Some people have asked what was meant by some previous twitter comments on PERCEPTION vs. REALITY in regards to leadership.

Perception trumps reality every time.

Jesus was PERCEIVED as: Lord and lunatic when He walked the earth. He went from triumphal entry to crucifixion.

PC used to trump MAC for most people until the REALITY of Apple set it. The tide seems to be now turning that PC’s PERCEPTION is outdated, clunky, buggy, etc. PERCEPTION of Apple is that it is edgy, cool, innovate and easy.

The REALITY of my children and a hot stove was totally wrapped up in their PERCEPTION. When they finally touched a hot stove for the first time [despite our casting vision and warning], their REALITY changed forever. It’s not always this easy though.

The REALITY is what YOU experience. And that REALITY is based on your PERCEPTION.

PERCEPTION of your ministry, your leadership style, your logo, your spiritual development process, your influence, etc. is what you must work to maintain and change in order for REALITY to set in.

I have been PERCEIVED as a micro-manager in the past. REALITY was that at times it was true. So I changed REALITY.

Years later I was then called an absent leader due to the PERCEPTION that I had walked to far away from day-to-day relationships in the office in my past ministry. Maybe true, maybe not. [BTW: You will never win leaders, so just get used to the whining and complaining. It goes with the territory and many of you need to get over it and stop worrying about what others think of you. It used to destroy me. I now chuckle as some of them are leading from the top and probably understand this a little LOT more now:]

It has been PERCEIVED that my former church was great on OUTREACH, but low on DISCIPLESHIP. [Despite the fact that we worked very hard to implement methods both strategic and organic, and people have been progressing quite well since day 1.] The REALITY was that we were working hard on both and rarely did a meeting go by with Elder’s where we didn’t talk about it. But PERCEPTION wins every time.

Statistics don’t mean anything in the world of sports [is Kobe better than Magic or Michael], the church [are you seeker-driven or discipleship oriented], the stock market [let's not even dwell here]. Statistics are known to most as REALITY, but who cares how strong the stock market is rebounding when the REALITY is that you are without a job. Your PERCEPTION of everything becomes your REALITY, despite the REALITY of the situation.

So, here is a start on how to change that:

Emphasize the FUTURE REALITY. Politicians do this all the time. They understand that public PERCEPTION wins over REALITY. When President Obama was criticized for not talking hard on the oil spill, they stepped up the talk of FUTURE REALITY, and all of the sudden, he went from not caring, to infringing on public rights due to making them set aside 20B in funds. [Another debate].

Want to change the REALITY of your ministry or organization? Change PERCEPTION first. Want to change REALITY in the way you are perceived as a leader, change PERCEPTION first. It doesn’t matter what the REALITY is, PERCEPTION always dictates REALITY.

And by the way, PERCEPTION is also more than just plans, talk and strategy. It also must show action or REALITY will never become actualized. PERCEPTION is also messed up by sin, economy, schedule, personal preference, etc. Yep, it’s messy.

The vision God has given you will be greatly impacted by PERCEPTION and working this angle will help produce God-sized REALITY as we deal with fallen people in efforts of seeing the great REALITY of redemption and God’s glory shared with the world.

Make sense?