Article by Gary Carter
Leadership is a broad concept that’s hard to define as a task or skill.
I would define leadership as an individuals ability to navigate the chaos of change in an abstract reality!
It’s said that the only thing consistent in life is change. Passing through a season of chaos is mandatory for true change. Although your time as a leader may be consumed dealing with present circumstances, the very essence of the word “lead” means to be out front. A managers focus is the systemic efficiency of the present. A leader must have the out-front capacity to see what’s not visible to others, consider the impossible and set a clear vision in the abstract reality of the future. Seeing what’s not obvious to others isn’t done by prophetic gifting alone. Like an internal radar, a leader develops a sense of impending danger, great opportunity, or even possibly of greater importance, the recognition of the winds of change. From that awareness of what lies ahead, a leaders gifts enable him (or her) to set the sails. The direction we go and the momentum we achieve is not a by-product of the strength of the wind, but the set of our sails. Leaders set the sails to give direction and to steer clear of the dangers. They are gifted to navigate through the chaos of change.
Managers are hired to maintain the definable. Leaders carve out a future from an abstract reality. The journey begins in a blurred horizon that reveals nothing more than a direction they should go. Clarity is formed along the way. The gap between the future destination and the present position is filled with chaos. No chaos means no change, and no change means no movement towards the goals. To achieve goals a leader must become a master at successfully navigating the turbulent waters of consistent change. Casting vision, team building, problem solving, character and most other traits of a leader are needed to lead to that end. So, leadership should be seen more as a verb that reflects movement than a static title or position.
In this time of global chaos, we know things are changing dramatically and permanently. The leaders in every sector and at every level of society who have the ability to navigate the chaos of change in the face of an abstract reality, will eventually bring order out of this chaos and they will be the ones who shape the future. Now more than ever Kingdom minded leaders must rise!
Shape the future. Be a leader!
