Look Straight Ahead – A Biblical Leadership Principle

Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Proverbs 4:25 NLT

That’s such a great leadership verse.

Leadership comes with a lot of noise.

The more you lead, the more opinions you will hear. Some will be helpful. Some will be painful. Some will be well-informed. Others will come from people who don’t really understand what you are trying to accomplish.

And some people seem to have developed criticism into a spiritual gift.

A good leader listens.

I have learned through the years that even my critics can teach me something. Sometimes they see something I’ve missed. Sometimes their criticism exposes a blind spot in my leadership. Sometimes I simply need to humble myself and admit they are right.

So, look straight ahead does not mean stop listening.

It means don’t let every voice determine your direction.

There is a difference.

One of the quickest ways for a leader to lose effectiveness is to spend more time responding to critics than pursuing the mission.

• You start changing direction with every complaint.
• Second-guessing decisions you have already prayed through becomes a habit.
• You devote enormous emotional energy to people who may never be satisfied anyway.

Eventually, the loudest voices become more influential than the clearest vision.

That’s dangerous.

Proverbs says, Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.

The next verse make the picture even stronger – Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.

For a leader, that means keeping the purpose in front of you.

• Why are we here?
• What has God called us to do?
• Where are we trying to go?
• What matters most in this season?

Those questions have to stay louder than the noise around you.

Certainly, invite wise counsel. Listen to people who have earned your trust. Stay humble enough to change your mind when you need to. If several healthy voices are telling you the same thing, pay attention.

But once you have prayed, listened, sought wisdom and have clarity about where God is leading, you cannot allow the hypercritical to set the agenda.

• There will always be someone who doesn’t like the direction.
• Someone will always prefer the way things used to be.
• There will always be someone who thinks you should be addressing something other than what you are addressing.

Leadership requires enough humility to listen – and enough conviction to keep moving.

• You don’t have to answer every criticism.
• Every argument doesn’t need your attention.
• You don’t have to chase every distraction.

Sometimes the most faithful thing a leader can do is keep looking straight ahead.

Listen well.

Learn what you can.

Make adjustments when wisdom requires them.

But keep the mission in front of you.

When you know where God has called you to go, don’t let the noise beside you keep you from what He has placed before you.