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One of the things that leaders (every leader) must learn in the course of their leadership is the need to lead with caution. Every leader must learn how to lead with caution. Now, to lead with caution does not actually connote that the leader should be afraid. Leading with caution does not equate being afraid in leadership. In actual sense, to lead with caution is to lead with every sense of duty and carefulness in order to bring about the gains of that leadership. So, to lead with caution does not mean that you are afraid to lead as the leader, it actually talks about leading with every sense of duty and carefulness in order to bring about the gains of your leadership.
Listen to Podcast: Why Leaders Must Be Cautious in Leadership
Now, the reason why leader must actually lead with caution is because leadership positions come with a great deal of responsibility. Now we have said it to ourselves over and over again that leadership is about a responsibility, it is about an outcome that you as the leader will be held accountable for. So, leadership is not about laziness or not having things to do, leadership is about a great deal of responsibility and we must realize as leaders that with that responsibility comes the need for caution. Everyone who is responsible for something that is huge and big must of necessity exercise himself or herself with caution.
So, we are talking about the need for caution in leadership simply because leadership is about responsibility and such responsibility requires that the leader should thread the ground carefully. So, a leader’s decision for example can have far-reaching consequences which can either be positive or negative. And this is why it is important for leaders to carefully consider the potential outcomes of their actions before embarking on them. And that is why we are talking about caution in leadership.
Now, in Luke 9:51-56, something happened in that place that Jesus (our ultimate and model leader) used as an occasion to emphasize the need for caution in leadership. The Bible says:
Now when the time was approaching for Him to be taken up [to heaven], He was determined to go to Jerusalem [to fulfill His purpose, His leadership assignment]. 52 He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went into a Samaritan village to make arrangements for Him; 53 but the people would not welcome Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. 54 When His disciples James and John [members of His team] saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and destroy them?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them [and He said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are; 56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they journeyed on to another village.
Now, we have read this portion of the Bible on Leaderview over and over again, and the more we read it, the more we see light and what we need to do in our leadership from this particular passage of the Bible. Now, let us go into it fully.
One reason for caution in leadership is the potential for unintended consequences. And I want us as leaders to really understand this particular aspect of why we must be cautious in leadership because one reason for that caution is the potential for unintended consequences. Now, leaders must be able to look farther than the present. One of the characteristics of leaders is your ability to see farther than the present. So, leaders must be able to look farther than the present and to also consider the unintended consequences of some of their decisions or actions. Now, it is from this angle (unintended consequences of actions) that we are talking about caution, and not from the angle of being afraid.
Take for example, a decision that seems like a good idea in the moment may have negative consequences down the line that were not initially anticipated. Even though the decision may look good right now, His disciples felt “well these people have done this, why not let us call down fire and destroy them”, that looks good at the moment, the disciples felt those people disrespected Jesus and there was the capacity to deal with them in the moment. But Jesus Christ had to calm them down because Jesus understood the unintended consequences of such action and the negativity on Jesus’ ministry and leadership assignment. And that is why we are looking at this: Caution!
Because every step and every decision you take in your leadership as the leader, you would be responsible for the outcome. And that is why you don’t just look at the moment. Even though the decision looks good at the moment, it looks so robust at the moment, you must also look at the unintended consequences that that decision and action you want to take might have. Sometimes, unintended consequences are not visibly seeing on the surface. They are things that are hidden underneath somewhere that begin to show up long after you have taken the decisions and such steps. And this is why caution is very important in leadership.
Jesus had to caution His leadership that you won’t call down fire simply because certain people do not allow you passage through their passage. Now, to the disciples, it looks good to them at the present. But Jesus looked farther than the present, saw the unintended consequences of the action and had to rebuke them. Now, let us take it a bit further. If we bring it to the practicality of our leadership and what we do in our leadership assignment, a leader for example, might implement a new policy that seems like it will improve efficiency, but in the end, it ends up causing morale of the employee to plummet and turnover to increase.
So, presently, the policy for efficiency may bring about so much productivity, it may bring about so much turnover sales. But the unintended consequences of such a policy is the morale of the employee that has gone very low. Another reason for caution in leadership is the potential for ethical dilemmas. Leaders are often faced with difficult decisions that usually involve balancing the needs of different stakeholders, such as employees, customers, and shareholders. It is important for leaders to ensure that their decisions are ethical and aligned with the values of the organization.
Finally, caution is important in leadership because leaders are role models for their followers. Leaders who act impulsively or make decisions without careful consideration can set a poor example for their team members, leading to a culture of recklessness and irresponsibility. In summary, caution is essential in leadership because the decisions of leaders can have far-reaching consequences, both positive and negative. Leaders must carefully consider the potential outcomes of their actions, ensure that their decisions are ethical, and set a positive example for their followers.
Alright. This is where we are going to draw the curtains on today’s podcast and I want to appreciate you for taking your time to listen. Please don’t forget to like it, share it with folks you know can benefit from it and also drop your comments in the comment section. Till next time on Leaderview, I remain Abiola Obayomi.
God bless you.
