8 Actions of a Confident Leader in the Face of Conflict

Balancing conflict is inevitable.

Most of the time, I find that I am either coming out of conflict, in the midst of it, or heading back into the storm of a new one. Conflict has the power to derail focus, upset strategy, and erode confidence. Every day a leader has the opportunity to move past the obstacles of life with confidence.

When I think about people in the Bible who had confidence in the midst of conflict- Joseph always comes to mind. From Genesis 37-41 we watch Joseph ride a conflict roller-coaster. He was sold into slavery by his brothers, wrongfully accused of raping his boss’s wife, thrown into prison, and forgotten by someone who could have helped him. When the time comes for him to be brought before Pharaoh, instead of seeing it as an opportunity to prove himself or a moment to escape his circumstances, he stands in confidence. When asked by Pharaoh if he could interpret dreams, Joseph’s response is: “I can’t, but God can.” Joseph found confidence in God’s abilities, not his own. He realized that God was orchestrating all his circumstances, which included conflict.

In the face of conflict a confident leader:

  • responds in faith
  • accuses no one
  • accepts his/her circumstances
  • is patient with others
  • doesn’t complain
  • is not afraid of the outcome
  • has focus
  • embraces unknown seasons because he/she knows who makes the seasons in the first place

It’s not what I know, but who I know that helps me move from conflict to confidence.

In the midst of circumstances full of conflict, there is a prime opportunity to take our eyes off the immediate trouble surrounding us and place them on the one in whom we can have full confidence. In John 16:33, Jesus says,

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, because I have overcome the world!”

Conflict should always accompany confidence, because we have the help of the one who knows the end of the story.

Take a next step, or as I like to call a test drive, and discover what confidence looks like in the eyes of those closest to you.

Email two close friends and ask them two questions. 

It’s important that these people are close because you are going to ask them for feedback into your life. If they don’t really know you then this exercise won’t create the impact that you’re looking for. This email is meant to sharpen you in your own personal leadership journey. Once you determine who those people will be, I want you to ask them two questions.

Download this email template with instructions and content. Simply copy, paste, and send as a test drive.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Rivers

Chris Rivers

Over the last eight years, Chris has worked with ministry leaders to provide solutions to the challenge of vision transfer in the areas of finance, process, and leadership development. In 2008, he partnered with a startup called SecureGive. SecureGive was the nation's first giving kiosk designed to help churches empower their people who wanted to give but did not carry cash or a checkbook. Chris then joined a new division of Shelby Systems called ArenaChMS, where he collaborated with church staff of various ministry departments to create customized solutions for their ministry needs. In 2010, Chris joined the staff at NewSpring Church in Anderson, S.C., to help them rethink church technology. During his time at NewSpring Church, Chris created a staff development program that would transition new staff into ministry with clarity. Within 18 months of launching staff development, NewSpring hired 147 additional staff members, which nearly doubled the staff’s size. Increasingly pastors were asking him for ideas about better strategizing their visions, which led Chris to create CultureBus, an online training resource that gives ministry leaders practical ways to transfer vision to their teams. Chris lives in Anderson, S.C, with his wife, Rachel, and their three children, Riley, Finn, and Blythe. You can follow Chris on his blog at culturebus.cc.

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comment_post_ID); ?> Thank you Ed for sharing your insights into the Church Growth Movement. I have my reservations with Church Growth models because it has done more damage than good in the Body of Christ. Over the years, western churches are more focused on results, formulas and processes with little or no emphasis on membership and church discipline. Pastors and vocational leaders are burnt out because they're overworked. I do believe that the Church Growth model is a catalyst to two destructive groups: The New Apostolic Reformation and the Emerging Church. Both groups overlap and have a very loose definition. They're both focus on contemporary worship, expansion of church brand (franchising), and mobilizing volunteering members as 'leaders' to grow their ministry. Little focus on biblical study, apologetics and genuine missional work with no agenda besides preaching of the gospel.
 
— Dave
 
comment_post_ID); ?> Thank you for sharing such a good article. It is a great lesson I learned from this article. I am one of the leaders in Emmanuel united church of Ethiopia (A denomination with more-than 780 local churches through out the country). I am preparing a presentation on succession planning for local church leaders. It will help me for preparation If you send me more resources and recommend me books to read on the topic. I hope we may collaborate in advancing leadership capacity of our church. God Bless You and Your Ministry.
 
— Argaw Alemu
 
comment_post_ID); ?> Amen!!
 
— Scott Michael Whitley
 

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