Fearless Leaders

Fearless leaders are not those born with no fears at all. Courage belongs to those who have not avoided their fears but walked right through them with boldness. Organizations that have fearless leaders have a natural environment of confidence and belief in the efficacy of God’s work within them. Fearless organizations require fearless leaders throughout the structure.

But what does a fearless leader look like? And can one learn to be a fearless leader? Or are only those who are innately blessed with fearlessness able to lead without fear?

A fearless leader looks like everyone else. They have no fewer fears than others. But they are not afraid of their fears. Fear to such a leader is nothing more than the edge of a new frontier. Fearless organizations attract leaders who have low sensitivity to danger and risk. Fearless leaders are those who come with not just optimism but with the sense of power and appreciation of a good solution. Yes, fearless leaders are primarily noted as those who see a good solution to every problem.

The Bible demonstrates the high premium God places on fearless leaders. In Numbers 14, Joshua and Caleb were earmarked as future leaders of the nation of Israel because they saw opportunity in the face of heart-bending challenges. Leadership of this kind is a way of seeing and thinking. The actions of a fearless leader are built upon habits of strong-thinking discipline; laziness of thought is not a trait you find in leaders of strong, advancing organizations. It takes effort to be a “can-do” leader. And I believe this is why most organizations remain in the grip of fear. Fear requires little effort, coming quite naturally to pessimistic humans. Fearlessness is a deliberate and conscious effort to seize hold of the organization’s future and strongly move ahead.