Essential Data for our times

In the book “Leadership Challenge” by Kouzes and Posner, there is research data about the shifts in the context of leadership in today’s culture. The basic rules of leadership are still the same but it takes new avenues and new thinking to do it today. The things that enable a leader to influence others are more complex than ever because the challenges people face are more complex. The availability and transfer rate of data today is mind boggling. The power of computer search engines brings that data to our lap. When we make our choices with good data as our basis, the level of guess work decreases and efficiency rises. Since a rising tide raises all boats, our whole society has the “data base” to operate from. You no longer have to own a computer to access the search engines. Public venues such as the library offer free access. Laptop computers are as common in people’s hands today as wrist watches were fifty years ago. What we do with all that data is the key. Convincing others to want to do what we are convinced needs to be done is what true leadership does. I was reading this morning from John chapter 14, where Jesus shared deep truths about the peace that comes through the knowledge of heaven being a real place and the comfort that He was going to send to His disciples after He was gone. It was data that they would need for the coming days.

“Let not your heart be troubled….” John 14:1

God has the data all sorted out.