I knew a minister who was asked to resign from four churches in a row. He was a nice man who longed to be a pastor, but he couldn’t lead. All four churches noted that when faced with problems or possibilities, he was indecisive. He feared taking a stand, lest people oppose him or take offense. He tried to lead while sitting on the fence, but it never worked.
Leaders come in many shapes and sizes. Yet there are certain qualities and characteristics all good leaders share. One is confidence. The psalmist David declared, “My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident . . . ” (Ps. 57:7). David wasn’t self-confident. He was God-confident! He wrote, “Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, for I take refuge in you. I will seek refuge in the shadow of your wings until danger passes” (Ps. 57:1). David could lead boldly because he placed his trust in God.
People are generally willing to follow someone who exudes confidence, but they are wary of anyone who seems uncertain or timid. After all, if leaders doubt themselves, why should anyone else trust them?
Charismatic leaders understand that people are looking for someone who knows where they’re going. Confidence helps leaders gain and maintain people’s trust. Leaders can demonstrate confidence in the following ways.
First, spend time with God and seek his will. If you’re leading in your own strength, then you have good reason to worry! If you’ve diligently sought God’s guidance, then you can proceed boldly.
Second, audit your words. Eliminate any language that sounds weak or indecisive. Don’t say, “We’ll try to pay down this debt.” Say, “With God’s help, we’re going to pay this debt off.” Leaders can’t afford to be wishy-washy. Speak with confidence!
Third, develop momentum. Many leaders fail to move forward until every question is answered and every detail has fallen into place. But sometimes plans don’t fully come together until you’re already in progress. Once you’ve heard from God, don’t delay.
Fourth, be open to adjustments. Confidence is not the same as bullheadedness. As a leader, be confident, but also keep in mind that you might have to make course corrections along the way. Trust God’s perfect plan, not yours.
If you are struggling to get people to follow you, it could be that you are inadvertently sending mixed signals. You may feel confident, yet be oblivious to things you are doing or saying that are slowly eroding people’s trust in you. Perhaps a leadership coach could help you determine whether your words or actions convey confidence or doubt. You might be surprised by how uncertain you appear to others.
We live in a difficult, confusing, complicated world. You probably don’t have all the answers. But to lead successfully, confidence is key.
Write a comment: