Tuesday; August 10

I kind of wish things were the way they were in 1974. During that year, I played a ton of baseball and spent a lot of time on the beach. We vacationed in the Blue Ridge Mountains where I honed what few water-skiing skills I had. Sure, I know there was a war in Viet Nam, the nation was struggling with civil rights issues and there was a growing concern for the state of our government after the resignation of President Nixon, but in 1974 I had just entered my teen years and I was living large.
Nostalgia is the essence of dissonance. On one side of our brain, we remember what we want to remember, but the other contains the realities of life. While this is a challenge in our everyday lives, I think plays an even bigger role in leadership. As leaders, we think back on the good old days when we had answers to questions; but when we look at today’s issues we can be confused and confounded by what we face. We like reflecting on success, but we are concerned about failure in the future.
As I have recently navigated through some milestones in my life, I have come to realize that leadership can be hard work especially if we see things through the lenses of the past. So, what can we do to be effective leaders in today’s world? First, we need to realize that the world is changing. No, the basics of right and wrong are still the same, but the way they present themselves are different. This isn’t 1974 (or even 2004); nor are we teenagers. Leaders live in today. Secondly, we should not be obstinate enough to fail to look around us for help – especially to younger people. Often, they are more prepared to address today’s issues than are we. They have grown up in the contemporary world and need to be challenged to lead their peers. I am not talking about retiring, I am talking about sharing the load.
The Wise Man of Scripture wrote, “Do not say, ‘Why is it that the former days were better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.” (Ecclesiastes 7:10). Let’s be leaders, not historians. When we are, we’ll be given the opportunity to help the people around us to become better.

Think About It!

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