Stop and Notice

“And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.” (Ex 3:3-4 AV)

One of the spiritual gifts a good leader needs is the gift of discernment.  He needs to notice things.  This burning bush was a test for Moses to see if first, he noticed something out of the ordinary, and second, if he would take the time to investigate and learn.  This is paramount for a leader.  He cannot go through life with his head in the sand.  He cannot go about his responsibilities with blinders on.  However, just because he doesn’t immediately act upon what he notices does not mean he didn’t see it.  Discernment will keep the leader from making so very unwise decisions.

A good leader may be accused of being too cautious.  Perhaps that is the wrong word.  Deliberate might be a better one.  He is not averse to stepping out on faith, but a good leader sees things that others miss, or to them, it may seem incidental.  To some, a bush that burns without being consumed may be a passing curiosity.  Like an exhibit at a museum that is interesting for a fleeting moment, but there is too much more to experience.  To a leader, personal interactions between those whom he leads is paramount to understand.  Watching how different personalities meld or clash and how to manage them is a result of noticing the details.  Being able to perceive a potential threat and orchestrating procedure that limits those threats in a way that others would not even notice is fruit of discernment.

Some of the most popular themes written for television programs are detective shows.  Particularly those that are not all blood and gore.  Shows like Columbo, Murder She Wrote, Monk, etc. whose main character noticed the minute details of a crime scene and are not dependent upon criminal forensics to solve the crime at hand.  They are entertaining because we find ourselves as rather ordinary compared to the gifted detective who will notice the littlest discrepancy.  Life goes by moment by moment and not event by event.  IF something is a little off, or if it is worth casting a stronger gaze upon it, the discerning leader does just that.  He is often a bit quieter than most, taking in all sorts of information to be considered and contemplated.  He is a student of his surroundings.  This is absolutely necessary for a good leader.