I have had to fight this feeling I had to be perfect as a leader. I led many radio stations during my 42 years in full-time radio. I made plenty of mistakes when I started and still was when I left radio 12 years ago. Less mistakes, but I have learned to forgive myself. I have been a people pleaser over the years, but getting into Independent ministry, FGGAM, has taught me much more about myself and people, but the best of all, it has taught me more and more about GOD and how important a great marriage and family is. I have learned to seek God on everything, I mean everything. My life is better than ever! Glory! You have got to have a strong foundation of God and a strong godly family. I get thrown a lot of junk by people, I have to take it with a grain of salt. Over the years, probably like me, you have been hurt so very much. We have to remember to put on the Armor of God! Glory!
Just this morning I had a man make a very hurtful comment on our FGGAM post. I do not permit that. If people are your friend, then they should not make hurtful comments. The Lord told me to block that person! I no longer put up with nothing noise, I do not do Facebook to get ugly comments, I do it as the Lord says to. Facebook shows how bad so called Christians can be! No wonder many do not want to have anything to do with church! Back in the day, if we had a disagreement, we would talk on the phone or have coffee, never in public for heaven’s sake! Only a fool argues in a public forum or in public.
Someday, I may share with you the challenges I had running a Christian radio station, for a secular owner! That was quite the education on how Awesome our LORD is! Glory!
I have been told I should write a book, I have seen God work miracles! I was hired to turn around a Christian station that was not doing well financially at all, almost broke. The Lord had me replace most of the sales staff, I hired 6 new sales people, wonderful people of God. God turned that station around in 30 days! That is a miracle! Owners would hire me to ‘turn around’ their stations though out my 42 years.
God used me to help Churches through splits. I have been called to help four times on Church splits. I learned more than one could ever learn from seminary school. I have been through so many challenges with Christians. Wow! I know the good, the bad and ugly! God has shown me! I know the reasons why radio stations and Churches fail or just limp along. I boast in my LORD! He has used me and continues to do so. I have given Him all I got and will continue to do so. I am not in this to be popular with this world we live in!
I have made plenty of mistakes like many of you, but I have have learned from them. God has made me a better man! Onward we go in the Lord! Glory!
PS: Never be someone you are not. I have learned a lot on how NOT to be a leader! Glory! I boast in my Lord, not myself! God works on me everyday! Glory! Its all about God, not me and you!
Baptist Press
By Jacki C. King, posted August 2, 2024
The pressure to be perfect can be a crippling weight for leaders. Society often paints a picture of leadership as a flawless pursuit, where challenges are effortlessly overcome and success is guaranteed. However, the reality is far more complex. Behind the scenes, leaders grapple with immense pressure, uncertainty, and the weight of expectations.
I have a friend, Brandy, who is the Medication Safety Officer at a local hospital. She is an incredible leader leveraging her gifts of administration and problem-solving for the community and city. In a conversation one day she was explaining to me a project she was working on for the hospital regarding its systems and procedures for patient pharmaceutical needs. She said something that has stuck with me for years now, she said, “My entire job is to create systems that catch human error. We know that it will happen and is expected, but if I do my job correctly we protect our staff and our patients, and help to make it easier to do the right thing and harder to do the wrong thing.”
This perspective was a revelation for me. In the world of ministry and leadership, we often operate under a different set of assumptions. We view leaders as spiritual superheroes, expected to have all the answers, solve every problem, and never make a mistake. It’s as if we’ve created a leadership archetype that is superhuman, void of any flaws or failures, and in current leadership conversations, I fear that the suggestion is to just prioritize rest or take a vacation, all while the system is still broken and our leaders are still drowning.
We talk so much about a definition of success and seem to only talk about failure when it’s too late. The pressure to be perfect is a heavy burden for any leader to carry. It can lead to burnout, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and a fear of failure. However, failure is an inevitable part of the human experience, including leadership. It’s not a sign of weakness but an opportunity for growth and learning.
Instead of fearing failure, we should embrace it as a natural part of the leadership journey. When we create a culture that allows for mistakes, we encourage innovation, creativity, and risk-taking. It’s in the crucible of failure that leaders often discover their greatest strengths and develop resilience. The Rest of The Story Here
