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I have been a leader for a long time. Through the years, I have faced a wide array of challenges.
In high school, I was the captain of my soccer team. One game, we played a rival high school that featured a towering brute as team captain. He played defense. He was loud, obnoxious, and tough. He systematically injured three of our players, including one of my brothers. It was demoralizing watching my teammates hobble off the field after he tackled them. What was worse, he laughed and mocked them as they limped to the sideline.
As team captain, I knew it was up to me to handle the problem. But what could I do? Eventually, we drove the ball deep into their end. The aggressive captain ran back to retrieve the ball. I was running hard behind him. He stopped the ball and then turned to look up field just as I arrived. What I did next was spontaneous, instinctive, and totally illegal. Their captain went sliding on his back toward their goal. He uttered a mighty curse and intended to enact some form of dastardly retribution against me. Alas, he couldn't stand up. He was helped to the sideline, and that was the last we saw of him.
That interaction on the soccer field was a watershed moment for me as a leader. We were demoralized and intimidated. Someone had to step up and do something. I was that someone. It wouldn't be the last time I took a tough stand on behalf of my team.
The first day I walked into my office at the seminary, I found an angry letter from one of my staff to her attorney. The employee felt she was being treated unfairly by the school and was alerting me there would be a lawsuit if I didn't comply with her demands (I didn't). I learned that attorneys aren't always as fearsome as their reputation suggests. In the years that followed, I went to court on behalf of our school several times, and we won every case.
On one occasion, I had to fire a popular professor. I was baffled that people were upset that I was taking a moral stand, as I thought the need for my actions was self-evident. Some students left the school in protest. I learned that people can become upset when you do the right thing. When the worst of that ordeal was over, one of my closest advisors told me that even though I had already officially been the school's leader for a while, I was truly the leader in the people's eyes after handling the worst crisis in the school's history. One of my greatest moments as a leader came as the result of handling one of my toughest challenges.
I have come to understand that the only way for leaders to grow in stature and maturity is by overcoming adversity.
Looking back, I honed most of my leadership skills while addressing specific problems that stretched the abilities I had at the time.
As leaders, we shouldn't fear challenges. Each one provides an opportunity for growth. Leaders who have the unusual experience of problem-free service typically don't grow significantly while in office. Veteran leaders are those who have successfully handled diverse problems throughout their tenure.
The next time a problem arises, recognize that you have been presented with a fresh opportunity to learn and grow. It may be painful. But on the other side, you'll be a better, wiser leader than you were before.
 | Richard Blackaby is the president of Blackaby Ministries International and lives in Georgia. He travels internationally speaking on spiritual leadership in the home, church, and marketplace as well as on spiritual awakening, experiencing God, and the Christian life. Richard regularly ministers to Christian CEOs and business leaders. He has written or co-authored 33 books . This article was first published on RichardBlackaby.com. Used with permission from Blackaby Ministries International. Learn More » |
This isn’t just another leadership book—it’s your invitation to discover how Christ-centered questions can transform the way you lead and live. Packed with real stories and timeless wisdom, it shows you how to grow your influence, deepen your faith, and lead with the same life-changing impact Jesus did.
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