Thriving Despite the Darkness

By Dr John Nyamunda – The Big Picture – 

Leadership is not about titles or positions; we all lead in various aspects of our lives, whether at work, in our families, or in our communities. But how can we lead effectively when our inner world is in shambles, and our external reality is challenging?

Why Should You Care?

As a leader, you probably have faced moments of despair, hopelessness, and doubt. It’s easy to lose sight of our purpose when the going gets tough. Like the late great, Archbishop Tutu said, “Hope is the ability to see the darkness and yet believe that the darkness will not have the last word.”  Will you be able to keep hope alive despite the darkness?

A Beacon of Hope

Mother Theresa, the leader of the Catholic Missionaries of Charity, provides a powerful example of leading during “the dark night of the soul”. For over 40 years, she grappled with a crisis of faith, yet continued to serve the poorest of the poor with unwavering dedication. Maybe I would have endured a few months, before bailing. Would you have survived years of spiritual darkness like she did and remain a beacon that guides others in their darkest time?

Purposeful Leadership in the Dark

When you’ve lost faith in your team, do you keep encouraging them or do you quickly extinguish their fire? Imagine this: your team may be struggling and it looks like they don’t even have what it takes to be successful, how long will you keep encouraging them? Often our job as leaders is to pray like Jesus for Peter that  “[our] faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:32.

Leading with purpose means behaving in a way you expect your team to behave, even when it’s challenging. Modelling, even when you don’t feel like it. For example, if you want to create a customer-centric team and a customer is clumsy and making unreasonable demands, how long will you stay calm and serving them? “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3-4).

The Bottom Line

Anyone can lead on easy days, but as Christ-loving purposeful leaders, we need to step up. You need to inspire hope when darkness has enveloped everyone, things have gone wrong and hope is gone. Remember it’s “not on our own strength, but on the help and grace of the Holy Spirit” (Catechism, 1817). Have you ever been a leader in darkness, or do you know someone who has led their team or family during trying times? Please reply to share your experiences.

Quote: “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” Romans 5:3-4

About the Author – Dr John Nyamunda is a practising Catholic with a PhD in Business Management and over 20 years of corporate experience. He is passionate about his faith and sharing insights on creating purpose-driven work environments. Contact him at .