As a mom of four, three of which are boys, I have always been intentional about raising independent young men who would grow up to be helpful husbands. Much to their chagrin, this involved them doing a lot of cleaning and cooking from a very young age.

Yesterday I noticed one of my nonstick pots was heavily scratched up. I immediately knew that it was likely the result of my 17-year-old son Cooper’s venture of making macaroni earlier in the day and using a metal spoon to mix it. My first reaction was aggravation, but I quickly asked myself, “Did I ever explain to him the proper spoons to use with the proper pots and pans?”

It brought to mind all the times when I was a young professional learning a new skill at work or taking on a task I had never done before. Like my son, I didn’t know what I didn’t know, so I didn’t always know what questions to ask.

As I am training new employees or interns, this is a good reminder that time and patience are vital. There is always a learning curve, and you can’t judge the training period in linear time. New things will arise at different seasons of the job; we can’t always account for what new task will pop up at what time.

One of a leader’s greatest mistakes is assuming that your team knows everything you know. Even without the issue of lack of experience, your team will likely not see things the same way you do. We all know the little cliché about assuming something.

Unfortunately, many leaders are extremely busy in their roles and feel they have limited time to properly teach the skills they need to. This results in two problematic scenarios. First, the new employee or intern feels frustrated, and their confidence is damaged.

The second scenario is also a loss for both the leader and the employee. The leader withholds delegating tasks and continues to carry too heavy a workload because it seems easier to “just do it myself.” That may appear more efficient in the moment, but it is only a setup for an epic collapse later.

There are a lot of musts for leaders. When it comes to training new team members, these are a few. We must have patience for effective training. We must remember those who are new don’t know what they don’t know. We must remember employees do not know everything we do; therefore, they do not see what we see. And we must over-communicate. 

One of the characteristics of a great leader is the ability to see the big picture and to see it from a futuristic view at that. Not delegating because you don’t have the time to train a new employee properly will only lead to a crash and burn in the future. As a Christian leader, the Bible has a lot to say about patience. Here are a few reminders from our business handbook:

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Corinthians 13:4

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:25

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had. Romans 15:5

Better to be patient than a warrior, and better to have self-control than to capture a city. Proverbs 16:32

Preach the word. Be ready to do it whether it is convenient or inconvenient. Correct, confront, and encourage with patience and instruction. 2 Timothy 4:2

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

I am so grateful God speaks to me in one area of my life that I can apply to all areas of my life. He is so good that way. He is not only the Perfect Parent but also the Perfect Leader.

Thank you for being a part of the UBN community. You matter to God, and you matter to us.