I don’t know about you, but I hate driving 15 passenger vans. They are a staple of any good youth ministry trip, but I hate them. Why? It’s all because of the blind spot!

     If you’ve never driven a 15 passenger van full of students, I envy you. Truth be told, I’m not sure you’re really a youth worker yet. The rest of you know what I’m talking about though. The blind spot in these vans is terrible!

     Vans aren’t the only things with blind spots like this. Leaders do too. We all have blind spots in our lives and leadership. What if these personal blind spots are just as dangerous as the ones in the van?

     The vans are so bad that I’ve perfected the art of an early signal and the thirty second lane change. This way a car hiding in the blind spot can at least honk before we crash! Maybe I’m the only one who does this, but it’s my plan for combatting the blind spot.

     What’s your plan for combatting personal blind spots? We all have them, but if you don’t have a plan for dealing with them you will eventually crash. So what’s your plan?

WARNING: Objects in Mirror are Closer than They Appear.

In a car, mirrors help us deal with blind spots. Have you ever noticed the warning on them? “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” By the time you see an obstacle in your mirror, it may be too late.

     The truth is, our weaknesses are often closer than they appear. By the time we notice them, it may be too late to fix. Damage may be unavoidable. Sometimes the damage is bad and sometimes it’s minimal, but it’s always time consuming and painful to fix. 

     While mirrors do help, they can’t always be trusted. Most of us do a “head check” in addition to looking in the mirror. Even this is difficult when driving a van full of middle school boys who have yet to discover deodorant! So in the name of safety, most of us go one step further and ask the person next to us if we’re clear.

     This isn’t a revolutionary move when it comes to driving. Almost all of us do it. What if we employed the same safety step in leadership? Would it help us go further faster and avoid a crash? I think so!

We all need people to help us see our blind spots.

Driving with a co-pilot is easier than driving alone. Leadership and ministry work the same way. We go further faster when someone helps us navigate. We lead better when we have others to check our blind spots!

     So let me ask you a question. Who has permission to point out what’s in your blind spot? If you don’t have a few quick answers, odds are your leading dangerously. Doing ministry solo is reckless leadership.

     A few months ago, I told a friend he had permission to call out anything he saw in my blind spot. He’s someone I trust wants the best for me and my ministry, so I empowered him to speak into my life. It seemed like a good idea at the time, at least until he actually did it.

     Fast forward to about a month ago and he found something. He approached me after a meeting and asked for a moment to talk. We stepped out to a quiet spot and he did something I hated: he pointed out what was in my blind spot.

     I wish I could tell you how refreshing it was. I wish I could tell you I took it in great joy and humility. But I can’t, because I didn’t. 

     So what did I do? I did what most leaders would do and thanked him on the outside while angrily arguing my case on the inside. I walked away frustrated and ready to revoke the permission I gave him in the first place!

     I’m glad I didn’t though. I thought about it a lot over the next 48 hours because it bothered me. It bothered me was because it was true. I had a blind spot and I needed to do something about it.

     It hurt to hear the truth from my friend, but I’m so glad he shared it with me. You see, a true friend in leadership is willing to point out your blind spot even if it might make you mad. A true friend cares more about your well being than how you feel about them at the moment. He loved me enough to correct me in gentleness and honor.

     Over the past few weeks I’ve began working on my blind spot. I avoided the crash that was coming and am still leading forward. All because someone pointed out my blind spot before it got too close. I’m a better leader because I have people to call out my blind spots.

    The Way Forward.

     Who has permission to call out what’s in your blind spot? 

     If you have an answer, why not thank them today and remind them they still have permission? If you don’t have anyone, I believe the wisest leadership decision you can make today is to find someone. Find someone you can trust who cares about you and your ministry. Then give them permission to call out your blind spots.

     I can promise you it will be painful and awkward. I can also promise you it’s worth it! You will be a better leader and have a better ministry because of it.        

Who has permission to call out your blind spot? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Also, you can subscribe below to receive more content like this directly to your inbox each week. Thanks for reading, I hope today’s content help’s you lead  next level!