A Bit Of Perspective, Please

“If you want to influence other people, the most important thing you can do is open yourself to influence.”

Sheila Heen, Harvard Law Professor

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 12:15

In any time of uncertainty when we are living in the questions, leading with answers is bound to encounter resistance. I have always admired Moses and Aaron for their tenacity, for the Israelites were a contentious, cantankerous, rebellious people.

I imagine Moses reached a breaking point spending all his time in court judging disputes. Do any of you feel like all you are doing is putting out fires instead of making progress toward the Promised Land? Or maybe you have become the lightning rod for a community dispute. Everything is always your fault.

Sometimes when we get so embattled that we can no longer see the light, we need someone to help us keep walking in the right direction. Moses sought help from outside the Hebrew community when he took his problem to Jethro, his father-in-law, and asked for counsel. Jethro suggested that he appoint judges to sit in the court and arbitrate disputes so that Moses could concentrate on other leadership responsibilities or maybe just get some rest.

Sometimes we all need someone from outside the community we lead to give a little perspective, shine a little light on the path, share a little wisdom, give us a bit of a nudge (sometimes a healthy push), or a bit of encouragement to feed our soul. It can be a colleague from another church, a clergy coach, a clergy cohort, or even a professional counselor who doesn’t share our faith tradition. Christian leaders are all human, and mostly, whether Christian or not, we share the same weaknesses as all other humans. Occasionally, we need help seeing, judging, and facing the questions of the day. A companion can help.