So you’re the leader.

You made a decision.

And the results weren’t what you expected.

What do you do?

Leadership is challenging. Recently I had a conversation with a ministry leader who’s walking out a very difficult season in ministry. As she is making critical decisions for her team she wrestles with the idea that her decisions might not be right.

What if I make a decision that I think is in line with God’s Will yet everything seems to fall apart? What if I’m wrong?

I think all of us ask that question at some point in our lives. When we come across the proverbial fork in the road, our desire is to make the right choice. And our fear is choosing wrong.

For me personally, I can be easily trapped by the fear of making a mistake. My role as a leader only amplifies that fear. It’s one thing to make a decision that harms me personally.  It’s another level of frustration and pain when I make a decision that harms those I love and lead.  So my goal is clear… Don’t make a mistake!  It’s that simple, right?

The funny thing about that goal is the high probability that I WILL make a mistake.  Why?  Because I’m human. I’m an imperfect person. If I believe that I can lead in ministry without making wrong decisions, then I automatically set myself up for failure. I don’t believe it is possible to lead well without bumping your head a few times. Leadership doesn’t mean you have all the right answers. Sometimes leadership means you’re the one willing to be the first to step in the hole.

In the past I’ve made great efforts to prevent leadership mistakes. But when I do this my focus moves away from God and onto me.  I shift into a self-centered mode that leads me further and further from my Heavenly Father. I draw upon my own strength and wisdom which is a shallow pool that quickly runs dry. And it becomes abundantly obvious to those around me.

But when I look to God as the One who orders my steps, fills me with wisdom and gives me clarity in the midst of uncertainty, then I can trust that no matter what is happening around me, I am centered in His will. And I lead from that place.

You see, ultimately His will for me is that I choose today to ‘yoke’ myself with Christ and walk in step with Him.  As I do this, then my circumstances cease to be the measuring stick to reflect how close I am to God’s will.  Instead, it is the evident fruits of His Spirit that flow from me in the midst of the circumstance.

Leadership can be tricky. And there are many times I feel more uncertain than certain of my decisions. But despite how much I want to avoid wrong decisions… they are a reality in my world. My best response is to figure out how to grow from and lead through the mistakes I make.

Here are 4 things I’ve learned that help me do this:

1. Results don’t define me. They will reflect where I need to learn and grow, but they don’t define me as an individual. Only Christ does that. Don’t let a leadership mistake tear you down as an individual… the one whom Christ loves. Instead look at the mistake for what it is… a mistake. Apply what you learn and move on.

2. Share with those impacted. I confess my mistake. This can actually build leadership equity with those I lead. When a mistake is made, own it. Let them know what you’re going to do about it. And move on.

3. Build Guardrails. Explore the actions that could have been taken to prevent the mistake. There might be preventative measures you can put in place that will help the next time.

4. View it from another angle. Could it be that what you perceive to be a mistake is simply “the cost of doing business”? Your job as a leader is not to avoid mistakes.  Your job is to lead your team forward. That means trying new things. And sometimes trying new things results in learning new things. If you’re not trying new things, I contend that you’re not leading. What you’re looking at may not necessarily be a mistake… just the result of trying something new. If it doesn’t work… try something else.

As leaders, we will always be measured by what we produce. Yet what we produce doesn’t define us as individuals. This is a tricky but necessary tension to live within. If my goal is to remain healthy in ministry, then it’s imperative that I learn to define myself based upon what Christ did for me, not what I do in His name. Let the results be what they are. May I be teachable enough to increase my own capacity to produce results. And may God be glorified for that work. Because ultimately… it’s His.