Unshakeable
Senior leaders carry an enviable asset that rarely shows up on résumés or performance reviews: Seasoned perspective.
It involves a confidence that cannot be taught. One is “survived” into it.
It comes from time in the arena. From leading through moments that felt dark, grim, and at times nearly hopeless. From trying, failing, recalibrating, and trying again.
From discovering firsthand that what once felt potentially fatal was, in fact, not just survivable, but formative.
Storms change a leader.
You stop flinching at every cloud on the horizon. You stop confusing urgency with danger. You stop assuming that today’s pressure is permanent.
When you have survived the worst of storms, they simply do not scare you the way they once did.
The result is a steady confidence that makes you unshakeable.
This kind of confidence isn’t bravado. It’s earned nerve.
It’s the quiet assurance that says, “I’ve been here before.”
Not exactly here, but close enough. You know you can fail, because you have. And yet, you also know that failure does not get the final word.
That awareness produces something rare – a strategic confidence aptly paired with genuine humility.
You do not posture. You do not panic. You do not overreact. You lead with calm resolve because your history has taught you that survival is more likely than catastrophe.
This kind of perspective is earned through pain, not position.
Younger leaders simply do not have this yet. Not because they lack talent or character, but because time has not done its work.
Books cannot supply it. Podcasts cannot accelerate it. Only lived experience can forge this kind of internal ballast.
And this is where the leadership lesson begins to touch something deeper…
As we near the close of the Advent season, we enter into a story filled with anticipation.
The people of Israel were waiting. Longing. Hoping. Praying for deliverance. They lived under occupation, oppression, and spiritual silence. Generation after generation carried promises they could not yet see fulfilled.
Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love were promised, but not yet visible.
In that sense, we can identify deeply with them during this season. But we also possess something they did not.
We have the perspective of history. We have “the known” in place of their “unknown.”
We know how the story unfolds. We know the Messiah was born to Mary. We know he lived a life of purpose, suffering, obedience, and sacrifice. We know he was crucified, dead, and buried. And we know he conquered death through resurrection power.
We know that the forgiveness of sins, our greatest need as God’s beloved children, was made possible through the shedding of his blood on the cross.
Scripture puts it plainly in 1 Peter 1:18 – 19:
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
That knowing changes everything.
Because we know the full story, followers of Christ are invited into a life posture that mirrors seasoned, unshakeable leadership.
We walk with confidence, not because life is easy, but because redemption is settled.
We walk with humility, not because we doubt God’s power, but because we know the cost at which it came as well as our utter inability to live well without it.
The cross eliminates both panic and pride.
We are unshakeable not because we are strong, but because God is faithful. We are steady not because we control outcomes, but because Christ already secured the ultimate one.
Advent reminds us that waiting is not weakness. It is preparation. And hindsight reminds us that God has never failed to keep his promises.
Just as experience steadies the leader, this gospel – this good news – steadies the soul.
The result is a rare blend of courage and reverence. Confidence without arrogance. Humility without fear. Leadership marked not by noise, but by depth of experience.
This is what it looks like to be unshakeable . . . by God’s design.
Blessings to you, my friends. Have a very Merry Christmas!
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This Week’s Resource Recommendation:
"Leadership on the Line, With a New Preface: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Change"
- Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky
From Amazon: To lead is to live dangerously. It's romantic and exciting to think of leadership as all inspiration, decisive action, and rich rewards, but leading requires taking risks that can jeopardize your career and your personal life. It requires putting yourself on the line, disrupting the status quo, and surfacing hidden conflict. And when people resist and push back, there's a strong temptation to play it safe. Those who choose to lead plunge in, take the risks, and sometimes get burned. But it doesn't have to be that way say renowned leadership experts Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky. In Leadership on the Line, they show how it's possible to make a difference without getting "taken out" or pushed aside. They present everyday tools that give equal weight to the dangerous work of leading change and the critical importance of personal survival. Through vivid stories from all walks of life, the authors present straightforward strategies for navigating the perilous straits of leadership. Whether you're a parent or a politician, a CEO or a community activist, this practical book shows how you can exercise leadership and survive and thrive to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
MMS 25-51
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