4 Minute Read…
I used to hate feeling confused.
In a way, I still do, but I’m learning to lean into it.
In the past, I disliked confusion because, as a leader, I felt responsible for providing the opposite of confusion – clarity.
That’s the job of a leader. To give clarity.
- To cast a clear vision.
- To give a clear direction.
- To make clear decisions.
Leadership and clarity feel directly connected. You shouldn’t be one if you can’t provide the other, right?
So when we are confused, we can feel like a leadership failure. That’s how I used to think, too, but I’m learning to welcome confusion. Here are some reasons why:
1. Confusion is part of innovation
Innovation typically requires we let go of “how we do it around here.” Or at least let go of it in part. The way things are currently done is clear. Organizational innovation happens between letting go of what has been and grabbing hold of what is to come. The most powerful space for innovation is found in moments of confusion.
2. Confusion is proof of movement
Too much clarity might mean too much stagnancy. Not always, but often. In this sense, confusion can suggest we are moving forward. It’s easy to create clarity around something that hasn’t changed in decades. That’s why confusion isn’t always bad. It’s why it’s at times good. Confusion can serve as proof the organization is letting go of what it used to know.
3. Confusion can produce new and better clarity
Confusion for the moment forces leaders to discern clarity for the future. No vision or strategy can remain forever. The world around us is ever-changing, demanding we lead our organizations to change if we hope to stay relevant. New visions and strategies will go through some amount of confusion along the way. But on the other side is innovative, and potentially better, clarity.
4. Confusion is connected to transformation
Why do leaders assume they should understand the transformation destination fully before it begins? Organizational transformations are massive undertakings that often start with the knowledge that things must change but rarely with a complete picture of the result. Leaders who fear confusion will refuse to engage in change and transformation because transformation inevitably breeds confusion.
I’m not suggesting you love confusion. Or that you purposefully create confusion. But I am telling you from experience that confusion isn’t always the enemy. It can be a pathway to innovation, movement, new clarity, and necessary transformation.
How can I help?
Helping ministry and marketplace leaders through change, transition, and transformation is why I created Transformation Solutions. Go right now to mytransformationsolutions.com and sign up for a free, 30-minute conversation to decide if working together works for you.
