Built to Beat Chaos

Introduction

Today's leaders face a perfect storm of chaos. The pace and scope of change has been unprecedented. More has changed in the past few years than in the last fifty combined: staff shortages and rising labor costs, changing attitudes toward work, a focus on gender equity and inclusion, emerging generational differences, rampant burnout, the explosion of technology, changing customer preferences, and supply chain disruptions. Finally, what a person must know to lead the workplace of the future feels overwhelming. And all this upheaval has led to more first‐time leaders than ever before being thrown into the fray with little or no training.

We have arrived at the point where every day I hear lament about being held hostage by this invisible force called chaos. As you read on, we are going to challenge you to rethink chaos, leadership, and their relationship.

What if chaos was not some evil force but something a benevolent God gave us for a very good reason? And what if you and every person you know was designed to transform chaos into some purpose of their own choosing? What if that was what leadership is really all about?

The central premise of this book is that your existence is not an accident, and neither is your purpose. Every human is created in the image of God and is designed to win at something—to conquer some part of the chaos around them. The biblical language used is unmistakably strong—“mastery,” “dominion,” “overcoming,” “ruling.” You were created to be ...