1.30.25 ~ Clarity is Confidence

Good morning!

As we continue through this week’s Torah portion, leadership would not be the obvious topic that rears its beautiful head, however, upon a behind the scenes look, we find that it is essential to the exodus, and it’s the difference between dying in the darkness and exiting in the light.

With further investigation from Exodus 11–13:19 we find three leadership themes rising to the surface (Clarity, Confidence, & Connection). And less we think that this topic is for someone else, we are all leaders in our own right. Some over the masses and others over a small number, but we are all leading someone :-)

On this Honduras trip, the topic of clarity has surfaced as the most essential truth to equip ourselves with (Hab. 2:2,3).

"Then the Lord answered me and said: "Write the vision! Make it plain on tablets so that he who runs may read it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come and it will not tarry! (Hab. 2:2,3)

The cleric is able to take the complex and overwhelming and make it simple to bring focus and clarity to what is most important and what is not important; As we talked yesterday about removing obstacles and roadblocks. We all have drags and drains on the organization's time, energy, attention, and priority. It's just part of this fast paced world.

We must learn that clarity is power, and helping your team find and keep clarity is very empowering (Neh. 3 & 4). It sets your team free, free to fly at full speed.

Where there is clarity, there is confidence. More than any other attribute people want from their leader, confidence is the number one attribute people want! You see, people want to be led. We are a tribe, or one of 12 tribes, and we want and we need an alpha to follow.

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days, 10 men from every language of the nations shall grasp the hem of the garment (where the tzitzit are) (Num. 15:38-41) of a Jew (Rom. 2:29), saying, "let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you"" (Zech. 8:23)

The facts are, people want to be told what to do by somebody who they believe knows what to do and conveys that with conviction. And strangely enough, confidence is even more important than competence. I’m not saying that that is right or that is a good thing or that it is the way that it should be, I’m just telling you that it’s true. It’s just how the 'cow eats the cabbage'. We’ve seen that play out over the last several years in every area of life...People have followed former dictators, former presidents, cult leaders, religious and political zealots and any type of advertisement that gives us a quick fix to a good life; people who really didn’t know what they were talking about. But they said it was such confidence that people followed. One of the things people want more than anything, particularly these days with things so complex and so confounding, is certainty. People with confidence give them that feeling of certainty. They will follow somebody who is certain that they know the way.

As wonderful as clarity and confidence are, they are impotent without connection. People want to be validated! Particularly by the alpha, the one that the tribe has deemed the leader. They want to be seen, noticed, heard, accepted, and made to feel important, particularly by the leader. These are some of our most important human needs and needs that most often can only be fulfilled by certain people and their leadership, which is why most people continue to seek authority figures in their life, people they want and need approval from often, whether they admit it or even know it or not. So how do you get better at clarity, confidence and connection? We need to grow our EQ (Emotional Quotient); train our emotional intelligence!

When you grow your EQ, your emotional quotient, you learn how to campaign hope, enroll others into a vision and get them to buy into a bigger picture with their whole head and heart for connection. It is learning, true authenticity. The big question for the morning is: 'Do you learn authenticity'? You bet your sweet Petunias, you do. If you learn how to be yourself, how to express yourself properly in a way that builds deep emotional and psychological connection, personal respect and loyalty, learning those skills will make you a more powerful and influential leader of a team at work, at church, in sports, or with your family at home. In every environment, where you are influencing people these skills are crucial.

Moses displays all of these in this week's Torah portion. Read it and see!

I have one full day left here in Honduras. I'll fly back to Michigan tomorrow. Prayer for the greatest influence appreciated!

Shalom