Terry Linhart - The self-aware leader : discovering your blind spots to reach your ministry potential

P art of my job as a parent was to serve as the initial driving instructor for each of my three teenagers. Though my hands occasionally braced against the dashboard, and my feet sometimes searched for a nonexistent brake pedal on my side of the car, we made it through the first days of driving on the road without incident. Topics for the first days of driving school with Dad: turn signals (No you cant turn left from the right lane), braking (You dont use the accelerator when turning), and explaining that being up on two tires during a turn was probably not a good thing.

As part of the lesson I showed them what they couldnt see. I demonstrated the reality of blind spots. After parking, Id get out to stand along the left side of the car and ask them if they could see me in the mirrors. I was close enough that they could hear me talk, but as they looked in the mirrors, I wasnt visible. I explained how to clear their blind spots with a quick look over either shoulder. The intentional glance helped them see what they couldnt notice by looking ahead or at their mirrors. The glance let them see what was otherwise hidden, in this case a nervous father. I explained that when driving, there are often vehicles in their blind spots that pose a significant danger, and drivers cant see that without intentionally clearing the blind spot. I added that assuming things are safe without taking a careful look can be dangerous.

The phrase blind spots is regularly used in leadership circles to describe problems or patterns that lurk unseen and pose potential danger. For the last two decades I have been developing and equipping young adults to serve as ministry leaders, pastors, youth workers, missionaries, and managers. That process includes helping them reflect on what they may not notice, the areas of their life too personal or hidden to see easily, that may pose potential problems. The truth is that we all have such areas, even if were not that young.

Over the years Ive also noticed that few Christian organizations or churches help young leaders systematically and intentionally with their personal development. Most have an initial training program, but after that there is little ongoing support. As leadership presents increasing challenges and presses us, personal development is left up to each person and supervisors are sometimes at a loss how to step in and help. To their credit, it is difficult to bring up touchy matters when the issues are personal. Its easy to hope that time will fix areas where were struggling, but it usually doesnt. If the problems persist, even with no help, sometimes a decision is made to make a change and try again with someone else. This inability to know what to do and how to help is contributing to some of the problems.

Recent national headlines have featured the departures of two well-known leaders of Christian organizations due to personal and moral issues.