Like almost every other Canadian, I find myself scrambling to share my post-Olympic reflections. Everyone, it seems, resonated with a different element of the Canadian Olympic experience, whether it be the exuberance of the downtown crowds, the compelling stories of perseverance or the new-found confidence Canadians seemed to develop in themselves through this experience.
But for me my single overwhelming takeaway can be boiled down to a simple yet profound formula.
“5” multiplied by “X” equals “26”.
Let me unpack this.
The “5” represents the total medal “haul” Canadian athletes achieved the last time Canada hosted the winter games, back in 1988 in Calgary. The “26”, of course, is this year’s medal count.
“X” is whatever happened in the intervening 22 years to produce this five-fold increase in results.
Let’s be clear. Canada didn’t drift into that increase. Canada was not “lucky” this time out. Something very deliberate took place to see us go from 0 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze in 1988 to 14 gold, 7 silver and 5 bronze in 2010.
In a word, it was leadership.
It took leadership to declare that 5 medals was unacceptable.
It took leadership to set a goal to see an increase in medals.
It took leadership to put together a plan to achieve those results, then to cast the vision, secure the funds and ensure execution.
Can you imagine what would happen if we saw that level of leadership multiply over and over in Canadian churches?
With the power of the Holy Spirit infusing fired-up, well trained and equipped Christian leaders, the results would far surpass just a few Olympic medals. The results would be a Church against which the gates of hell could not prevail.
What is your leadership development plan, and what results do you hope to achieve?
