Last year my wife and I felt the need to make a transition in our life. We had been Pastors at a Local Church for 12 years and had felt the need to move on into what we felt God was calling us to, a marriage ministry. We had toiled with this idea for about 18 months and so towards the end of the year, we resigned and moved into this new venture.
Were we certain that our decision was the right one? No. If we had waited for absolute certainty, we would still be talking. But a decision had to be made. A clear decision. And that decision, made in the intangible realm of ideas and projections will eventually be judged in the real world of recognition.
According to Andy Stanley, Senior Pastor of North Point Community Church and Author of The Next Generation Leader, Uncertainty is a permanent part of the leadership landscape. Uncertainty is not an indication of poor leadership; it underscores the need for leadership. It is the environment in which good leadership is most easily identified. The nature of leadership demands that there always be an element of uncertainty. Where there is no uncertainty, there is no longer the need for leadership. The greater the uncertainty, the greater the need for leadership.
As you rise through the ranks of leadership, you will be called upon to make decisions regarding ideas, values, purpose, positioning, branding, strategy, and mission. It is all so intangible. Yet eventually these lofty discussions impact reality. In time, the direction you choose for your organization will show up on a bottom line. And there, in the realm of sales, production, recognition, attendance, or whatever your organization is trying to achieve, your leadership will be judged. But remember that in the realm of the intangible, it takes longer to recognize your brilliance or your stupidity.
“Uncertainty creates the necessary condition for leadership.” – Jim Kouzes
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