Storm-Ready Leadership
Disillusion Proofing your team
It happens. Disillusionment. At some point, the fire of our early enthusiasm meets the reality of life and ministry. Young leaders begin with bright eyes and bold dreams, ready to change the world—until the realization comes that ministry is about people, and people are rarely easy to change. Seasoned leaders, too, enter new roles hoping for something better, only to discover that flexibility and compatibility take more grace than expected. Disillusionment can sting—but it doesn’t have to destroy.
It will happen to you—but it can also refine you.
I was thirty-six, and so was my late wife. We had plans—decades of dreams ahead. Then came the diagnosis: stage 4 cancer. Suddenly, everything changed. We were told to get our affairs in order. It was something that happened to others, not to us… until it did. Three and a half years later, I had the privilege of carrying her to the gates of heaven and handing her over to the waiting and loving arms of Jesus. Nothing prepares you for that kind of loss. Yet even through it, I learned something precious—how to truly cherish the time we have, how to hold hope when life breaks, and how to trust God in the unthinkable. It is one thing to say “Cherish every moment”, it is another thing to feel it pressing in from such devastating loss.
Idealism can be the quiet enemy of ministry. Assuming that everything will run smoothly simply because we’re all Christians sets us up for disappointment. My new wife, Rose, and I recently discussed with Mark Blumberg, a professional charity lawyer. You can check him out here (https://www.blumbergs.ca/team/mark-blumberg/). His counsel was clear and deeply wise—be discerning about the partnerships you form. Not every connection, however well-intentioned, is meant to last forever. Seasons change, people grow, and organizations evolve. The strength of your ministry isn’t measured by avoiding challenges, but by how well you prepare your heart and your team for them. When change inevitably comes, foresight, grace, and prayerful preparation can turn potential fallout into an opportunity for growth, learning, and renewed purpose.
Fallout will happen to you—you define how it will refine you.
Stay Off the Pedestal
Honesty—and even more, vulnerability—can protect you from unrealistic expectations. Whether you’re admitting a mistake to your team, sharing your weaknesses, or being open about your own brokenness, transparency builds connection. People understand people—but they often misunderstand pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders.
When you allow others to see your humanity, you remind them that you, too, need grace, prayer, and Jesus. Pedestals are dangerous places; the higher you’re placed, the harder the fall when you deviate from expectations. These expectations easily become unrealistic, and disappointment is inevitable. Staying grounded keeps relationships healthy and real.
Lead from among your people, not above them.
Choose how you show up
Preventive intentionality is a critical part of problem mitigation; it is wisdom, and it starts with you. It’s about deciding—before the crisis—who you will be when it arrives. When my children were small, I taught my daughter that she couldn’t control her brother’s behaviour of instigation, but she could control her response. Then, by choosing her response, she was able to diminish the instigation by stopping her reactions. That same truth applies in ministry. We can’t stop others from acting unjustly, but we can choose how we respond—with peace, grace, and patience.
When my children were younger, my son—older, stronger, and full of playful mischief—loved to provoke his sister. He would poke her, take something that belonged to her, or tease just enough to get a reaction. It wasn’t about what he took; he didn’t want her nail polish—he wanted her response. In his childishness, he found joy in her frustration.I’ve seen that same pattern far beyond childhood—among adults, and even within ministry teams. Sometimes, people poke not because they need something, but because they crave a reaction.
To resolve this issue, I went into coaching mode with my daughter. The first lesson was the hardest: she couldn’t stop her brother. He was bigger, stronger, and determined. She couldn’t control his actions—but she could control her own. That realization changed everything. Once she learned that truth, she found freedom. The moment she chose not to react—no anger, no shouting, just calm—her brother’s game ended. The power he had over her vanished.
It was a small lesson with a big message: we can’t always change others, but we can always choose how we respond. And when we do, we often discover that peace and strength were there for the taking all along. That same truth applies in ministry. We can’t stop others from acting unjustly, but we can choose how we respond—with peace, grace, and patience.
Those choices begin long before the conflict. They begin today, in the quiet moments. If you want to be calm in the storm, practice peace now. If you want to be loving under pressure, walk in love now. Every act of kindness, every prayer, every moment you lean into the Holy Spirit prepares you to stand strong when the winds rise.
Choose you this day the type of leader you want to show up as tomorrow.
Curbing Disillusionment
True leadership begins with self-awareness. When you’re honest about your own weaknesses and mindful of the imperfections within your ministry, you lead with humility instead of pride. Staying grounded—as a peer among your team rather than above them—builds trust that endures even when challenges arise.
Be intentional about how you show up each day. Your consistency, compassion, and courage will become an anchor for those who look to you when things feel uncertain.
Preparation isn’t just strategy—it’s stewardship. Stewardship of your gifting and of the people you lead. God has already placed within you the potential to lead with wisdom and grace. Now it’s up to you to cultivate it. Seek His guidance, plan with prayerful diligence, and equip yourself with the resources you need to become the leader He designed you to be—steady, faithful, and full of hope.
