I recently finished reading “Leading on Empty” by Wayne Cordeiro, and simply put, if you are a leader than this is a must-read! While we in Church-world are seemingly adept at identifying and pointing the finger when it comes to burnout, depression, and the pressures of leadership we are unfortunately rarely as honest, forthright, and helpful with those same issues as Wayne is in this book. Wayne’s courageously transparent about his own struggles while at the same time provides his readers a clear path forward. It’s such a good book that we are going to be reading and discussing it together with the Sun Valley Lead Team this fall.
Here are some thoughts and quotes from the book that impacted me:
“…when you go through dark seasons, you will be restricted by, or released to, what has already been established within your soul.”
“…everything you initiate, by default you must add to your maintenance list. It is a gift to be able to launch an inspiring vision. But unless you manage it along the way, it can turn on you, and soon the voracious appetite of the vision consumes you.”
“Slowly the unwelcome symptoms began to surface, Ministry became more arduous. My daily tasks seemed unending, and emails began to stack up. People I deeply cared about became problems to be avoided, and deliberating about new vision no longer stirred my soul.”
“Gradually my creativity began to flag and I found it easier to imitate rather than innovate.”
“Problems don’t destroy you. Unresolved problems do.”
“Solitude is a chosen separation for refining your soul. Isolation is what you crave when you neglect the first.”
“Solitude is a healthy and prescriptive discipline; isolation is a symptom of emotional depletion.”
“We won’t be held accountable for how much we have done, but for how much we have done of what He has asked us to do.”
“Friends are rare these days, but it is not because they have diminished in importance. It is because we have increased in speed.”
“If you wait until you’re thirsty to take a drink, it’s too late.”
“Suffering will change us, but not necessarily for the better. We have to choose that. And it was the choosing that made all the difference for me.”
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