While most would rather rely on the findings of a random Myer-Briggs test, or perhaps the glorious accomplishments of the past, I believe the quality of a leader can be best assessed by whether or not he or she is willing to park at a yellow light.
As leaders, many of us believe that it is imperative to drive the vehicles God has provided for us as fast as possible towards our intended goal. We drive under the assumption that God has given us a green light to pursue His best for the organizations we lead, and that the near presence of a stop light is something we should avoid at all cost.
However, as leaders, we are not only responsible for those that are traveling with us, but also those who are traveling behind us.
Whenever you are the pilot car within a caravan of vehicles, what looks green to you, depending on the size of your caravan, may appear yellow to others once they approach an intersection. And more often than not, what looks yellow to you, will most certainly appear red to a majority of those following you.
As leaders, parking at yellow lights provides the margin for everyone God has given us the opportunity to lead to catch up and be able to cross intersections of change together. Refusing to do so will only result in leaders having to pull their cars over to the side of the road week after week in frustration, waiting impatiently for those they are leading to catch up to where they are.
Over the past year, I have watched a number of incredible leaders drive off and leave their caravans behind. While some may have been a result of a new caravan God had given to them to lead, I can’t help but to wonder if some were due to the inability or refusal to park at yellow lights.
Leading a crowd is not the same as leading a family.
While driving our minivan throughout town, I can rest in knowing that the family God has given me the responsibility to lead will probably make every turn I take, simply because their seats are in the vehicle I am driving. Although their seats can be tossed around quite a bit if my turns are too sharp.
But when leading a crowd, we cannot assume that every turn we take will be followed as smoothly. Yellow lights are God’s way of testing our hearts towards those we lead. Instead of seeing them as our last opportunity to move ourselves forward…
…start seeing them as an opportunity to stop and move everyone you are leading forward.
Phenomenal!