Remember and Renew: The Power of Reflection in Leadership

As leaders, we spend a lot of time looking ahead.

The next challenge. The next opportunity. The next decision. The next goal.

But sometimes, moving forward requires us to look back first.

In Joshua 4, after the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, Joshua instructed them to gather twelve stones from the river and set them up as a memorial.

“These stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” Joshua 4:7

The stones were a reminder of what God had done.

Before the Israelites moved into what came next, they were asked to remember where they had been and how God had carried them there. There is something powerful about that for leaders today.

We can become so focused on what isn’t finished that we forget what has already been accomplished.

We remember the difficult decision, but forget the wisdom we gained from it.

We remember the setback, but forget how we made it through.

We remember the unanswered prayer, but overlook the doors that opened.

We remember what went wrong, but sometimes fail to recognize how God provided along the way.

Reflection is about recognizing God’s faithfulness in the past so we can move forward with greater confidence.

For leaders, that pause can be especially important.

Maybe this has been a difficult year. Maybe the business hasn’t grown the way you hoped. Maybe you’ve faced an employee challenge, a financial setback, a difficult transition or a decision you weren’t prepared to make.

Before immediately asking, “What’s next?” perhaps there is another question worth asking:

“Where have I seen God’s faithfulness?”

The stones Joshua placed were physical reminders that the people could return to when they needed to remember what God had done.

What are your “stones”?

Maybe it’s a difficult season you made it through. A prayer that was answered. A relationship restored. A door that opened unexpectedly. A lesson that changed the way you lead. A moment when you realized you weren’t carrying the burden alone.

As leaders, we don’t always need another strategy, another goal or another answer.

Sometimes, we need to stop long enough to remember.

A question for reflection:

Looking back over this past year of your leadership journey, where have you seen God’s faithfulness most clearly?

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