Faith Centered Leadership: The Butterfly Effect
Faith Centered Leadership: The Butterfly Effect
By
Priscilla Archangel, Ph.D.
In the early 1960s, meteorologist Edward Lorenz presented his scientific findings that a "small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state"(1). This became known as The Butterfly Effect, or the law of sensitive dependence on initial conditions. Put simply, the theory is that a butterfly flapping its wings on one side of the earth can cause a hurricane in another part of the earth. Like a domino effect, the flapping of its wings sets wind currents in motion, which coupled with its position and a myriad of other factors and atmospheric conditions, can impact in the weather thousands of miles away. This small movement is barely enough to create a breeze felt by a human being, yet significant enough to create wind currents. A motion casually made, often taken for granted, yet it has a powerful impact.
The Butterfly Effect
I first learned about The Butterfly Effect from reading a short book of the same name written by Andy Andrews, a New York Times best-selling author. His point was to convey how much each person's life matters, because of the impact it has on others. An action, a spoken word, a decision, that I perceive to be insignificant can have a ripple effect on millions of people, either positively or negatively.
Come to think of it, some of the most powerful and controlling forces are also the smallest ones. The rudder on a ship is a small flat plane that directs the flow of water past it which in effect turns the ship. The tongue is a small part of our bodies, but when it speaks, it can start a war between nations, or kindle a great love between two people. A mustard seed is only 1-2 mm in diameter, yet Jesus said, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can speak to a mountain and cause it to move (Matthew 17:20). Each are small objects, but with a powerful outcome.
Well if each of these objects can have such a major impact on its surroundings, how can you use even a little bit of faith to impact your environment? Faith is when you place your confidence or trust in someone or something, even without proof of its ability to deliver. It's the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).
The Ripple Effect of Faith
As a faith centered leader, how can you exert your faith for a business goal, an organizational objective, or a team priority. How can you focus your thoughts, your intangible ideas and abstract wanderings, on a desired outcome with sufficient confidence that it will indeed come to pass? It's simply a matter of perspective. Too often we're caught up in the moment of a seemingly insurmountable challenge; our scope of sight is too limited; our belief in the future too vague. We fail to grasp the significance of the impact of our faith; mountain moving, hurricane creating faith.
My prayer for you today is that God will open the eyes of your spirit, granting you understanding and insight to see a future positive potential in yourself, your team, and your organization that you've never before grasped. That you will no longer accept what is, but you will instead believe what can be. That your faith will be as vast as the wind currents created by the rippling of a butterfly's wings. That your faith will be strong enough to move mountains. That your faith will multiply your present resources. My prayer is that you will have the faith of a butterfly to set in motion actions that will cause a tsunami of blessings to people that you will never know, but by their very act will create a brighter future.
(1)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect
Copyright 2011 Priscilla Archangel
Priscilla Archangel is an author, speaker, coach and consultant. She brings over 27 years of experience as an human resources executive for a Fortune 500 firm, where she helps organizations accomplish business objectives and cultural change; and coaches employees to discover their unique strengths and life purpose.
Her book, "The Call to Faith Centered Leadership: Transformational Lessons for Leaders in Challenging Times" is a compilation of 90 brief but engaging leadership development lessons from the Bible. Sign up to receive a free chapter of her book at
http://www.PriscillaArchangel.com
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