Mike 
On our recent family vacation, one of the highlights was a series of spirited games of sand volleyball. I enjoyed all of it, especially those moments when I was at the net attempting to block a hit from one of my sons. But right before their hit, I tended to turn my head and close my eyes. When I did that, it was impossible to make last minute adjustments to complete the block.
This brought back memories of teaching my kids to catch a ball. One of the first hurdles to overcome was getting them to keep their eyes open and to not be afraid of the ball. It also brought to mind a similar and even more important lesson about keeping your eyes open as a leader. Do you tend to “close your eyes” in the face of opposition? When someone brings bad news or disagrees with you, closing your eyes makes it difficult to respond effectively.
Here are three ways that a leader might close his or her eyes:
- Denial. Refusing to acknowledge a problem is one eye-closing strategy. Just pretend like it doesn’t exist, and hope that it will go away. You may be able to ignore a floundering ministry, but it is unlikely to improve without leadership attention.
- Avoidance. You can acknowledge a difficult situation, but then refuse to deal with it. When you are challenged by a key leader, it may seem easier to keep your distance. But in this case, absence rarely makes the heart grow fonder.
- Disengagement. You can deal with a challenge in a detached manner and still fall short. You’re in the conversation, but looking for the quickest way to end it. Full engagement allows you to pick up on subtle clues that will inform your leadership. It’s like my attempted volleyball blocks – responding with closed eyes prevented me from seeing how I needed to respond.
