When it comes to resources, I think many of us often feel constrained. We don’t have enough giving or we don’t have enough money. We know what we think we need, and we know what we hope for to meet these needs.
We may even have a vision in our minds, but others wear it down with their words and doubts.
Are we thinking big enough about the next step, goal, or project our organization is looking to take?
This question should bother us.
It must!
One simple way to think bigger is to engage other people in the conversation. Don’t assume that you are smart enough as the leader – or even that your team, staff, or board – are smart enough to truly think beyond where you are.
Here’s what I encourage you to look at: your goal.
Identify the size that you believe all this really is in terms of cost and investment in your future that you’re going to be asking people to give to and be spending money on. Identify that number and then go and find men and women, it could be as few as two or three, no more than five, who have made similarly sized investment decisions in their own life, company, or organization.
If you’re thinking about a million dollar project, who do you know that makes one million dollar decisions somewhat regularly? If you’re thinking this is a 50 million dollar project, who do you know that regularly, on a yearly basis or multi-year basis, makes those kinds of strategic decisions? Recruit them to serve as advisors. Have two meetings, maybe three, and let them tackle this. Ask them how they would navigate through these decisions for the future if they were the ones investing the money and pulling all this together.
You will find that their perspective and their ability to process your information, opportunities, pros and cons, trade offs, and all those things is at a drastically different speed and significantly different perspective than you have.
This is how you grow and stretch as a leader. An added bonus? Some amazing things might even come out of this that you could never imagine just by allowing other people who get big things done tackle the things that God has put in your heart.
Sometimes, it’s all about just getting that first meeting with a donor or someone who could help you reach your vision. Check out our First Meetings Tool to help you navigate this challenge.