There are some similar words leaders often get confused. And it could be dangerous to their leadership. Everyone who has ever served with me on a team could probably agree I am not a wordsmith. I often say to people, “Listen to the principle of what I’m saying more than the actual words I use.” I tend to think and act very big-picture and am less in tune with the details of things.
At the same time, I recognize that words matter. Greatly.
I’ve noticed we confuse a lot of words in leadership. Some may seem related, or even used interchangeably at times, but they are very different.
Words leaders often get confused:
Possibility with Probability –
Just because something has a chance of happening, doesn’t necessarily mean the chances are good. In making changes, for example, I want to know what’s possible – what might happen, but also what is probable – what probably will happen.
The leader needs to be clear as to the risk involved and not pretend every possibility is a probability – and vice versa.
Opportunity with Obligation –
Just because I could do something doesn’t mean I have to do it or even that I should. This is incredibly important for those of us who struggle to say no at times.
We can easily become ineffective when we make every opportunity an obligation.
Challenge with Impossibility –
Sometimes we dismiss the hard work, because it seems impossible, when really, if we are honest, it’s just a bigger challenge than we are willing to accept. We don’t always like the things that make us walk by faith into the unknown. But what is really impossible if it’s of God?
I know numerous pastors, for example, who have made change in the church seem impossible, when really it’s just harder to implement than they care to tackle, so they live with status quo.
