Discernment or Gullibility
When you lack discernment, manipulators run your life. Gullibility undermines leadership.
Listen to suggestions but don’t be gullible. Other people’s ideas are often job assignments for you. When that happens, tell them you already have a job. Ask, “How can you give life to that idea?”
Discernment navigates the tension between change and stability. It chooses the right move at the right time.
Reflect on your team. Is this a moment to build or to break, to protect or to pioneer?
How to Practice Discernment
#1. Use Feedback as a Compass
Notice your team.
James Patterson and Patrick Leddin write in Disrupt Everything, “People look for someone who can clear up confusion and bring a sense of security, especially during uncertain times.”
When people feel uncertain, they need stability.
When they’re disengaged or bored, they need change.
Discerning leaders choose long-term advantage.
Change fuels growth. Stability sustains trust.
Leaders who chase every new thing exhaust people.
Leaders who resist every new thing bore them.
When confusion rises, bring stability.
When comfort smothers progress, stir change.
Hold fast to values; flex on methods.
Keep purpose steady; adapt strategy.
#2. Practice the Positive Disrupter Loop
- Discern – Understand what needs to shift or stay steady.
- Behave – Act intentionally.
- Achieve – Deliver results that matter.
- Refine – Reflect, adjust, and realign.
Balancing change and stability isn’t a one-time act. It’s a continual rhythm of discern → act → reflect → adjust.
(From: Disrupt Everything―and Win: Take Control of Your Future)
Discernment in Action
- Pause before acting.
- Listen beneath the noise.
- Anchor decisions to purpose.
- Match pace to people’s readiness.
Escape gullibility.
Practice discernment.
Lead teams that grow and stay grounded.
What does discernment look like to you?
What’s one small disruption that could reignite progress without breaking trust?
This post is adapted from the new book, Disrupt Everything―and Win: Take Control of Your Future
