Leaders Adapt

“To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some."

1 Corinthians 9:22

LEADERS ADAPT when people or circumstances changes, so they can more effectively execute their priorities. The temptation is to do nothing and then suffer the consequences of blind belief in inferior assumptions. For example, your customers may have purchased your product at a premium in the past, but competition now gives them an alternative.

Or perhaps a leader’s style of arm’s-length management has worked up to now, but current realitites of cost cutting and change require him or her to be more hands on. The new normal in economics and people’s psychology requires leaders to be discerning and nimble in order to adjust to raw realities. Agile leaders move wisely through relational and organizational obstacle courses. What reality obstructs progress and needs your attention?

The Lord uses disruptions to keep us dependent on Him. Financial pressures, employee turnover, and obsolete business models are a wake-up call that our Savior employs to shake up our stale thinking. Are you clinging to what made your company successful in the past, or are you openhanded with what needs to change to become profitable now?

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:18-19).

Maybe it is time - by faith - to hit the refresh button on your leadership. Look for new anad improved ways to walk with your team toward cultural and organizational transformation. Pray profusely on the front end, gather all the pertinent data, and do the next right thning. Bold leadership assesses the situation and adapts under the Lord’s leadership.

“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle” (Exodus 13:17-18).

Where do I need to adapter personally or professionally? How is the Lord leading?