Skip to main content

“Clear thinking means submitting your mind to any new reality.”

A thought by John Townsend from his book, Leading From Your Gut (p. 62). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

I know, I know that looking at a new idea is difficult for some.  It really is, but it could make a difference.

John says, “Related to holding opposing thoughts in tension is the ability to change and adapt when the facts dictate it. The best leaders know that reality is larger than they are, so they don’t mind taking a different course when there is new information. Clear thinking means submitting your mind to any new reality.”

He goes on, “I was working in my office and needed to use a piece of computer equipment I’d left at home. I called one of my teenage sons and, knowing he was busy with school activities, offered him ten dollars to stop what he was doing and bring me the equipment. Since it was a thirty-minute round-trip drive, it sounded reasonable to me. He said, ‘I’ll do it for fifteen dollars.’ I didn’t mind that response. I didn’t play the guilt card or the ‘you owe your dad’ card because I have talked to my sons a lot about money, time, and negotiation. I just said thanks but no thanks and hung up. Then I called his brother and left him a voice mail with the same request. I had a backup, having two sons who can drive.

“About a minute later, the first son called me back and said, ‘I’ll do it for ten dollars.’

“‘Great,’ I said. ‘Why the change of heart?’

“‘When I hung up, I asked Mom if you were trying to teach me a lesson on negotiation,’ he said. ‘Mom said, ‘“No, he’s going to call your brother.”’” My wife understood the situation clearly. And my son quickly adapted to the new information and made the necessary changes.”

John then said, “Leaders who think will need the ability to admit when they are wrong or should change direction. Those who insist that the original plan is the only plan are often at risk. You instill doubt in people with that stance, and you instill trust in people when you adapt to new realities.”

That is very, very good. That is a very productive thing to do, isn’t it?

Yes, yes!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book,   Winning the War on Worry    (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...
Post a Comment
Read more

“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

"To put it simply, worry isn’t just a bad habit."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book,   Winning the War on Worry    (p. 1). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Ok, that is interesting. Louie says, "Worry is an Enemy tactic—a strategy built on lies that are designed to rob you of peace and tear your mind to pieces. "That’s why it’s crucial that you are able to spot the lies worry tells." He goes on, "Not long ago while on safari in South Africa, Shelley and I were really wanting to see a leopard in the wild. Early and late on our game drives our eyes were set on every tree limb, bush, grassy hill, and river path in hopes of finding one of several leopards that were known to frequent this particular area. But here’s the thing: leopards aren’t bright orange with tall, sparkly antennae on their backs. They are designed to blend into the surroundings, like the bark of a baobab tree where they might be lounging on one of its mighty branches. "In the same way, ...
Post a Comment
Read more