It's easy to understand why leaders can be influenced to change direction. Every point on the compass has a pulling agent.
Most leaders operate in a crisis to perform.
There always seems to be an urgency to produce measurable results. Now is better than later.
The need to produce results can be the primary cause of flip-flop leadership.
Today we are going this direction. Tomorrow we may turn hard and head another direction.
In graduate marketing classes, I teach the schism that exists in managing a brand. Briefly, a brand manager is expected to drive sales and profitability for the product. The manager is also expected to build brand equity. In most cases these are mutually exclusive objectives.
Short-term efforts are made to increase sales. Many managers will drop prices to build sales. So, the marketing budget is cut. There is less money available to build the brand.
Alternatively, if we develop a marketing plan to build the brand, immediate sales will suffer because of the time involved to build sales from brand building.
A brand manager operates in two mindsets.
Paul reminded Timothy to stay the course and to endure hard times. Paul didn't suggest that Timothy should find a new direction.
"If we endure, we shall also reign with Him" (2 Tim. 2:12).
Leaders are tempted daily to change direction. Results don't always flow in as quickly as needed.
The "evidence of things not seen" is the ever-present concern. When we lose the "substance of things hoped for," we operate from our intellect, rather than through the Holy Spirit.
Certainly, God's path for us has twists and turns, but His path is well lit. We only need to stay close to the Lord through prayer and daily seeking.
We must depend upon the Lord to direct our path. Our teams will appreciate a steady, patient path to the finish line.
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