Advice For the Doubtful Leader: Have a Little Faith

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Think about what the following all have in common: delegating responsibility, maintaining personal goals, dedicating yourself to a mission, and trusting your instincts. As Dr. Nate Regier explains in The Wichita Eagle(which, by the way, is an awesome name for a newspaper — more rags ought to be named after birds of prey), these are all duties and traits becoming of a faithful leader. Having faith in oneself and in others distinguishes the good leaders from the rest of the pack.

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Regier offers three examples of how an effective leader puts faith into action. First, good communication skills require confidence in both your ability to relay information as well as the capacity of others to process it. Secondly. the act of delegating duties to peers and subordinates requires faith in the capabilities of others. The ability to ask for help and then let go can prevent you from becoming an irritating micromanager. Finally, acting from your gut requires a belief that your instincts will lead you in the right direction. At one point or another, a true leader will be asked to make a snap decision without the aid of data and analytics. Do you have confidence in your inner compass? More importantly, do you have faith in your ability to grow and learn on the occasion that your inner compass steers you wrong?