Leadership Bugle

 

"And if the one who plays the bugle does not sound a clear call, who will prepare for battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8)

I've learned leadership for over a decade. I guess I know almost everything I need to know about leadership. However, knowledge is one thing, practice is another. Over the years I found that many leaders have some fatal weaknesses. Some are weak in self-discovery; others are weak in handling rejection. My problem is I don't blow the bugle clearly. I feel as if I blow it too loud, it might frighten people.

I need a paradigm shift, to think from the perspective of my followers, or my dance partner. It’s not an easy paradigm shift. I met a young man the other day that blew his bugle loud and clear in front of me, but he just didn’t know what he was doing. Some people are just so bold that they make their stupid statements loud and clear. I was admiring his boldness in spite of his stupidity.

A mixed feeling came to me as I observed him. Is it better to blow the bugle loud and clear leading people to a wrong direction, or is it better blow it humbly telling people that I could be wrong? Maybe I have blown the bugle loud and clear too many times as a young man and later found myself stupid in doing so. Those incidents made me reluctant to make mistakes. Again, the fear of making mistake leaves my followers wanting for a clear direction.

Recently, Obama has been unclear with his bugle, by delaying his decision on sending the additional troops requested by General McChrystal. The American citizens began to lose faith in Obama for his indecisiveness. Again, Bush’s decisive actions led us into years of war. Which one is better? Indecisiveness, or decisiveness?

Of course, you can give a simple answer, “decisive and right action;” a clear bugle telling people to march to the right direction is what we need. But, the question is, “Which is the right direction?” The right direction that you know now can be wrong later on the hindsight.
The wisdom is that the leader must have enough knowledge to know the right direction, as well as the courage to blow the bugle clearly and timely, so that the followers will take actions. In fact, we can’t be wrong if we follow the direction of Jesus Christ who has never failed us. He has invited us to join a dance that can never go wrong, except not dancing wholeheartedly.

There is always a risk is blowing a clear bugle. If you’ve heard of the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), you’d know that, in Jesus eyes, the one that doesn’t take the risk is the only one that fails. So, for Christ, indecisiveness is worse than a wrong decision. Maybe it is because God knows that we have limited knowledge, so forgiveness is always given to us. Therefore, in God’s kingdom, you can’t fail. God rather sees God’s children making childish mistakes with passion, than being nice without passion.