3. Applying Wise Action Steps
The application work is mainly done on location. Action steps involve the team’s movement from goal to goal on the upward stairway toward accomplishing the overarching vision (i.e., end vision). The application of the steps is obviously done in conjunction with knowing oneself, the team, and the context, for it is out of the knowledge of these three areas that the strategic leader is best poised to make wise practical decisions regarding the outworking of the strategy.
4. Evaluating Everything
The evaluation of everything is an ongoing process. Strategic leaders never rest from this component of planning. Such evaluation is necessary if they are to stay focused on what the Spirit is doing. It also is a matter of proper stewardship. The strategist wants to be the faithful and wise servant (Matt. 25:14–30). Constant evaluation is not done to justify a critical spirit but rather to reveal a desire to make the best decisions under the circumstances.
5. Praying with Diligence
Prayer must be a natural part of the leader’s life. Strategy development should be bathed in prayer. The practice of strategy development should be a supernatural event, requiring time with the Lord. Throughout Developing a Strategy for Missions, Mark Terry and I often make reference to the place of prayer in the development and implementation of mission strategies. This repetition may appear to be an accidental redundancy on our part; however, we are intentionally repetitive. We are convinced that the prayer of a righteous person has great power (James 5:16), and such power is needed for the development and outworking of strategy.
This article on strategic leaders originally appeared here, and is used by permission.
