When You're an Inadequate Leader
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There are some days you’ll feel like an inadequate leader. Some days, it’s just something you feel – and other days, it’s a reality.
In my library, I have just shy of 100 books on leadership. So, I know (or at least have read about) what it means to be an effective leader. I know what an effective leader looks like.
And I also know when I don’t measure up.
On days when you’re not as good of a leader as your job requires, responding to that well is, in fact, a leadership opportunity. So how does this play out?
In a recent work day, I acquiesced. I wasn’t trying to be a great leader anymore, but was simply trying to control the rate at which I was disappointing people. It was clear I couldn’t be all I needed to be for others, so I was trying to regulate the disappointment factor.
I’ve been doing the church-leader role for 18 years, and I know when the issues pressing me are beyond my ministry intelligence or my capacity as a leader. This happens enough that I’ve developed some responses for when I experience those situations.
When you’re not the leader everyone needs you to be or your job requires, consider the following:
- Take a deep breath. You’ll likely be better tomorrow.
- Vent to an appropriate person. (I don’t recommend venting on a blog, as I’m doing.)
- Call for help. Just because it’s beyond your capability doesn’t mean it’s beyond another’s.
- Look to Scripture. There are numerous leaders in the Bible who were overwhelmed, and yet God saw them through.
- Realize not everyone noticed your leadership shortfall.
- Realize most people will give you grace.
- Think gray – you don’t have to solve all your leadership issues in one day.
- Pray, and be reminded that your identity comes from God – not how well you perform your leadership tasks.
- Evaluate. If your shortcomings seem to be consistent in one area, determine what that is, and work on a self-development plan.
- Show up the next day, and strive to be the best you can.
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