Last week, in part one of this discussion, I focused on clarifying the meaning of the word “Discernment” (click here to read).
As I concluded that discussion, I remarked that the skill-set of discernment is a precision capacity, and quoted the famous orator Charles Spurgeon who reminded his listeners,
“Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the [ability to tell the] difference between right and almost right.”
If I believe that this is true, and if I truly believe that discernment is an essential leadership skill, why in the world would I title that blog – and this one, “Why the Leader Does Not Need Discernment”??
The answer is both simple and important.
The leader does not need to personally possess the skill of discernment – as long as the leader is aware that they do not have this skill. In such a case, the wise leader will astutely identify someone who is discerning, enlist their participation on the team, and then, most importantly, listen to the discernment they provide.
In short, the leader does not need to be discerning, except that they need to be discerning enough to locate and listen to someone who is.
Next week, we will look at what it takes to get to the point of realizing this simple – and essential – practice point.