“So, what do you guys think?”
Every leader has faced the silence after that question, followed by the barrage of reasons why the new idea, plan, or initiative won’t work. Whether it’s with volunteers or paid staff members, leaders engaged in organizational transformation regularly encounter doubt, fear, and resistance to the new idea.
Part One of this series introduced the first two principles:
- Try to Understand the Opposition
- Incorporate Valid Objections
To read Part One, Click Here.
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We continue this series with two more principles:
- Take Action
After you’ve listened and incorporated valid objections and worked through the doubts that have been raised by looking at the why and not just the what, it’s time to act. Surely, one danger is not acting at all because of doubt and opposition, but another—possibly more acute danger—is not acting at all. All of us have fallen prey to the paralysis of indecision. You can’t debate whether or not to start a new ministry, revise a budget, or hire a new staff member forever. At some point, you have to make a decision. There comes a time to commit to a course of action and move forward with conviction.
- Do the Right Thing and Expect Good Things to Happen
The Bible says the sons of Issachar understood the times and knew what Israel should do. Once you have scanned the environment and understood where the source of doubts and made the necessary adjustments, it’s time to trust your instincts as a God-ordained leader and make the call you need to make. And, do it without fear, but with the expectation that good things are going to happen.
If you have done right by your team—listened to them and incorporated their valid objections, prayed and sought God’s guidance then you can move forward with confidence in your decision. If you’ve gone about making the decision in the right way, the possibility of a right outcome dramatically increases.
Nordstom’s department store is a good example of doing the right thing and expecting good things to happen. They have a no questions return policy on all of their merchandise. No questions asked. They’ve lost a lot of money with that policy in the short term, but in the long term they’ve reaped even more rewards because of customer loyalty. Doing right by their customers has built a reputation of customer service that exceeds other department stores.
When you do right by listening to the objections and surfacing the doubts of your team and volunteers, you’ll build a reputation for having an open mind and an open heart. That, in turn, will open their hands to join with you in the organizational transformation you seek.
For more redemptive leadership resources CLICK HERE. To read, Part Three of this Blog, CLICK HERE.
