Three ways to lower leadership anxiety:
1) Pause.
Leaders too often 'push through.' We are others focused, vision focused. Some of this is selfless, most of it is fool hardy.
When you notice your reactivity rising, you can stop and tend to yourself, notice God.
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1) Pause.
Leaders too often 'push through.' We are others focused, vision focused. Some of this is selfless, most of it is fool hardy.
When you notice your reactivity rising, you can stop and tend to yourself, notice God.
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2. Locate the anxiety.
Where is it in you? Spinning mind, racing heart, tightening body?
Anxiety is usually obsessed over one thing or one person.
Beware '3rd space' anxiety - the space inside the other person.
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Where is it in you? Spinning mind, racing heart, tightening body?
Anxiety is usually obsessed over one thing or one person.
Beware '3rd space' anxiety - the space inside the other person.
2/
When you're thinking, 'what are they thinking' or 'what do they think of me?' You are in 3rd space.
Locate it, trust that person to God. Move on with your life.
Easier tweeted than done. But you can stop the incessant spinning today.
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Locate it, trust that person to God. Move on with your life.
Easier tweeted than done. But you can stop the incessant spinning today.
3/
3. Diagnose the source.
Is it in you, between you and another?
Is it the same damned thing?
Once you get to know yourself, you discover your anxiety triggers are predictable. You can go from reactive to pre-empting.
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Is it in you, between you and another?
Is it the same damned thing?
Once you get to know yourself, you discover your anxiety triggers are predictable. You can go from reactive to pre-empting.
4/
If you know you are a people pleaser/perfectionist/must always be there for people/must always have the answer
then
you can start to trust God with those things by intentionally doing the opposite:
get it wrong, let someone down, make a mistake etc.
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then
you can start to trust God with those things by intentionally doing the opposite:
get it wrong, let someone down, make a mistake etc.
5/
The sun will still rise. God will still be God.
Much chronic anxiety exists when the human tries to be like God: all knowing, always there for people, all loving, perfect.
You can relax into the grace of God today by remembering that all God wants is a human sized you.
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Much chronic anxiety exists when the human tries to be like God: all knowing, always there for people, all loving, perfect.
You can relax into the grace of God today by remembering that all God wants is a human sized you.
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As always, this applies to leadership anxiety.
Other forms like PTSD, Generalized Anxiety and Grief play by a different set of rules. They require therapy and medical help.
Seeking therapy and medical help is a sign of strength and wisdom, not a sign of weakness, BTW.
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Other forms like PTSD, Generalized Anxiety and Grief play by a different set of rules. They require therapy and medical help.
Seeking therapy and medical help is a sign of strength and wisdom, not a sign of weakness, BTW.
7/
But leadership anxiety - 'chronic' anxiety in the clinical term...
It is based on: false assumptions, false needs, false belief.
The reason I study it, is because the Gospel is the antidote.
Not in a trite, bumper sticker way, but in a true life and death way.
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It is based on: false assumptions, false needs, false belief.
The reason I study it, is because the Gospel is the antidote.
Not in a trite, bumper sticker way, but in a true life and death way.
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It is for freedom that we have set free.
Yes and amen, Paul.
The truth can set us free.
Jesu and amen, Jesus.
But also yes: we have to fight for the freedom we have been granted.
And our chronic anxiety wants to keep us bound.
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Yes and amen, Paul.
The truth can set us free.
Jesu and amen, Jesus.
But also yes: we have to fight for the freedom we have been granted.
And our chronic anxiety wants to keep us bound.
9/
Pay attention to when you are trying to be like God. (also known as the very first temptation.)
- always knowing the answer
- always being there for people
- always doing it perfectly.
Or when your identity is wrapped in people, not folded into Christ.
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- always knowing the answer
- always being there for people
- always doing it perfectly.
Or when your identity is wrapped in people, not folded into Christ.
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And pause, locate it, name the source.
And let the Gospel displace that pressure. Relax into the grace of God.
Jesus died to free me from needing to _____ anymore.
What is the blank for you?
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And let the Gospel displace that pressure. Relax into the grace of God.
Jesus died to free me from needing to _____ anymore.
What is the blank for you?
11/
Perfect love casts out fear.
Love displaces anxiety.
When in your life do you feel most fully and completely loved?
This is real work, not some namby-pamby feel good thing. This is hard forged and hard fought and worth it.
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Love displaces anxiety.
When in your life do you feel most fully and completely loved?
This is real work, not some namby-pamby feel good thing. This is hard forged and hard fought and worth it.
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Too many faith leaders proclaim a Gospel they don't experience. Jesus offers peace, freedom and love. We feel pressure, failure and shame.
I think the #1 job of a faith leader is to manage the gap between what we proclaim and what we experience ourselves.
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I think the #1 job of a faith leader is to manage the gap between what we proclaim and what we experience ourselves.
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How about deeper work so our proclamation comes from the overflow of our own encounter, not from our ability to charm and move a crowd?
What can you do this week to pause, locate and diagnose and let the Gospel seep into the corpuscles of your soul?
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What can you do this week to pause, locate and diagnose and let the Gospel seep into the corpuscles of your soul?
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