I have always wanted to tell a leader what I really thought. I also knew that each time my emotions gave me enough courage that it was not the right moment. The feeling continued to grow with time. If only I had the right opening. I would be blunt but hopeful, candid yet thinking of possibilities.
As I waited to see the leader, time seemed to slow down and stop. The appointment on a different subject came and went while I sat patiently. My emotional surge that I had walked in with had long taken a holiday, yet the call to start the meeting had not come. When it finally did, I wondered what the meeting’s agenda really was.
There was no introduction other than to motion me to a seat around a table in front whiteboard. “How long am I going to have this problem?”
I looked him directly in the eyes. “At least three or four years.”
“Do you know what you are going to do to get us there?”
“Yes.”
“Can you draw me a picture?”
My mind was racing. This was my moment. Here was my opportunity to share my ideas and vision! I had the same opportunity that Paul did when “Agrippa spoke directly to Paul: ‘Go ahead—tell us about yourself.’” (Acts 26.1)
One never knows when an opportunity window will present itself. One may think one is prepared. When the moment comes, I often find that my preparations mean little. The context is now. The demand for an answer is immediate. Nothing can come in its way.
My hands grabbed the eraser and furiously created white space. With a blue pen, I began to draw a fresh view of how life could unfold. I promised to come back with a plan. I promised to fight. I promised to be the leader that solved the problem.
On the day, in that moment I had an answer. In several encounters since I did not know. With the first, I was filled with reflection and hope. They made the difference. They always do.
