The Leadership Test In Crisis

Why crisis test the leadership of a person? Or can the leadership avoid critical situations? How well can a leader manage catastrophic situations?

No one knows in a given time as to how a dangerous situation requires serious attention. In fact, when faced with troubles, a person’s true leadership will be evaluated and judged. As you and I know that each one of us has the leadership responsibility, which starts at home.

However, we live in a world where the true leadership is required at every stages or level in our life. That is, at home, school, work, community, state or nation. Unfortunately, at every level, we’re faced with unexpected critical situations or crisis, and the true leadership will be under examination, and no one is exempt from this critical test.

This thought crossed my mind before attending morning church service. To my surprise, today’s sermon was also related to the same topic that led me to refer various chapters in the Bible to understand it clearly.

While driving back home from the church, I was contemplating as to how did this happen, even though this wasn’t the first time in my life? Meaning a topic that crosses my mind before Sunday’s service. And as I started writing this blog, immediately I realized about John Wesley’s teaching of “prevenient grace – grace goes before,” since for believers there is no such thing as “coincidence.”

As we’re aware in recent days both religious and non-religious leaders are faced with an unexpected crisis. In fact, both secular and religious people are very much concerned and worried about the leadership in these critical situations, since there appears to be a lack of trust in the leadership.

I hope that each leader at every level is aware that the leadership responsibility is given by God, and one day he or she is accountable to Him. Especially, religious leaders at every level are being evaluated based on their performance. In fact. there are numbers of verses from the Bible that can be referred to make this point. For instance, Ezekiel 34 provides a detail description and accountability of an “irresponsible shepherd.”

For believers no matter what the catastrophic situation we have to face in life, we have an assurance of the true “Shepherd” who manages the crisis, as King David stated in Psalm 23 and 77. In addition, there are a number of leaders in the history who provided us the great leadership in crisis so that we can learn from them. Yes, the crisis in leadership is unavoidable, but we’re under the great and true “Leadership.” Thanks be to God.