Leading from the Outskirts?

Very little worth mentioning happens on the outskirts.  The outskirts, these are the places of safety.  They are just close enough to see what is going on, but far enough where you’ve got time to run if danger approaches.  The outskirts are the places we arrive at when we are intimidated by the challenges before us, fearful of failure, overwhelmed by the complexity of a situation.  The outskirts are the places where we can keep busy planning but never implementing, coming up with long-term strategic analysis but talking ourselves out of the vision.  The outskirts are the places where leaders who lack courage gather.   The only one to be led from the outskirts are those already quaking in fear. 

King Saul spent much of his time on the outskirts.  In 1^st Samuel 13, 14, and 17 we get a pretty consistent vision of Saul’s style of leadership.  In chapter 13, when the mighty Philistines were threatening the Israelites, the text reads,” ⁶ When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. ⁷ Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.  Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.”  Inspiring right!  What about in chapter 14?  When his son Jonathan was contemplating an offensive, taking the enemy, the challenges, and danger head on, here is how Saul is described, “Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron.”  Saul’s an outskirt kind of leader.  In chapter 17, we know of the story of his fear and reluctance of taking on the mighty Goliath.  When danger, challenge, obstacles and adversity are present, Saul appears to be absent…or just far enough out to be able to tuck tale and run when it gets difficult!

We are presented a very different picture of a leader in his son.  In Chapter 14, Jonathan and his armor bearer refuse to remain safe, they tackle the adversity and uncertainty head on, and even if they are to fail, fail while daring greatly.  You have to read the story.  What Jonathan’s life exemplifies is a leader who is willing to get into the mix.  By getting into the mix and refusing to allow fear to paralyze his potential, he leads others from their caves, into battle and eventually victory.  Leaders just lead…that’s what they do!

I’ve noticed something about leaders who attempt to lead from the outskirts.  They are insecure and often critical of those that are actually on the offensive.  They are bitter, internally recognizing the wasted time and the grip of fear on their lives.  They are eager to assign blame when failures happen!  They make excuses when they fail to measure up to the expectations of others.  They rarely lead other strong leaders.  Instead, their following is full of cowards and armies full of people hiding in caves, among the thickets and deep in the cisterns.  Outskirt leaders lead by position and title only.  Unfortunately their leadership often keeps their teams, their organizations, and their armies in a constant state to retreat. 

Real leaders have a different mantra, a mantra I am hoping to embrace.  It is:

Just Lead

No Whining

No Complaining

No Excuse-Making

No Belly-Aching

No Fretting

No Paralyzing Fear

No Rash Action

No Blaming

Just Lead.