Whether it’s in the area of personal leadership or in our chosen ministry or profession, I have been learning to do the following self-check and invite others in, to help me truthfully assess the answers to these questions:

Am I leading through avoidance?

• What topics am I avoiding talking about today?
• What questions would I rather not be asked?
• Who do I really need to challenge today?
• In what areas am I totally dissatisfied (areas that I can do something about)?
• What does my leader need to know today, that can save them from further anguish tomorrow?
• Am I willing to give feedback to a friend, a peer, a boss and risk being in their inner circle?
• If God has already given me the answers to some of the problems I (or my organization) may be facing, why am I waiting to act? Or what am I avoiding?

If I choose to lead through engagement, I may discover:

• Someone is struggling and stuck in despair and I am holding the key to their progress.
• Life can have less anxiety if I address today’s challenges before they become tomorrow’s worries.
• God is just as near and trustworthy in the “perceived calm” of avoidance as He is in the storm of engagement.
• I don’t have to have the answers, just the faith to believe in God who always brings the victory.

Sometimes, we only learn what we’re truly made of when we engage in the difficult matters in life. Someone once said, “leaders are like teabags – don’t know how strong they can be until you put them into some hot water.”

So, time to take a dip, know that God is with you, and trust Him for the victory.