I’ve had a fantasy of climbing a mountain. I’ll read a book about those who commit to climbing tall peaks and think to myself, “I could do that.” Yep…it’s only a fantasy. No way will I ever make it up to the summit of a high mountain. No. Way.

My friend Steve Gutzler has climbed some of those peaks. He recently recounted a time he and his dad climbed Mt. Hood in Oregon to its eleven-thousand-foot summit. Being a leadership expert, Steve quickly related what it takes to climb one of those high peaks to what it takes to lead others toward a goal. Some of his observations:

  • You start to recognize it takes time.
  • You realize you have to make sacrifices.
  • You face more than one potential quitting point.

But a lot happens when you take on the challenge.

  • It builds self-respect.
  • It provides forward momentum.
  • Self-improvement increases.
  • Purpose and fulfillment expand.

If you lead an organization, you face virtual mountains almost daily. Do you see that mountain as an obstacle to go around or as a challenge to help you and your organization grow? How you see that mountain determines a lot about you and will determine a lot about how far your ministry will go.

Steve Gutzler also talks about the kind of leaders that see such mountains as challenges and how they lead others toward a God-given goal. Among those traits are:

  1. They visualize the outcome before it happens. They begin with the end in mind. What is the outcome you want to see? Visualize that from the start.
  2. They start working before they know how. You start out on the journey and perfect what you do as you go.
  3. They fail fast and fail forward. Failure is part of the process of accomplishing a goal. The key is to use those failures as a catalyst for growth.
  4. They continue to ask themselves, “What could work better?” Learning from the past and understanding the present, the wise leader looks to the future and seeks to improve.

When I was working in television producing special programs, I was asked, “What is the best production you have ever done?” My reply was quick. “The next one.” I wanted to learn from the past and make the new challenge better than the last.

You may ask if that kind of thinking is even biblical. Well, look at what Paul wrote to his friends in Philippi:

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT

Is that a mountain before you? Lead on. Onward and upward…for the high calling God has for you and for your critical role in His great plan.

God’s best,