The Storms Are Coming

Our family was visiting Oak Island, North Carolina, when we met Isaias. That is Hurricane Isaias.

We had rented a beautiful, new oceanfront home to house our extended family of over twenty people. On the evening of August 4, 2020, Isaias, a Category 1 hurricane, made landfall, with the eye of the cyclone centered on Oak Island.

The previous day, we had listened to locals debate whether the storm would achieve hurricane status or not. The vast majority of locals decided to stay put and weather the storm.

We decided to do the same.

Lesson learned.

As the storm rolled in, the winds increased, the rain began blowing sideways, and the surf started to rise. We watched as the waves crept over the large dunes built to hold back the water.

Before long, the water was rushing underneath the towering stilts that held up our vacation home. Inches of water became feet of water. The ocean flowed into the island, carrying trash cans, bicycles, and even cars wherever it chose to go.

The “fun” of the night turned into terror as we suddenly realized our vacation home was standing on stilts in the middle of the ocean.

Thankfully, our family weathered the storm.

Call it God’s protection. Give thanks that the foundation of the home went deep and the stilts were built to withstand the storm.

Other homes were not so fortunate. They had not been properly constructed to handle the massive surge of water from the ocean. Those homes were destroyed.

That experience taught me a vital lesson that applies far beyond hurricanes.

Storms are bound to come in our lives.

That is especially true if you lead an organization with a meaningful mission.

In my approximately 30 years as an adult, I have seen storms crash into my personal life, my wife’s health, the churches I have pastored, and the nonprofit organizations I have led.

Some storms will be relatively minor. Others will be scary. And occasionally, a storm will wreak havoc.

You cannot assume that because things are going well today, the waters will always remain calm.

You will waste your energy worrying about when the next storm will arrive. Jesus warned us against worrying about tomorrow.

What you can do as a leader is to build and lead in a way that prepares you for the storms ahead.

If you are leading an organization with a meaningful mission, especially one trying to solve a complex problem in your community, you will need to prepare yourself to weather the storms.

You won’t be able to predict every storm. You won’t be able to prevent every storm.

But you can prepare for them.

Make no mistake: the storms are coming.

Over the next couple of weeks, I want to look at some of the storms I have encountered in leadership and what I’ve learned about weathering them. Some come from inside the organization. Others come from finances, people, or pressures outside my control.

The question isn’t whether you’ll encounter them.

It’s whether you’ll be prepared when they arrive.