Skip to main content

“Another aspect of successful thinking is your orientation to reality.”

A thought by John Townsend from his book, Leading From Your Gut (p. 59). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Thinking in the realm of what is real is so very important. 

John says, “To be an effective leader, you need to think about what is going on, not what you would like to be going on. Reality happens, and it always wins. You must take the bad news with the good news, even if it reflects poorly on you. This is the only way you will ever make transformational changes in yourself and in the people you work with.”

He later says, “In your own leadership, face reality first. Get the bad news first. Really listen to the financial problems, personnel issues, and sales dilemmas. Good leaders think about reality first and then find solutions and opportunities second.

“At the same time, I believe the thoughts of a leader should ultimately go toward the positive. No one is completely balanced between good news and bad news. So veer toward hope. That is what a leader’s thoughts bring to those who are watching and depending on her. The people you lead need someone who can bear the bad, contain it, understand the depth of it, and still provide a realistic hope if one exists. Certainly, if it’s time to roll up the show, that is the reality. But a good leader brings thoughts to the table that look at every scenario that can provide something good for people.

He goes on, “I have cohosted a daily call-in counseling radio show for many years, called New Life Live! I have listened to thousands of callers present their struggles with troubled relationships, emotional issues, addictions, and the like. You face a lot of reality when you listen to people’s personal problems. I often receive calls from individuals who have severe and complex problems, problems that certainly cannot be resolved in a few minutes on the phone. So I give them insights and perspectives for now, and then suggestions, steps, and resources for later, when the call is over. With the most hopeless-sounding situations, I have always tried to give something people could take away, something that was real and true and substantive, but also something that provided an option that they didn’t have before they called. I don’t know most of the endings of the stories. But I do know that all of us who desire to lead need to be mindful of the responsibility to have thoughts that are not only grounded in reality but also give hope at the end.”

Yes, reality can be very difficult and discouraging, but we need to face it and look for answers and also look for hope.  Let’s not forget the hope, okay? 

Yes, yes!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle?   Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...
Post a Comment
Read more

“God does big things with small deeds.”

A thought by Max Lucado (2011-05-02) from his book, Cure for the Common Life (p. 115). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I don’t know how you feel about what you are doing and how it can make a difference.   You may feel that it is so small and not even worth the effort. Max says, “Begin. Just begin! What seems small to you might be huge to someone else. Just ask Bohn Fawkes. During World War II, he piloted a B-17. On one mission he sustained flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. Even though his gas tanks were hit, the plane did not explode, and Fawkes was able to land the plane. “On the morning following the raid, Fawkes asked his crew chief for the German shell. He wanted to keep a souvenir of his incredible good fortune. The crew chief explained that not just one but eleven shells had been found in the gas tanks, none of which had exploded. “Technicians opened the missiles and found them void of explosive cha...
Post a Comment
Read more

“Sometimes we think we’re stuck simply because things are hard.”

A thought by Matt Perman, from his book, How to Get Unstuck (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the That is a possible trap for many, isn’t it? Matt says, “But if you’re continuing to make progress and aren’t experiencing huge snags, you’re not stuck. Rather, you’re in a dip. “A dip is a temporary hard slog that you will get through if you keep pushing and don’t give up. And pushing through the hard slog is actually the fastest route to the destination. In these cases, you will be especially tempted to bail. Be discerning and able to identify that you’re in a legitimate dip and you’re not a failure.” Matt says another trap to be careful of, “Some people are stuck and don’t know it.” He goes on, “Everything can be going your way, going smoothly, and going quickly. Everything feels and seems wonderful. Yet... you are still headed toward a dead end, a form of getting stuck, if you are leaving God out of t...
Post a Comment
Read more