Leadership Lessons From the Road

 

The month of May plus the whole archery Nationals experience from Day 1 of planning to the last day in KY taught me so much, like:

~The only one in control of my schedule/calendar is me so if I can’t find time to breathe, it’s an indicator that I lack self-boundaries;

~As a leader, not every request, complaint or drama-filled message needs an immediate reply (sometimes it’s a really healthy thing to let people sit in the tension of their drama and not have easy access to you);  

~While I love the archery families and want to be there for them, it’s ok to take a break to eat my hot dinner that’s sitting upstairs in my hotel room first (after not having time to get a good lunch at Nationals) rather than meet parents because they want to talk real quick about archery…it’s rarely quick and your dinner will get cold and you’ll just get internally frustrated that you can’t say no and can’t hear what they are saying over your hunger. It is ok to stop and eat dinner first while it’s still hot, especially if you’ve made yourself available all day long and will be available again the next day (this applies to any leadership context—sometimes we just need to be reminded that it’s ok to take a break);

~When you lead an overnight trip of any kind, it’s ok to turn your phone off when you get back to the hotel and to let people figure out things on their own after hours (especially when all the information has been given out multiple times and there are other capable people available to help). Turning off the phone preserves sanity;

~You don’t know what you don’t know and what you don’t know, you’ll learn very quickly what’s going to work and what’s not and adjust accordingly. Most of the answers, adjustments and shifts happened internally in order to be able to make it through a multi-day peopling experience that required more giving out than I’ve ever experienced before (it was the first time I took a large group of people out of town);

~Sometimes hiding in the bathroom stall for 5 minutes throughout the day away from any people, noise and talking, and having that few minutes to simply breathe and “be” is way more effective than pouring caffeine and sugar down my body all day long;

~There are seasons when our life simply won’t operate in a balance (especially if there is a large event or project on your plate) and it’s ok if finding balance is impossible…that imbalance has an end date and you will get through that season and be ready to regain your footing. That also brings a whole new level of awareness, gratitude and appreciation for the other areas of your life and how they contribute to your wholeness;

~My support system is priceless and they consistently remind me that God will equip, strengthen and sustain in the various things He leads me to. I don’t know what I would do without my husband and my spiritual mom! And it means a lot to have a strong group of ladies that I can send an SOS to and know they will faithfully pray;

~Setting boundaries and trying to honor them teaches others about boundaries. It is good and necessary to set boundaries in order to steward your time and energy well; 

~When you travel with people you work alongside with, you get to see another side to them. It’s so fun and it is a true gift when it deepens your appreciation of them; and 

~Finally, everyone has their own opinions about what/how things should be done. It’s humanly impossible to make everyone happy. There is great freedom in knowing you are making the most solid decisions you can make based on what is best for the group as a whole and then letting people be responsible for their own responses and (un)happiness. Sometimes the healthiest thing for everyone is to let people go. 

At the end of the day, don’t forget to take care of yourself while you take care of others! It has taken me a long time to learn this lesson, but it is absolutely vital in order to keep going and finish strong! 

The Loudest Whispers (#fmf)

    There are moments when the whispers of the Holy Spirit become the loudest things I hear. That still small voice loudly echoes over all the noise in the world in such a way that I can’t help but hear it (I Kings 19:11–12). That voice beckons a response as it ushers in wisdom, clarity and peace. It informs, redirects and leads the way (Isaiah 20:31). In those moments, the loudest thing in the room is the sound of my heart beating—beating with anticipation for things revealed and beating with fear for things unknown. A flurry of thoughts fill my head as I ponder the possibilities of what could be and revisit old dreams. These old dreams carry hints of things to come...things that haven’t died no matter the twists and turns that have happened over the years (Psalm 32:8). These dreams remind me of the still small voice that spoke so loudly years ago. But I ran from that voice because I was scared of the bigness of it all—what if I failed at carrying out what was being asked but what if I succeeded at it, too? Both seemed equally scary.

    Yet this time around, the still small voice loudly reassures me of truth and I now know how to stand firmly in that truth. The voice reminds me of the transformation that has taken place and that I no longer have to run in fear. I now understand that new paths can be forged if the process is welcomed, accepted and endured one step at a time--pacing myself for the long-haul rather than burning out after the first year or two. This transformation speaks loudly of the security that comes from hearing and trusting the Holy Spirit. 

     Once holy whispers become the loudest things we hear, we are able to move forward in new ways because those whispers shout louder than our doubts and fears.

Five Minute Friday (#FMFparty) gives writers a word prompt every Friday. We are encouraged to write whatever comes to mind about that word in just five minutes. No editing, no perfection, only writing from the heart. To find out more, visit Five Minute Friday. This week's word is "LOUD".

 

 
This mixed media response piece was created from two processing finger paintings as I processed through several big things on my mind. I tore up the finger paintings (which is cathartic in itself) to create this piece merging the two lines of thought. This mixed media piece represents the swirling between old and new, past and present, light and dark, trauma and possibilities, stuck and moving forward, and fear and faith. This piece can be turned in different directions. Whether pointing upward or pointing forward to the right, the arrow represents shalom and kairos moments...moments infused with the Holy Spirit...that break through our lives as the Spirit fulfills God’s promises in Psalm 32:8 revealing the paths He has for us.

The Right Time to Write (#fmf)

It has been a couple years since I’ve done a Five Minute Friday! Not exactly sure what happened except that I lost my words. They stopped flowing out of me. And it was scary to lose my words! 

Who am I when I can’t write, when I can’t express the depths of me in old familiar ways, when I lose all of my opinions and cares and become silent? Pain and sheer levels of turmoil, chaos and burnout stored within my heart and mind choked out all flow of words. That pain undeniably cried out to be healed and I couldn’t ignore it any longer. It needed to be cleared out of the way before my words (and my life) could flow freely again! But in order for the pain to be healed, I had to find a different way to speak. 

Slowly, the words began to slide out but they came out in art. Art journaling took the place of blogging as color, doodling and collaging together spoke my truth. Through the pages of my art journals, the deepest and rawest parts of me were being revealed, nurtured, loved, counseled and slowly nursed to a level of health and wholeness that I never knew existed. All that was made wrong was slowly being set right. Years of perseverance, strength and determination to find healing finally led to freedom and transformation. This transformation is finally leading me back to the written word once again! 

But who am I after that journey? How does that journey impact my writing? What do I even want to write about? What is worth saying in a world where everyone has something to say? Where can my voice make a difference? Where can my words bring hope? 

I don’t know the answers to these questions right now, but the right thing to do is to show back up today, to pick up the pen (keyboard?), to remain open to rediscovering my written voice and to offer up my heart and my words to the One who has led me into shalom. My words are back and now is the right time to unleash them once again! 

Five Minute Friday (#FMFparty) gives writers a word prompt every Friday. We are encouraged to write whatever comes to mind about that word in just five minutes. No editing, no perfection, only writing from the heart. To find out more, visit Five Minute Friday. This week's word is "RIGHT”.