Home Youth Leaders Articles for Youth Leaders Why Leadership Tension Is Good for You

Why Leadership Tension Is Good for You

For a long time, I bought into the myth that tension on a team is bad.

So my goal was to simply try to avoid it. It seems to make sense. If we can get everyone to work together in a nondebative, stress-free, harmonious environment, then we can do great things together.

Somewhere along the way, I learned to not only respect but also to invite the kind of tension that pushes us to make better decisions and to clarify what really matters. Think about the points of tension in your ministry or organization. Isn’t it true that some of the most clarifying moments for your team were the result of tension?

There is not one aspect of life where tension doesn’t have critical value.

Tension between the parties and branches of a government creates a needed system of checks and balances.

Tension in science can lead to remarkable insights and discoveries.

Tension in a family provides an opportunity to demonstrate commitment and unconditional love.

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Tension within a team pushes them to better perspectives and deeper relationships.

If you want a good example of the potential tension has to affect your team, think about the relationship Jesus had with His disciples.

A close study of the New Testament recognizes that it was packed with tension. Too many Christians have an image of twelve best friends sitting in circle on a peaceful hillside listening to their teacher tell inspirational stories. It’s just too easy to miss the point that Jesus almost always made His point in the middle of some extremely tense moments.

He actually leveraged tension to mold His disciples into the kind of men who would change the world. Think about it.

He partied with tax collectors and prostitutes–to challenge the disciples’ deep-rooted prejudices.

He broke sacred traditions–so they would value people.

He led them into a stormy sea–to take away their fear.

He angrily interrupted a church service–to expose how greed can corrupt leaders.

He let one of his best friends die–to show the power of the resurrection.

He publicaly debated religious leaders–so He could clarify what really mattered.

He didn’t always explain what he said–so they would wrestle with what He meant.