You Will Never Be Ready!
I have always dreaded hearing people utter the phrase “You Aren’t Ready” or “I’m Not Ready” when referring to an individuals preparedness for a job, leadership role, business undertaking, church plant… I remember when I was twenty-five years old and up for the promotion to become Warden of a correctional facility and I was told several different reasons why “I wasn’t ready.” Generally, those reasons boil down to the fact that a person is not a proven commodity and they are:
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Too young
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Lack experience & Lack life experience
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Not enough time in a developmental role
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Too many questionable areas, not the norm, too much risk
To make a long story short, I had one person in my corner that fought for me to get that promotion; he eventually became my mentor. My mentor’s name was Marvin Wiebener; if you want to know more about him, you can check out one of his recent fiction Novels “The Margin.” Because of Marvin’s willingness to take a risk, I was named the youngest ever Correctional Superintendent/Warden in the State of Oklahoma (Maybe in the Country) and thus began my leadership journey. BTW- we put together a great team that out-performed all similar Correctional Institutions in our region.
I have been known to hire the underdog, that risk-hire in which I see the potential for greatness. For those of you who are considering taking that step “Out of the boat,” but in the back of your mind you are saying “I’m not ready,” let me say “Stop cheating yourself, because You Will Never be Ready,” you just have to be willing. For when you are weak “HE” is strong. Some people told me that I wasn’t ready for my leadership role in ministry; they were probably right… but who cares what they thought, “I was willing.” For those of you who are not giving someone a chance because they aren’t ready; remember there was a time when someone said that you weren’t ready.
Recognize that your first step is not to be ready, but rather to be willing and you will change the world!
Have you been on either the giving, thinking, or receiving end of the ”Not Ready” conversation? Thoughts, Discuss!
