Ah, decisions: everyone’s favorite part of being an
adult.
When I first began worship leading, it didn’t take very
long to realize that I had a ton of work to do on my decision-making skills,
mostly because I didn’t have any. The first time I had to create a setlist with
my local church, I ended up with a stack of twenty songs that had to be
narrowed down to five.
Before my first IHOPU set, it took me almost an hour to
decide who would sing on mics one, two, and three. My ability to make decisions
quickly was severely under-developed.
And believe me, that lead to
some ouch moments.
But that’s what growing is for. First, I made decisions
slowly and painfully, no matter how big or little the decision was. Then I
began to recognize what decisions were little and what decisions wouldn’t hurt
people no matter what I decided. (Case in point: singer lineup on the
microphones.) With the addition of a few very bad decisions to my
decision-making portfolio, I learned how to consider how my decisions would
affect others, and how to factor that into my process. With time and a good bit
of practice, I no longer agonize over every minute detail awaiting my approval
or disproval.
Good decision making not
some mystical, unachievable accomplishment.
The point I’m making is that decision making isn’t always
something a leader is born with; it is a skill that can be developed. And,
natural decision-maker or not, it is a skill that every leader absolutely must
cultivate. So accept that there will be pain along the way, and be prepared to
make some apologies. (Please apologize for bad decisions. You’re helping no
one, including yourself, if you don’t.) But also be prepared to grow as you
step into your God-given leadership assignment.
