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Change, Crisis, and Hard Seasons

When Unexpected Changes Disrupt Your Leadership Plans

Life rarely asks permission before shifting your leadership plans. Discover how to navigate unexpected transitions with faith and surrender.

By George B. ThomasPublished Updated 1 min read
When Unexpected Changes Disrupt Your Leadership Plans
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Life Didn't Ask Permission

The gate board flipped and nobody asked you. You're between flights with offer notes folded in your pocket and a name you're supposed to call before they board the next one. A hire, a launch date, a calendar that still looks like it belongs to you. The team's still walking the direction you already announced, and you're not sure it still holds.

You made a plan you believed in, then life didn't ask permission.

Between gates with a name in your pocket

The delay wasn't in the plan. Boarding isn't on your clock. You're a human at a gate, offer notes in the pocket, watching a board that doesn't care what you already told the team. Unexpected things keep arriving like this, surprise joy or surprise grief you didn't anticipate, and you still make plans anyway.

You still dream. You still plan for education, for relationships, for the future of the work, for the hire you believed in enough to say out loud. You can't fully plan for what you don't]�[�ۛ��H�^�]�Z[�]\ˈ] ����H�X\�ۈ���[�[�ˈ] ��H�X\�ۈ����][�[��[�H�ۈH�X]\�Y�\�H�YY\�[�� ��� ��^IܙH�[�[�[���][�H[���[��Y � ����[�H[�XYH�[YYH��K���Y[ۙHۈHX[H\�[�XYH�X\��[��[��Z\��YZ�\��[�] �H\�KH][��]K[�H�[[�\��[���Z�H^H�[ۙ��[�K�H[^HY��Z�H��H�ܙ��X�ˈH�[YH[�[�\����]\��[H�[YK� ����^IܙH�[�[�[��H\�H[�H[�XYH�[YY � ��� ��H�[[�\��[����Z�H[�\�� � ����XZ�[��H[��\ۉ�\����[��K�H�\�Y\����]�\�]��YY[�H��[\ۉ�[X�K�I��YK�[�H�[]�HH][��]K�[�H�[]�HH�[[�\��[�H�[]�HH\�H��[܈�Z]ۈ܈[H�]X��] ���H[���\�H�X[�ܚˈ^H�\�\�[��H�X]\��H�Y[�\ۉ��X��YH[�\���X�]\�H[�Hܛ�HH]H[�[�ˏ ������\ۉ�Y�Z[��[�\��[[�\��H\ۉ��Y\��[��]\��]HZ]\��Hۛ���]�\�][��]�[\[�H[^KHY\�H��H�\��\�H]�\ۉ�[�H��\ˈH[�^X�Y\ۉ��]�YH[K�][��Y\�H���[�HY����Y[K�[�HZY��H�][��\�H�\�H\�[^H\�ۛH��ˈ]ZY��HH�]\��Y[ �[�Hۉ�]�H��][�[�H�]�]��Z[�ˈ[�H]�H����X][��H[�Z�H]�]�X�ݙH[K� ��� ��[�H�ܚ�H�Y[ � �����ݙ\����^\���H�[�XZ�H�\�[���]Hܙ]\�Z[�\��\��\ˈ�] ����H���[�ˈ] ��H�\�Y\���ۙ\�K�[�HXZ�HH[��[�H]H�YY[�H�\���ˈ[�H�ܚ�H��[Z�H]X]\���X�]\�H]�\ˈ[�[�H�Z]ۈ�Z[�[�Hۉ��ۋ�H�\�Y\����ܚ��[��Z]�\ۉ�]Z][�ˈI��[[��H�]X��]H�Y[ � ����[�H�[�[�H��ˈ[�Hۉ��]���Y[HH�Z[��[�H�[���\�]�YY �[�H�[[��][�H[�Y ��]ܛ���Y�\�[�H[�\�H\�[�H�]�\�X�X[H�ۙY [����[�\��HY�KH\�KH][�� ��\��] ���\��]�]\��[��H�[[�\��\�� � ��� ��XZ�[��[��\ۉ�H�؛[O � ����[��\�[��H[�[^K�[��]�]X�ݙH\�\�K�[�H�X�Z]H[�[��^Y\����X�]\�H[��[��\�\�K�]�X�]\�H[�H\�[���� �\��[H�]\�Z[�HH�\ˈ\��[H����[�HH\�\�H܈H\�H܈H]H]\ۉ����H[K��^H�]] ]�[�Y�]YX[���Z][��]\��]Hۙ�\�[�[�H�[�Y ]�[�Y�]YX[��H�[YH[�[�\����]�\ۉ��]H�[�^K� ����[��[H�[H[�H�Z] �ۉ�ۛH\��[H��\��H[�[�H���Y� �[��[H�܈�ZY[��[�H�[�[�H��[���YHH�^�]�Z[�]\ˈ] ���Z]]H�]K�] ��XY\��\]�[�[HX[HH�]�]�]�][�[��[�H�ۈH\��\� � ��� ���X�Z][��\ۉ�]Z][�� � ����\�I��H\��[�] ���[YY���X�Z][��H[�\ۉ��[�[��ٙ�H�Y[ �]\ۉ�[�H�X��Z[��HXY\����ۉ�X�YK�] ��[�H][�����Y\H\�[�H�]�\�X�X[H�ۙY � �����X�Z][��H[�\ۉ�]Z][�ˏ �����[ܜ���[ܛ�[��[�Hۉ��YYH�ۙ�\�[��K��Y�ܙHH�^\�H�۝�\��][ۋ܈�Y�ܙHH�^[��[�H[���[��H�HX[K�X�Z]H[�[��^Y\��\��[H�]\ۉ����H[K�[�Z�HH�^�\[�HX�X[H�ۋ��[ ��Z] �[HX[HH�] �[�H�^����]�]�][�[��[�H�ۈH�Z[��H[X[���[�[���][�H[���[��Yۉ��YYHXY\����Z�\��\�Z[�K�^H�YYHXY\����[��ܚ�H�Y[[��Z]ۈ���]�]�[[��H�Z]H�Z[\�K� �����[�H��\��\�Y�Z[�[�]�[ [�Hۉ��YYH�]�\��ۘ[]K�[�H�YYH�[YHۙ\�K�[�HXYHH[��Y�HY��\�ˈ���[]\�Z[�\�H�\�[��Y[��Hۙ\�[�H�[���YHY] �]H�YY[��[��[H�܈�ZY[��[�K�Z�HH�\] ��[�\�ˈX]�HH�Z[��][K� ��

Free Worksheet

When Unexpected Changes Disrupt Your Leadership Plans Worksheet

A reflective worksheet to help you apply the insights from "When Unexpected Changes Disrupt Your Leadership Plans" to your leadership journey. Includes Scripture foundation, reflection questions, and action steps.

Apply what you've learned with this practical resource

A Prayer for Yielded Leadership

I'm at this gate again, Lord, with offer notes in my pocket and a name I was sure I'd call, and life didn't ask permission. I'm tired of treating the hire, the launch date, and the calendar like they belong to me. The team's still walking what I announced, and I'm not sure it still holds. Forgive me for putting my plans in front of Yours. You know the next few minutes. I don't. I'm asking You to determine the steps. Show me the desire or the date that isn't from You. I'll take the next step I actually own. Call. Wait. Tell them the truth. Thank You for guiding me when I couldn't see. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

  1. What hire, role, or launch date did you already announce to the team, and are they still walking it while you're not sure it holds?
  2. Before the next hire conversation, what named plan will you submit to God in prayer, and which desire or date might not be from Him?
  3. Tomorrow, will you call, wait, or tell the team the truth, and what changes if you take that step without pretending you own the rain?

George B. Thomas

About George B. Thomas

Founder of the Spiritual Side of Leadership

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