在不確定的過程之中領導
2025年4月14日By Christopher C. Simpson
在不確定的過程之中領導
LEADING IN THE UNCERTAIN MIDDLE
起頭總是引人入勝。結局則會帶來解脫或是慶祝。但是領導呢？領導是發生在過程之中－漫長而平凡無奇的歷程，前進的道路不總是很清晰，危機不請自來，責任的重擔無情地壓上來。
這就是大多數領導者生活的狀況。你管理團隊、做出決策、建立有意義的東西－突然間，你陷入了遠比你預期還要大的事件之中。經濟衰退、瀕臨崩潰的員工、你從未預料到的道德十字路口。過程是不可預測、混亂無章，而且常常令人筋疲力盡。正是在這樣的處境中，領導者開始問：到底發生了什麼事？！
我們面臨的挑戰是：過程是恐懼滋生的地方。當結果難以預料時，人們會被試探，想要去抓住控制權、往後退縮，或是等待明確結果的到來。但是如果永遠等不到明確結果呢？如果神呼召你去領導的時候，不是要你憑藉著確定，而是要憑藉著信靠呢？
請思想以色列人在出埃及記中的故事。我們都知道故事戲劇性的起頭：約瑟奇蹟般地在埃及掌權，保全了神的子民。我們也知道勝利的結局：摩西、瘟疫、紅海分開，為以色列人提供了神聖的拯救。但是過程呢？
在四百三十年的時間裡，世世代代的人們在奴役中出生、勞動、死亡－緊緊抓住他們始終沒有看見被實現的應許：沒有跡象、沒有時間表、沒有解釋他們的苦難是如何融入神的計劃。然而，歷史向我們揭示了他們看不到的東西：神在動工。在沉默的背後，神的計劃正在展開、正在準備拯救者、正在為救贖預備環境。過程感覺像是一片混亂。但是這不是混亂，這是神聖的眷顧。
這就是今天許多領導者所處的景況。我們慶祝成功的故事，只聽到決定性的突破。但是沒有人談論緩慢而艱苦的過程－那不為人知的忠心歲月、沒有被注意到的犧牲，以及不知道你的努力，是否會有回報的焦慮感。
然而，這正是神動工的地方。你的領導不只是關於實現目標、執行策略，或是攀登階梯。領導是關於，忠心地待在神帶領你來到的地方。聖經令人驚訝的真理是，神不會等你把一切都弄清楚，才開始行動。神不是交叉雙臂等在終點線。神就在過程之中。在不確定之中、在壓力之中、在你想要逃離的地方之中。
而這才是最好的消息：神並不是要求無畏、無瑕的信心。神喜悅即使感覺自己快要撐不下去了，仍然堅守崗位的領導者。
所以，如果你現在正處於過程之中－在不確定中領導，肩負著你覺得無法承受的重擔－請切記：你並沒有被遺棄。你拼命抓住的生命線，究竟連到何處呢？這條線定錨在堅定不移的神身上。領導並不是關於你控制未來的能力。領導是關於，信靠已經掌握住未來的那一位。堅持住。
@2025 Christopher C. Simpson致力於在全球職場上，培養勇敢且得勝的基督信仰，這份熱忱源於他對福音轉化力量的深刻信念。在擔任國際CBMC總幹事之前，Chris在公部門貢獻了長達二十八年的卓越職業生涯－曾經擔任美國海軍陸戰隊的指揮官；在美國特勤局服役，負責保護七位美國總統，並且在複雜而高危的國際任務中領導精銳團隊。Chris與他的妻子Ana（尼加拉瓜裔）居住在佛羅里達州博卡拉頓。
反省與問題討論
第一、憑藉著「信靠」而非「確定」來領導，是什麼意思呢？在缺乏明確結果的情况下，你如何看見神在這些情境中動工呢？
第二、你如何在你的領導之旅的「過程中」，認出神的同在呢？你能回想起，感覺自己在等候神的時期嗎？
第三、為什麼神時常在幕後動工，而不是給我們立即的答案呢？以色列在埃及被奴役四百三十年的等待故事，如何挑戰了你對於神的時間安排的看法呢？
第四、當領導者感到失控時，會面臨到哪些試探呢？我們如何才能忠心地回應這些試探呢？聖經可以如何幫助你，抵抗由恐懼而生，而非信心而行的衝動呢？
第五、我們可以如何鼓勵並堅固，在不確定的過程之中領導的人呢？你能做些什麼來提醒你的團隊、同事或是家人，神在不確定之中，仍然與他們同在呢？
挑戰思考
你上次發現自己處於「不確定的過程中」是什麼時候呢？或許你現在就身處其中。本週，安排時間與他人討論會是個好主意－值得信賴的朋友、導師，或是你的顧問團－討論你目前面臨的狀況，並且尋求神對於這些挑戰的心意。
備註：如果你有聖經，想閱讀更多相關的內容，請參考以下的經文:
箴言3章5-6節
3:5 你要專心仰賴耶和華，不可倚靠自己的聰明，
3:6 在你一切所行的事上都要認定他，他必指引你的路。
＊提醒領導是關於信靠，而不是個人掌控狀況。
出埃及記3章7-8節
3:7 耶和華說：「我的百姓在埃及所受的困苦，我實在看見了；他們因受督工的轄制所發的哀聲，我也聽見了。我原知道他們的痛苦，
3:8 我下來是要救他們脫離埃及人的手，領他們出了那地，到美好、寬闊、流奶與蜜之地，就是到迦南人、赫人、亞摩利人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人之地。
＊神有看見、聽見，並且行動－即便我們感覺神好像沉默不語。
詩篇27篇13-14節
27:13 我若不信在活人之地得見耶和華的恩惠，就早已喪膽了。
27:14 要等候耶和華！當壯膽，堅固你的心！我再說，要等候耶和華！
＊鼓勵在過程之中的人，學習在信心裡等候。
哥林多後書4章16-18節
4:16 所以，我們不喪膽。外體雖然毀壞，內心卻一天新似一天。
4:17 我們這至暫至輕的苦楚，要為我們成就極重無比、永遠的榮耀。
4:18 原來我們不是顧念所見的，乃是顧念所不見的；因為所見的是暫時的，所不見的是永遠的。
＊對於領導中所面臨的苦難與堅持，觀點有所轉變。
以賽亞書41章10節
41:10 你不要害怕，因為我與你同在；不要驚惶，因為我是你的神。我必堅固你，我必幫助你；我必用我公義的右手扶持你。
＊在領導的艱困時期，神應許祂的同在與扶持的力量。
| 下載 |
LEADING IN THE UNCERTAIN MIDDLE
MONDAY MANNAApr 14, 2025
LEADING IN THE UNCERTAIN MIDDLE
By Christopher C. Simpson
Beginnings captivate us. Endings bring relief or celebration. But leadership? Leadership happens in the middle – the long, unglamorous stretch where the path forward is not always clear, where crises emerge uninvited, and where the weight of responsibility presses down with relentless force.
This is where most leaders live. You are managing a team, making decisions, building something meaningful – and suddenly, you are caught in the middle of something far bigger than you expected. An economic downturn. An employee on the brink of collapse. A moral crossroads you never saw coming. The middle is unpredictable, messy, and often exhausting. And it’s right here that leaders begin to ask: What in the world is happening?!
Here is the challenge: The middle is where fear thrives. When outcomes are uncertain, the temptation is to seize control, retreat, or wait until clarity arrives. But what if clarity never comes? What if God is calling you to lead, not with certainty, but with trust?
Think about Israel’s story in Exodus. We know the dramatic beginning: Joseph, miraculously raised to power in Egypt, preserving God’s people. We know the triumphant ending: Moses, the plagues, the Red Sea splitting open to provide divine deliverance for the Israelites. But what about the middle?
For 430 years, generations were born, worked, and died in slavery – clinging to promises they never saw fulfilled: no signs, no timeline, no explanation of how their suffering fit into God’s plan. Yet, history shows us what they could not see: God was working. Behind the silence, His plan was unfolding, preparing a deliverer, setting the stage for redemption. The middle felt like chaos. But it was not chaos. It was divine providence.
That is where so many leaders stand today. We celebrate success stories and hear about defining breakthroughs. But no one talks about the slow, grueling middle – the years of unseen faithfulness, the sacrifices that feel unnoticed, the tension of not knowing if your efforts will ever pay off.
Yet this is where God is at work. Your leadership is not just about hitting targets, executing strategies, or climbing the ladder. It is about being faithfully present where God has placed you. And the astonishing truth of Scripture is that He does not wait for you to figure it all out before He moves. He’s not waiting at the finish line with crossed arms. He is in the middle. In the uncertainty. In the pressure. In the very place you are tempted to try to escape.
And here is the best news: God is not asking for fearless, flawless faith. He delights in leaders who just keep showing up, even when they feel like they are barely holding on.
So, if you are in the middle right now – leading through uncertainty, shouldering burdens that feel beyond you – know this: You are not abandoned. That thread you are desperately clinging to? It is anchored to an unshakable God. Leadership is not about your ability to control the future. It is about trusting the One who already holds it. Hold on.
© 2025. Christopher C. Simpson is dedicated to fostering a bold and triumphant Christian faith within the global marketplace, driven by a deep conviction in the Gospel’s transformative power. Before becoming President of CBMC International, Chris dedicated 28 years to a distinguished career in the public sector – as a Commanding Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps; and serving in the U. S. Secret Service, responsible for protecting seven American presidents and leading elite teams in complex, high-stakes international missions. With his wife Ana, a native of Nicaragua, Chris resides in Boca Raton, Florida.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
1. What does it mean to lead with trust rather than certainty? How have you seen God work in situations where you lacked clarity?
2. How do you recognize God’s presence in the “middle” of your leadership journey? Can you recall a season where you felt you were waiting on God?
3. Why does God often work behind the scenes instead of giving us immediate answers? How does the story of Israel’s 430 years of waiting in Egypt while enslaved challenge your perspective on God's timing?
4. What temptations do leaders face when they feel out of control, and how can we respond faithfully? How can Scripture help you resist the urge to act out of fear rather than faith?
5. How can we encourage and strengthen others who are leading in the uncertain middle? What can you do to remind your team, colleagues, or family that God is present in their uncertainty?
Challenge for This Week
When was the last time you found yourself in the ‘uncertain middle’? Perhaps you find yourself there now. This week it might be good to schedule time for you to discuss with others – a trusted friend, mentor, or your advisory group – what you are currently facing, seeking God’s perspective on those challenges.
Biblical Passages for Further Exploration
Proverbs 3:5-6 – "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
*A reminder that leadership is about trust, not personal control.
Exodus 3:7-8 – "Then the Lord said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry... And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.’"
*God sees, hears, and acts—even when it feels like He is silent.
Psalm 27:13-14 – "I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"
*Encouragement for those in the middle, learning to wait with faith.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 – "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison."
*A perspective shift on suffering and perseverance in leadership.
Isaiah 41:10 – "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
*A promise of God’s presence and sustaining power in difficult leadership seasons.
| Download |