Did you ever think about responding to crisis by first turning on the light? As a parent, I remember very clearly stumbling through our hallway in darkness to get to our children's bedroom after they were terrified from a nightmare. We were getting a good night's rest and their loud screams would startle us completely, making it feel like we didn't know where we were or what was exactly happening as we woke. We would instantly pop up and take off running down the hall into their rooms without turning on the light. Fear was with them and it also was immediately with us. Running down the hall we ran into obstacles, accidentally woke the other kids up and caused unneeded stress on our hearts.
How often right now are we running down the hall without turning on the light? As a leader, we must turn on the light and in fact become the light for others. Our calming leadership voice must be louder than the noise. In crisis, where everything is heightened and exaggerated, we must remember that everything rises and falls on leadership.
Take a moment the next time you are facing a decision around the adversity we are experiencing and consider these 3 ways of becoming a brighter and better leader.
1. Put people first - it must be all about them and the teams' needs. Find ways to serve them and understand their situation.
2. Educate ourselves - know what the issues are and get our mind engaged in fact finding. Awake and get your understanding of where you are and what is truly happening before you start running.
3. Be flexible - be willing to change and be adaptable. In the process, you will see the light and also become the light to help others. Work hard in being transformed from the inside-out, so that the light will reveal your high character and core values through every decision.
We are all much brighter and better if we can turn on the light first and even take on being the light for others that need our courage, insight and leadership. "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12