Are you swimming naked?

When times are good, you can fake out a lot of folks. When money is good and things are rolling along well, bad leadership or bad management, bad policies or bad practices aren't nearly as noticable. But when times get tough…when the tide goes out…things get exposed. What once seemed so successful and solid is actually revealed to be nothing more than a magic act achieved with so much smoke and mirrors.

As a leader when you fail to lead with strength and decisiveness, you are exposed. When you forget those who are working for you, you are exposed. When you forget the customer…the one who ultimately is paying your salary, you are exposed. When you fail to disciple, you are exposed. When you allow your vision to fall around your ankles instead of rise to the horizon, you are exposed. 

Hard times don't necessarily create character. Like the receeding tide, hard times only reveal what's been there all along.