Problems to Solve, Tensions to Manage
…and the wisdom to know the difference
The Leadership Challenge Beneath the Surface
Leadership tends to bring issues to light. Some are clear and easy to understand.
Others seem complex, layered, and persistent. Over time, one of the most valuable skills a leader can develop is knowing the difference between a problem to fix and a tension to manage.
At first glance, those two things may appear very similar. They both create pressure. They both demand attention. They both invite discussion and action. However, they are not the same. When leaders confuse the two, organizations can waste a lot of energy trying to open doors that were never meant to be opened.
Some issues are genuinely problems. They have a cause, a solution, and once tackled, they can be resolved. Think of a broken process, an unclear policy, a staffing gap, or a technology failure. These things can be diagnosed and fixed.
But other issues are tensions, and they never fully go away. They exist in the space between two good values or two necessary priorities, both of which must be respected. In ministry contexts like ours, tensions are always present. Innovation and stability. Speed and care. Stewardship and generosity. Global vision and local effectiveness.
You can’t “solve” those things once and for all. They must be managed wisely over time.
The Danger of Treating Every Issue the Same
Leadership author Peter Drucker observed, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” Part of doing the right things is understanding which issues demand decisive solutions and which need ongoing discernment.
When leaders treat every issue as a problem, they often look for permanent solutions to inherently dynamic situations. They create policies to fix what truly needs wisdom. They develop systems to address what actually requires ongoing prayer, conversation, and discernment.
On the other hand, when leaders see every problem as a source of tension, they often avoid addressing issues that truly need solutions. Clear problems stay unresolved. Decisions are delayed. Accountability diminishes. Things that should have been addressed directly turn into ongoing frustrations for everyone involved.
In other words, wisdom involves having the humility to ask a simple yet powerful question: Is this a problem to solve or a tension to manage?
Scripture reminds us that discernment is given by God to those who request it. In James 1:5, we read: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
Leadership decisions are rarely made in a vacuum. They require prayer, perspective, and a willingness to listen to the Lord and to others.
Leaders Must Discern the Difference
So, how do we start to tell the difference? How do we know if something is a problem to solve or a tension to manage?
First, ask whether the issue can actually be resolved.
If there is a clear root cause and a clear corrective action, you are probably dealing with a problem. A broken system can be fixed. A confusing policy can be made clearer. A role that lacks clarity can be defined.
Second, consider whether both sides of the issue reflect important values.
Tensions often arise between two good things that both matter. For instance, we want to grow the ministry while also protecting our culture. We want to steward resources wisely while also boldly stepping forward in faith. When two important values pull against each other, the goal is rarely to eliminate one. It’s to embrace both.
Third, check if the issue keeps coming back over time.
Problems tend to fade once they are solved. Tensions keep reappearing, requiring ongoing adjustments. Just like steering a ship, leadership often involves making small, continuous corrections to keep the ministry on course.
Fourth, seek counsel from others who offer diverse perspectives.
One of the gifts of the Body of Christ is shared wisdom. Proverbs reminds us that discernment increases when we listen carefully. “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22).
Healthy leadership teams foster space for these conversations. Together we pray, listen, and ask God to help us see clearly.
Leading with Wisdom and Faithfulness
One idea shared with me when I first became a leader was this: “The mark of a mature organization is not that tensions disappear, but that leaders learn to hold them faithfully.”
That is especially true in ministry. We are stewards of a calling that is both spiritual and practical. We care deeply about people while also managing resources. We move forward with a vision to reach this generation while remaining grounded in biblical conviction.
Some issues will need bold decisions and clear solutions. Others will require patience, humility, and steady leadership over time.
Both approaches to leadership matter.
And both require wisdom from the Lord.
At Joni and Friends, we are blessed with a mission that calls us to communicate the Gospel and mobilize the global church to serve people living with disability. That mission puts us at the center of many important leadership tensions. Local ministry and global movement. Innovation and stewardship. Compassion and clarity.
Our goal is not to eliminate those tensions, but to faithfully steward them for the glory of God and the good of others.
So when new challenges surface, it helps to pause and ask a quiet question before rushing to act: Is this a problem to solve, or a tension to manage?
That simple moment of discernment can save an organization a great deal of time, energy, and frustration. More importantly, it helps us lead with wisdom, humility, and dependence on the Lord.
May God give each of us the discernment we need as we serve Christ together, and may He continue to guide this ministry as we aim to help the global church learn to live, love, and lead like Jesus as they serve those living with disability.