05:36 Today, we’re continuing the talk about warning signs of a leadership crash based on Stephen Mansfield’s book “The Ten Signs of a Leadership Crash”. 

06:24 Warning Sign 1: Being Out of Season

JV: Were there any moments in your leadership that you’ve experienced being out of season? How were you able to recognize and deal with them? 

Dave: Before I entered into full-time ministry, may season sa buhay ko na atat akong pumasok agad. And I found myself na ang daming bagay pa yung ginagawa ni Lord sa puso ko (while I was still working in the industry and volunteering in church)… I remember my boss at the time, who is also a Christian, told me “Alam mo Dave, mukang nagiging idol mo yung ministry.” I remember some leaders also telling me that maybe it’s not yet the time (to go full time). I got confused kasi alam kong dito ako pero parang nagko-close yung mga doors. There are two extremes of being out of season, either you’re staying in it too long or you want to leave earlier than you should. 

12:54  Dean: What do you think happens to leaders if they are not faithful to their season?

Dave: Of course we want to get things done, we want to serve, we want to be faithful. But when we tend to be out of step with our season, it will be stressful for the leaders, parang walang contentment. It’s actually a tension and this should not be an excuse to just leave. The effect is it puts a lid on you as a leader and a lid on other people. It would be hard for you and for others to grow (especially those you are leading to grow)…  It will have an effect on us personally and to the people that we are leading. 

15:55 JV: When do you know that you already need to ask what your next season is?

Dave:  For starters, let’s not use the usual metrics to determine that. Kasi minsan meron din naman sobrang successful pero sinasabi na ni Lord na hindi ka dyan. Kasi madaling umayaw agad kapag panget yung nangyayari… Of course it’s a factor but making decisions like these, I don’t think it’s an overnight thing. A thought, a desire or an idea evolves and gets confirmed through time. That’s where our relationship with God comes in. That’s why, as a leader, our relationship with God is something that we should not run to pag may kailangan lang. It should be there fundamentally and foundationally, so that, when times or moments like these come, hindi tayo parang naghahabol makinig kay Lord… Another thing that we could also check is what happens with our time. Is it getting out of order? Is it too complacent? And then the other one is, do we still have other people that can speak to us? 

21:15 Warning Sign 2: Choosing Isolation

Dave:  There is no major decision I’ve done na hindi ako kumausap ng tao either before or after the decision. Iba kasi yung usap sa before and iba rin yung after. And sometimes we only have the tendency to do one thing… Talking to people, usually tinatanong naman nila saan tayo nanggagaling, what made you think about that, and magandang may mga polarizing opinions din para at least hindi ka blindsided or at least you’ve tried or yung tinatawag nga na due diligence trying to observe everything… When we have someone to discuss it with us, somehow it teaches us to be more confident on how we hear God speak to us.  

25:41 Dean: Naalala ko tuloy Proverbs 15:22 “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (NIV). And definitely the people around us, lalo na yung mga pinagkakatiwalaan natin would be very crucial not only in big decisions but also in compromising situations… 

27:00 JV: What happens in isolation? Sometimes isolation is not totally wrong. 

Dean: How far can isolation go before we compromise and/or sin? 

Dave:  Two words came to mind, and nothing inherently wrong with isolation, timing and perspective. Timing in a sense na gaano katagal? Do you isolate when you make your own decision? Do you bring in other people when you are already done with the decision? Or do you choose to listen to other people pero ikaw din muna mismo hindi ka pa nag take ng time to listen to God or at least a conviction generally of where you want to go. The timing I think is the main thing about isolation… Second is the perspective of other people. Sometimes isolation goes wrong kasi parang nag-mumultiply lang yung boses mo sa sarili mo. Perspectives from other people, whether people above you or with you, or the people you are leading, it adds perspective — ano kaya yung effect nito to the people you are leading? 

31:17 Dean: How can we overcome isolation? 

Dave:  Top of mind, ask leading questions regularly: How’s you mental health or your well-being? How is your work right now? And probably you can also give observations para matrigger yung conversation… A side note also, it works both ways. As leaders we reach out but as someone who needs help, you reach for that hand too. 

34:40 To summarize: why do we need to talk about this? Because we want to raise awareness about the potential pitfalls, to be familiar with the signs, but at the same time we want to be able to build key relationships. And as leaders, we will be equipped to restore and help others as well.  

The ENC Leadership Podcast is hosted by Dean Pasaba and JV Puno. In this episode, Dean and JV are joined by Ps. Dave Estrera, the Metro Manila Director of ENC Philippines.

Processing Questions: 

1. Recall a time in your leadership when you felt you were already moving into a new season. What helped you realize the direction and season that God had for you at the time?
2. Who are the people that you can process some of the thoughts that you have and the things that you go through as a leader? How often do you talk to these people?