FOLLOW THE LEADERenemy. The enemy must be defined vividly, urgently, and must be
current. America was united against Russian communism. Ever
since the collapse of the USSR, the United States has been casting
about for a new unifying enemy, with limited success. Christian
leaders are fortunate in having a common enemy, but too often we
direct our shots not in his direction but toward others. Our eternal
enemy is Satan.^9Effective leadership is based upon wise problem-solving – of the right
problem! Both secular and Biblical histories reveal that far too many people
get side-tracked by dealing with “fruit problems” rather than with “root
problems.” In other words, they waste a lot of time, energy and effort
dealing with the effect rather than with the cause. There is an inviolate
principle in both the natural and spiritual world that says: “The root
determines the fruit.” When you have a fruit problem you usually have a root
problem. The root is the cause, while the fruit is the effect. You don’t solve the
“fruit problem” by just picking the fruit. That’s superficial problem-solving
with few lasting results. You must deal with the root that is producing the
fruit. Only then will you lastingly solve the problem. The person who
can most quickly spot a “fruit and root problem” is an agronomist – not
an auto mechanic! In others words, when a leader gets far afield from his
natural and spiritual giftedness, his discernment will become less and less
trustworthy. John Maxwell has a helpful insight along these lines:
If you can see the root issue of a problem, you can solve it. The
closer a leader is to his area of gifting, the stronger his intuition and
ability to see root causes. If you want to tap into your discernment
potential, work in your areas of strength.^10It is only the wisdom of God’s Word and the discernment of the Holy
Spirit – coupled with a commitment to one’s giftedness – that can
keep a leader focused on the right problems. As Herman Cain rightly
summarized: “To lead is to define the right problem, ask the right questions,
select the right alternative, and achieve the desired results.”^11
Principle:
“Th e most important step in solving a problem is
making sure you are working on the right problem.”^12
(Herman Cain)