4 'Things' Available to Every Leader

Leaders make things happen. This simple, four-word axiom describes leadership with nearly universal acceptance.

Various iterations provide context, such as “New leaders need to focus on making things happen” or “We’re searching for a leader able to make things happen.”

Clear, right? Maybe not. Specifically, what’s meant by things?

Let’s examine four key options (“things”) available to all leaders:

The right thing. This option offers two perspectives. The first, and likely most obvious, implies that a leader vigorously seeks a well-thought, well-planned, or most–likely–to–succeed choice. A leader’s equity with the team, and everyone involved, instantly climbs when his or her efforts produce wins. An even better angle, though, is to view this as the high–ground approach. One that involves no regrets, even when an initiative proves unsuccessful. Near-term popularity might serve as the first casualty (not always, though), but eventually becomes overshadowed by a stronger quality: wisdom. People long to follow a wise leader who displays integrity, honesty, transparency, and compassion toward all.
Something. A few words found in Newton’s law of motion articulate an important truth: An object at rest tends to stay at rest … unless acted upon. When an organization lacks momentum or discernable progress, apply fresh effort or start some type of new action. Great ideas and noble intentions result in nothing unless a first step happens. And then a next step, and so on. So leaders owe it to their teams to say the words “Let’s get started!” As the Bible says, “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18).
Anything. Times occasionally emerge that call for willingness to try an idea that’s “out there.” Especially when the notion did not originate with the leader—or if the team appears stuck and just needs to move, even a little. Personal equity builds quickly through a well-earned reputation of openness to consider new idea regardless of the source. Caveat: If a leader hears rumblings on the team along the lines of “Anything is better than this” or “I wish he/she would do literally anything,” consider it troubling times that require more than just a new idea.
Nothing. Sometimes a leader must make the gutsy decision to not change, to “weather the storm.” Other times it makes sense to delay as long as possible in order to weigh all options. Oftentimes, however, the latter carries high cost because the world, the community, the congregation, or the market constantly changes—meaning no response is a very real decision to care less about relevance or acceptance. Maybe that’s the best approach. But maybe it’s rooted in denial or fear. Or exhaustion.

Anyone can do nothing; a leader, though, should always seek to do the right thing. Or at least something. Maybe anything. After all, leaders make things happen.

David Staal, senior editor for Building Church Leaders and a mentor to a third grader, serves as the president of Kids Hope USA, a national non-profit organization that partners local churches with elementary schools to provide mentors for at-risk students. He also chairs the advisory board for a nearby college, and served ten years in leadership for a local church following a corporate career. David is the author of Show Up: Step Out of Your Story and Into Someone Else’s (2016 release), Lessons Kids Need to Learn (Zondervan, 2012), Words Kids Need to Hear (Zondervan, 2008), and Show Up (2016 release). He lives in Grand Haven, MI, with his wife Becky. His son Scott and daughter Erin attend Valparaiso University.