I just finished reading the book, Juggling for the Complete Klutz. The book has sold over 2 million copies, so apparently there are many aspiring jugglers.

I read this book as a metaphor about leadership.

The cover of the book promises, "If you can scramble an egg, tie your own shoelaces or stumble onto the light switch in the bathroom at night ... then you can learn how to juggle."

I think I read that line in one of my leadership books a few years ago.

"Although the motions aren't difficult, they should be absorbed in bite-sized chunks. Otherwise, you'll run afoul of frustration." The authors, Cassidy and Rimbeaux, seem to be masters of the understatement. John Maxwell couldn't have said it better.

The book's section concerning problems while juggling is particularly insightful. I must do my part for fellow leaders and share this wisdom:

1. The Panic Response: "Your first throw goes OK, but the second causes a total panic—impossible to catch. This is an obnoxious problem. The solution is ironclad mental control."

I believe the authors are trying say, "whatever things are of a good report ... think on these things" (Phil. 4:8). Leaders hear bad news as a matter of routine. Sometimes the news can move us to panic. "I know I am supposed to be anxious for nothing, but this is something." 

Panic causes overreaction. Sometimes we scurry to fix something that didn't need fixing. Effective leaders have learned to sift and screen incoming missiles.

2. The Cheat Response. I never realized a juggler could cheat. Now, I know in full.

"When a juggler sees the first toss heading to a landing on top of the first bag, they don't panic, they cheat. They clear the landing area by handing the problem bag back to the first hand; it never goes into the air. They think they've done something clever."

Leaders probably don't think about a Band-Aid solution as cheating, but it is. Temporary fixes do not fix things at all. The organization languishes as balls drop to the ground.

In this example, the juggler and the leader are delusional. We try a simple response and find out quickly that such decision making is not sustainable.

3. The Klutz Response. It's often a deeply humbling experience to realize that our problems are neither very unusual, and not even very serious. "If you've been trying for 10 minutes or so and still dropping the ball a lot, you're probably doing quite well. You're only suffering from a mild shortage of practice." Keep at it.

Leaders often drop balls. The temptation to give up is ever present. But God wants us to learn from every drop and continue on our path of learning and growing. Anyone can hold onto balls. It's in the juggling and dropping and juggling again that character is formed. 

The key to juggling and leading is to focus on one thing at a time. This sounds simplistic but simple things confound the wise.

Gravity is a steadfast teacher.

"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" (1 Cor. 1:27).

Dr. Steve Greene is the publisher and executive vice president of the media group at Charisma Media and executive producer of the Charisma Podcast Network. His book, Love Leads: The Spiritual Connection Between Your Relationships and Productivity, is now available.

Leaders, Dr. Greene wants to help you understand the spiritual connection between relationships and productivity. Read his new blog, here.

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.

Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!

FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.

The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.