Tunnel vision will kill ya (probably just limit ya!)

If you are not a fan of the University of Tennessee then you have no idea who this guy is. His name is Matt Sims and he stepped in for our injured starting quarterback this week against the #1 team in the country. Things really didn't go well for Matt because of one thing. He had tunnel vision. Matt threw a few interceptions at big times in the game because he was locked in on one receiver and did not look for the other players who were open. Tunnel vision in ministry will kill you in the long run because you will miss other opportunities that will help your team advance. I see this play out for leaders all the time. They think their idea is the best way to solve an issue and they fight for their good idea over an idea that might be great. When we allow tunnel vision to control our leadership decisions then we often choose the live in the good at the expense of the great. You know you are a leader with tunnel vision when...

• You constantly want to make sure you get credit for solving a problem.
• You limit the input of others when a problem comes up in your organization.
• You never ask for help when problems arise.
• You fight harder for your idea than you do for forward motion in your organization.

When you are a leader with tunnel vision you will continually make good choices over great ones, demoralize your team, and lose momentum. How do you get beyond it...humility, teamwork, and becoming a learner. Lose your tunnel vision and start being a big picture leader!