One of the Greatest Leadership Lessons

I just returned from a walk in the neighborhood, but it was different than all other walks. I was walking about 20 feet behind a neighbor, an African American man in his mid 50s, who was walking his two dogs. The man stopped for a brief moment to stretch his legs on a wooden fence alongside the walking path we were on. Within seconds of his stopping, a car ran a stop sign, jumped the curb, and plowed through the wooden fence, hitting my neighbor straight on. My neighbor was tossed into the air several feet, and landed hard on the paved walking path.

As I was calling 911, other neighbors came out to help the victim. The car attempted to back out (I’m not sure why), but I directed cars driving by to block his retreat.

When the driver finally got out of the car, I was stunned to see a kid probably no older than 16 years old. The highway patrol and the county sheriff’s department kept me separated from the kid, since I was the sole witness to the actual impact.

The teen would tell others that he was driving 35 MPH at the point of impact, and that he did not realize that he missed the stop sign since he was text messaging a friend.

My neighbor was taken to the hospital trauma unit. He looked bad, and the trooper indicated that he was hurt badly, but that is all that I know about his condition at this point. I was able to minister to and pray with his family who arrived on the scene shortly after he was hit.

There are lessons that I learned from this moment, lessons I know but sometimes forget. Of course, texting and talking on cell phones while driving can be deadly combinations. But the greater lesson is the brevity of life. I was only 20 feet behind the point of impact. And I would have likely been right where he was if I had not walked slower to take a call from my oldest son.

Because God has given me the opportunity to work with leaders throughout America, I hear several questions repeated. The repetition of those questions is an indication to me how eager many are to make a difference in this world. One of those common questions is: “What do you consider to be one of the greatest leadership lessons?” Today, my common response is: “Consider the brevity of life.”

Life is too brief to major on minors. Life is too brief to stay bitter and to hold grudges. Life is too brief to worry incessantly. Life is too brief to fail to make the most of where God has us now. Life is too brief to seek our own gain instead of serving others. And life is too brief not to rejoice always.

The writer of Ecclesiastes knew this truth well: “Remove sorrow from your heart, and put away pain from your flesh, because youth and the prime of life are fleeting.” (Eccl. 11:10, HCSB). And then he said, “When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is: Fear God and keep His commands, because this is for all humanity” (Eccl. 12: 13, HCSB).

Life is indeed brief. And we often waste much of life worrying and dealing with matters of near insignificance.

Pray for my neighbor. Pray for the teenage boy. Pray for their families.

And learn with me when God tries to get our attention.