What if you’re winning… but at the wrong game?
I’ll never forget an example of this that my friend Dave Ferguson of Exponential gave at our leadership gathering LAUNCH a few years back.
Matt Emmons was seconds away from another Olympic gold. One shot left. All he had to do was hit the target. And he did — dead centre. A perfect shot. The only problem? It was the wrong target!
He went from gold medal to – nothing. Why? Because focus without the right aim is wasted effort.
Welcome to the modern leadership crisis, and church can be the worst place for this.
The Real Threat to Christian Leadership Isn’t Failure — It’s Distraction
You don’t need me to tell you that leadership is hard – well done for hanging in there! But what makes it dangerous is how easy it is to be busy doing good things while missing the most important things. Like Jethro told his son in law Moses, no matter how much good stuff you’re doing, it can be done in a way that’s not good for you, your family, or anyone around you.
Most church leaders I know aren’t lazy. Often, they’re exhausted. And that can be because they’re aiming at the wrong targets — growth at the expense of depth, relevance without relationship, busyness to please people instead of enjoying God’s presence.
Jesus didn’t say Martha was doing bad things, but He said she was distracted by many things. Sound familiar?
“But few things are needed — or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42)
Why Focus Is the Superpower Leaders Need
Leadership distractions are everywhere — email, meetings, Zoom, notifications, endless expectations. But the truth is multitasking is a myth. You can’t go deep, while skimming the surface.
Your most powerful leadership tool? Focus.
I have been thinking and writing about this a lot recently because I know from experience that when you focus on what matters most — your relationship with Jesus, the people in your care, the mission God gave you — everything else lines up.
When you don’t? You hit bullseyes on targets God never asked you to aim for.
How to Know You’re Hitting the Wrong Targets
I do hope you’ll join me in person at LAUNCH this June – and I’m praying for everyone who does that you’ll get Clarity like never before on what God wants now and next. Of course that comes from God but often it will be through the people sitting around you and standing in front of you – meanwhile, here’s a simple question to recalibrate your leadership:
What are you spending your best energy on right now?
Is it sermon slides, social media, or soul care?
Is it how many people you can see, or how deep you can disciple someone?
Is it reacting to problems, or responding to God?
If your calendar is full but your spirit is dry, that’s a red flag. Leadership that ignores first love leads to burnout — not breakthrough.
Putting First Things First: The Five-F Test
Want to refocus? Here’s a simple framework that helps me keep my aim where it belongs.
Think F-I-R-S-T:
- F – Finances: Is God first in how I handle money?
- I – Interests: Are my hobbies and habits helping or hindering my devotion?
- R – Relationships: Are the people I’m closest to seeing Jesus in me more?
- S – Schedule: Is my time aligned with my values or just my to-do list?
- T – Troubles: Am I turning to God in prayer first when life hits hard?
The Leadership Legacy You’re Building — One Moment at a Time
Most of us won’t lead a mega-church or write a bestseller. But that’s not the win in ministry.
The win is faithfulness. Day by day, till we get home. Or rather moment by moment, because that’s how life comes to us.
You get about 1,000 minutes a day. That’s 100 ten-minute blocks. How many of those are going to the things that really matter?
- The prayer you don’t rush through.
- The conversation you’re fully present for.
- The scripture you sit with, not skim through.
- The decision to love, even when it’s hard.
That’s what spiritual leadership really looks like. That’s the bullseye worth aiming for.
Final Thought: Wanted! Leaders Who Are Lovers.
The longer I lead, the more I’m convinced: Doers don’t always become lovers. But lovers always become doers.
Put Jesus first. Keep Him first. And let everything else flow from that.
Because the last thing we want is to be ‘successful’ in ministry… but miss what matters most to God.