Where do you go when the pressure is on?
Every leader feels pressure; pressure to perform, pressure to achieve, pressure to succeed, and many, many other stresses unique to leaders.
And when the pressure is on, every leader, whether they realize it or not, wants to go someplace.
The important question is, “Are you aware of where you want to go when you face pressure?”
Because some places are very helpful, soul-filling, and healthy.
And many others are horrendously destructive.
Case in point.
King David faced tremendous pressures, which he wrote about in Psalm 55:
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught…My heart is in anguish within me. (Psalm 55: 2, 4)
And in response, David’s first instinct was to escape.
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert.” (Psalm 55: 6,7)
Every leader who has faced pressure (in other words, every leader) can relate to David’s desire to go someplace.
The key is to be aware of where it is you want to go.
At first, David wanted to go hide out in the desert.
And every leader needs to be ruthlessly honest and figure out where their “desert” really is.
For some when the pressure is on, they want to hide out in the desert of social media. For others it’s the desert of busyness. Still others want to hide in the desert of pornography, alcohol or in unhealthy relationships.
David was aware that his first instinct might have been to flee to the desert, but he also had the presence of mind to be able to set that aside and to instead go to a much more healthy place.
As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.
As for me, I trust in you. (Psalm 55: 16, 33)
When the pressure was on, David recognized his first instinct to flee to the desert, but ultimately he recognized that the only place to go was to lean in to God.
May this be true for you when you face your pressures.
Where do you go when the leadership pressure is on?
I try to go to a place that contains friends who can impart to me the wisdom I need to get through the pressure.
Great wisdom in your comment Joseph. I wish that was my “go to” place more often. My natural tendency is to go to a place first of worry and concern. I need to remember your suggestion more often as my first place to go.