Being a leader can be an incredibly rewarding experience. But it carries a price tag. If you are in a position of leadership, you will have a lot going against you. There are four primary enemies that will challenge your ability to lead, and how you handle these things will determine your success in the long term.
Distractions. One of the things that keeps leaders from being effective is the pursuit of non-essentials. There are many worthy goals and tasks in life, but only a few that will get us where we need to go. The key is to be careful to choose what is most important. Setting priorities usually doesn't mean choosing between good and bad, it means choosing between good and best. Don't let distractions take your eyes off your goal.
Disorder. No matter how good a leader you are, you will always face problems. There will always be times when things don't go your way, and chaos will disarm you. But the true measure of a leader is his or her ability to be a problem solver. In fact, great leaders learn how to turn problems into opportunities.
Disapproval. Look at the annals of history, and you will discover that every great leader has opposition. You will always be confronted by those who disagree with you and oppose you. Someone has wisely said that the key to success is to outlast your critics. Take advice from others, but be careful not to let negative people break your confidence.
Discouragement. The biggest enemy you will ever face as a leader is discouragement. Feelings of defeat can break your confidence and ruin your leadership effectiveness. The good news is that, even though you can't control how you feel, you can control what you think about. As leadership lecturer John Maxwell says, "Leadership has more to do with disposition than position." It all boils down to attitude–a positive outlook in the face of things that will get you down. If you can manage discouragement, you've won most of the battle.
The test of true leadership is your ability to lead effectively in spite the difficulties. Don't let these enemies of leadership derail you. Here's some good advice from the Bible, where God addressed a struggling leader with these encouraging words: As for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded." 2 Chronicles 15.7
