The baptismal candidates entered onto the stage through the green room and were told to exit through the auditorium and then change in the restrooms in the lobby of the church. However, one of the girls decided to go back to the green room and change there - not technically her fault because she was never told not to do that.
Well, you could imagine my surprise when the door to the bathroom in the green room was locked because there was a girl changing in there. We acted quickly and my friend who was with me asked her to remain the bathroom until I finished changing in the green room itself. She was embarrassed and I felt really bad for her too. When I asked my staff pastor what happened his response was, "It's my fault ... I told them all what TO do, but I didn't tell them what NOT to do."
That's a powerful principle of leadership. You need to always tell people you lead what they should AND shouldn't do. Clarity is essential when it comes to setting expectations.
We see this demonstrated by God himself when he placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He told them that they could eat from any tree in the garden, except from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God told them what to do and what not to do.
The next time you lead people, remember this lesson and it could save both you and the people you lead from some potentially embarrassing situations.
