We’ve all heard the definition of insanity: Doing the same things over and over again while hoping for different results. When obstacles obstruct mission fruitfulness, we tend to try the same old solutions and hope for change. But, as John McCain says, hope is not a strategy. Jesus called it “putting patches on old wineskins.”
In over 20 years of helping plant and guide student-led movements on university campuses around the world, I have personally witnessed a lot of insanity. Some common obstacles include:
- the comfort of the status quo
- the expectation of instant results
- the unwillingness to release control
- the discomfort of starting over
- the negative pressures of leadership
Here is a great article showing pathways to turn these five common obstacles into fresh opportunities.
Question for stuck leaders: Where might I be placing patches on stubborn challenges and hoping for different results? Maybe there is another way….