examining the style and structure of presentation. Where the average person is thrilled by the conference, we are more concerned with the methods that made it successful. There is something in every leader that is always on the look out to understand, to improve and to celebrate the efforts put behind the scenes.

The urge to confront the process and challenge it is an underlying quality and ingredient in every leader. When God equips a leader, He puts in him a restlessness to unpack, undo and unearth methods. This is why you as a leader have been questioning everything around you.  This is why you have such a strong desire to share your strong opinions. A closer look, we will find deep in your heart the feeling that if you were in charge things could be different and better, this is a good thing, it is not a show of pride or arrogance. It is just the way God has wired you.

You will find that this natural bend of leadership has set you up as a resistance normal. You will also find that this precious virtue in us to challenge the normal can also be the bane of our roles as leaders and sabotage your opportunities. This is why the knowledge of effective leadership is very important, which translates to challenging the process without challenging the organization. There is a crucial and fine line between the two.

You will find that you are facing two sorts of resistance coming first from the organization and second from other leaders. The human nature sees change as a disruption of progress. While other leaders have resigned themselves to conform to the status quo, truncating their natural instincts because they are afraid to embrace change. When you stop challenging the process, you cease to be a leader, you become a follower. As leaders, we must keep an attitude of diplomacy without shrinking from our scrutinizing nature.

There is nothing with being a manager, but it is a different job description from being a leader. The world needs managers, but if you cease to challenge then you have relinquished your true nature for nothing. Successful leaders are in high demand everywhere because the problem of lack inadequate successful leaders has gone global.

Successful leaders must come to the point where they can isolate the process without castigating the people who created it. I have outlined five suggestions on how a young person can exercise his or her full potentials to lead in the community or organization where they are. While challenging the process and still stay out of trouble. As Christian leaders, we are called to challenge the process and not challenging the people in our organizations.

1. When an Instruction is Given, Follow Through Now; Debrief Later.

When the discussion is over and instructions have been issued by the authorities over you, then you are going to do it but come back and ask why. When you ask: why? It must be done in the clear context of serving the organization and at the same time acknowledging the chain of command. When you don’t ask: why? As a leader, you will not know why you are doing the things you are doing even your leadership will be in question.

1. Avoid Talking About your Frustration before other Team Members.

If you want to lose leverage with your boss, then disrupt and ask challenging question and foster division among the ranks publicly. Rather, support publicly and challenge privately. When you reverse this process, you lose your leverage and relevance in the organization. Always remember that: loyalty publicly results in leverage privately.

1. Don’t Confuse your Insights with Moral Imperatives.

God is interested in seeing us learn and lead under the authority that God has placed over us. Your awesome ideas that you are sure will work, are not moral imperatives. Even if you are sure you have been given a superior view of the world, it is still not a moral imperative that everyone should execute and follow your plans. You have to learn to submit, do your current assignment and ministry while God prepares you for what He has for you ahead.

1. Learn to Lead Under in Order to Lead Over.

if you ability to lead is directly tied to your ability to follow, then for you to be an effective leader, you must be an effective follower. Acknowledging authority means recognizing what it means to be responsible as well as what it means to be accountable. So when you subscribe to the concept of being in authority, you automatically yield to the concept of following. The process of training to become a successful leader is always carried out under the confines of following.

1. When you can’t Follow, it’s Time to get off the Bus.

For every leader, there usually comes a time when God leads you to become part of another team. One of the catalyst for moving on is when staying in your current environment ceases to be a growing experience but rather a dying experience. Don’t give opportunity for frustration or anger to lead you. Allow God to lead you in His time to do whatever else He has for you.

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