“On Egypt? If you lean on Egypt, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is completely unreliable!” — Isaiah 36:6 NLT
Leadership doesn’t get easier—it just gets louder.
Between emails, news cycles, public opinion, internal dialogue, and the expectations of others, leaders are constantly bombarded with noise. The real challenge? Learning to sift through all of it to hear what actually matters. To lead well, you have to filter—ruthlessly, intentionally, and with love.
Isaiah 35 and 36 offer a perfect frame for this. Chapter 35 paints a stunning picture of restoration: deserts blooming, knees strengthened, joy returning. Then Isaiah 36 drops us into a tense confrontation. Jerusalem is under threat. The Assyrian commander mocks Hezekiah’s trust in God and ridicules their reliance on Egypt: “That broken reed will stab your hand.” Ironically, he’s not wrong. Judah’s alliance with Egypt had already been called out by God in earlier chapters (Isaiah 30–31). The truth came from an enemy—and it still needed to be heard.
Discernment Over Drama
In leadership, feedback often comes dressed in hostility, sarcasm, or doubt. If you’re not paying attention, you’ll reject the message because you don’t like the messenger.
But discerning leaders know how to tune their ears to truth, no matter where it comes from.
Example: You’re in a meeting and someone you don’t respect raises a red flag. Your impulse? Dismiss it. But maybe they’re seeing something you’re missing—about a partner, a process, or your own blind spot. Can you hear God’s whisper in a critique you didn’t want?
Cut the Clutter—Speak with Clarity
The flip side is just as critical: when you speak, do people know what you’re saying?
The Assyrians, for all their arrogance, spoke plainly: “Don’t count on Egypt.” They got their point across. Love doesn’t always mean soft words—but it does mean clear ones.
Practical Application: When giving feedback or direction to your team, ask yourself: Am I minimizing noise, or adding to it? Strip away jargon. Say what you mean. If your words confuse more than clarify, you’re just echoing the static.
Stay Open—Stay Grounded
Sometimes God uses unexpected voices. Balaam’s donkey. A pagan king. Even enemies. Truth isn’t always delivered in a way we’d prefer—but a wise leader listens anyway.
Leadership Habit: Develop a “pause-and-pray” reflex. When something hits a nerve—especially if it’s from someone you’d normally ignore—don’t react immediately. Pause. Pray. Ask: Is there truth here I need to face?
Bringing it home
In today’s noisy world, discernment is a leadership superpower. But it’s not about always being right—it’s about always being receptive. Receptive to correction. Receptive to direction. Receptive to voices that might not look or sound like yours.
Are you filtering what you hear through love, wisdom, and humility? Or are you just tuning out anything that doesn’t fit your preferences?
Journey with Della 