Don’t Rely On Past Success

Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp. . . . “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River.” Joshua 2:1

If you’ve been in a successful leadership position for a significant amount of time, you are highly susceptible to a malady I refer to as “The Paradox of Experience.”

This is especially true of those who have led the same organization or have been in the same industry for a while. Experience can be a great teacher; it can also lull you into poor decisions based on yesterday’s knowledge.

It’s impossible to accurately predict the future, but the likelihood of your coming close to the mark improves in relation to the freshness of your knowledge.

Joshua was a successful leader with Yahweh on his side. The Israelites were within striking distance of the Promised Land. They had focused on this for hundreds of years, but he still took time to update his knowledge.

As a leader, it is tempting to rely on past success. Don’t let experience lead you astray.