A Secure Leader Anticipates Challenge and Failure
Have you ever watched a baseball catcher respond to quickly changing situations? They are constantly anticipating a curveball in the dirt, a hitter trying to bunt, or a base runner trying to steal second base. Catchers cannot afford to get caught flat footed. Adaptability, nimble footwork, situational awareness (are there runners on base, what’s the count, what kind of pitch is the pitcher about to throw?), and anticipation of what the opposing team might try to do—these all lead to improved catching defense.
Similarly, leaders who don’t anticipate the challenge ahead of them can get caught flat-footed, limiting the likelihood they will respond well. For the ministry leader, this posture is similar to the catcher. Is our organization nimble enough to respond to the vision in light of our changing world? Is our church aware of what’s happening in our city? Do we understand that the enemy is constantly attacking? This is not a battle against flesh and blood.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12
This is Adaptive Leadership, and it is the kind of leadership that the entire world is looking for right now (even if they don’t know it) because of how much change we are seeing around us. The acceleration of change in our world increases our need for adaptability.
Adaptive Leadership vs. Technical Leadership
The opposite of Adaptive Leadership is Technical Leadership. Technical Leadership is good and necessary, but it cannot be the solution for all challenges we face. Technical Leadership is limited, and it leads from turn-by-turn directions because someone has already paved the road ahead and the solutions already exist around you. Adaptive Leadership leads from seeing and navigating the contour of the landscape when there is no paved road already ahead of you.
Dr. Daniel Siegel is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA. He gives a model for our minds as we encounter challenges, failures, or obstacles in life. He speaks of the balance between Chaos and Rigidity by painting a picture of a river. On one bank of the river you have Chaos. Chaos is characterized by instability, anxiety, and fear. On the other bank of the river is Rigidity. Rigidity is characterized by control, inflexibility, or stagnation (paralysis). The challenges, failures, and obstacles you face are like powerful river rapids—fast-flowing water pushing you to one bank or the other.
Adaptive leadership doesn’t mean that you are so flexible that your world is completely disorganized and chaotic. It also doesn’t mean that you are so controlling that you are rigid and inflexible.
A secure leader calibrates towards an adaptive posture by staying in the middle of the river.
Not so overly flexible that it permits chaos, while also not so rigid that it fosters inflexibility. Anticipate that challenges, failures, or obstacles will make you respond with some level of rigidity or chaos. If you find yourself in too much chaos, add some structure to move back to the middle of the river. If you find yourself too rigid, add openness and curiosity (flexibility) to move back to the middle of the river. Again, a secure leader is a good leader who calibrates towards an adaptive posture by staying in the middle of the river.
Some questions for you to consider:
- Am I realistic about how even my best laid plans will need to adapt to challenges and failure?
- What is my perception of failure?
- Where am I most susceptible to being defined by failure or challenges?
- Who is someone who can help me add structure when things feel chaotic?
- Who is someone who helps breathe into me encouragement and flexibility when things tend towards being too rigid?
- Is there a word or verse from scripture that can help me simply be reminded of my deepest convictions?
Want to read more about secure leadership? Check out these articles:
These articles are excerpts from the PLI ebook Navigating Ministry: Six Leadership Essentials. You can download the full ebook for free here.
