When we think of leaders, we tend to think of strong-willed people. If we’re generous, we call them courageous and vision-driven. If we’re not so impressed, we call them bossy and controlling.
And either impression can be accurate, depending on the leader. I tend to think of leaders as lions and I’ve met some lions that needed a little taming. They were bossy and controlling, not good traits for an effective leader.
Lion at Denver zoo
What does God do with strong-willed leaders? We might assume he uses them or we might assume that he operates with the idea of making the weak strong.
He does both.
I do want to remind you that we’re talking about ourselves as leaders, not someone else. It’s easy to look at another person and think, “Boy, do they need to learn to be less bossy.”
But what if that strong-willed leader is me? You? Strap on your adulting uniform and let’s plow forward.
How does God tame a strong-willed leader? Among our examples from the Bible is Jonah, who made quick decisions. Just not always the right ones.
Leaders need to be uncomfortable at times to learn
Those in leadership roles might assume they are fully trained, finally ready to lead. No leader is every complete. There’s more to learn and sometimes it comes through uncomfortable times.
Jonah’s story illustrates that. He assumed he heard God and was ready to step into the chief prophetic role. He could take over the process.
When his process took him away from God’s direction, God made him uncomfortable. In the whale. In the blistering heat.
The goal was to learn more about God’s nature.
Leaders remember the goal, not the process.
Need a new strategy for managing your team? Want a new catchphrase for looking like you’re going somewhere? Those are available everywhere. But do those pop strategies get you to your goal? Leaders remember the goal.
Sadly, Jonah missed God’s goal. He was interested in a process: speak God’s words to God’s people. He’d done that before, and it worked pretty well.
God’s goal was to draw people to himself. God showed compassion to the sailors and to the people of Nineveh. His goal was to bring them closer.
Jonah missed the goal.
Strong-willed leaders don’t always win.
When I was a child, I was pretty sure I could be more stubborn than anyone. I was sure that my will would win.
The best lesson I ever learned was that my mother could be more persistent than me. I lost to her. A lot.
Leaders need some humility. And the ability to listen. Our way is not always the best way.
Just because I could push an idea through did not mean it was the best notion.
Jonah had a chance to learn that lesson. Running away from a hated enemy seemed like a great plan. He had revenge, not restoration, in mind for Nineveh.
God pulled him back and showed him something new: that God has restoration in mind.
Strong-willed leaders are common. The term is almost redundant.
[bctt tweet=”A strong-willed leader devoted to a vision that comes out of a humble and listening attitude is almost unstoppable.” username=”kathybrasby” https://wp.me/pahZ3c-4g]A leader like Jonah, stubborn and full of his own biases, will stumble. A strong-willed leader devoted to a vision that comes out of a humble and listening attitude is almost unstoppable.
QUESTION: Have you ever been a strong-willed leader? How has God reined you in?
