Welcome to The Drop Zone: Learning to Lead from Prayer, Not Panic

There is an old strategy that says if your clothes ever catch fire, you should stop, drop, cover, and roll to extinguish the flames by smothering them, which denies the fire oxygen. A big part of this strategy is to stop running, as running fans the flames of the fire. Stop running. Then stop, drop, cover, and roll.

If you stop reading right now, I just did you a favor for the next time you're literally on fire. You're welcome!

If you continue reading, you'll see that there is a big part of this strategy that applies to leadership in a huge way. It's called the Drop method. Here is how it works.

1. Stop what you're doing, interrupt your current anxiety, perplexity, stress, fear, or frustration. Even if you have to take a quick walk away from your immediate context, disengage for just a moment.

   
   

2. Drop to your knees: Adopt a physical posture (perhaps, if you are able, literally on your knees) or internal posture of humility and prayer.

   
   

3. Drop it off. Specifically name the worry, anxiety, fear, frustration, or roadblock...and drop it off with God. 1 Peter 5:7 reminds us to "cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." That's an invitation from heaven to share the mental burden or complexity with him.

   
   

4. Drop in on God's perspective. This is where we ask God for His perspective, pulling us away from our limited and often incomplete picture that we have of any given situation. If you knew that heavenly guidance, perspective, wisdom, clarity, etc., was available, why wouldn't you lean into that resource?

The longing of my heart as a leader is to put Jesus first in everything. The reality of my leadership is that I tend to neglect going to God first when I get a bit sideways. I'm praying you'll join me in this next season, reshifting our collective posture to drop in on God a bit more frequently. Welcome to the drop zone. It could change everytihhng!

Peace & love to you all. ~ Paul

"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?" - Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983): WWII concentration camp survivor, Dutch resistance leaders, and author of The Hiding Place)