FOLLOWERS’ FAITH MUST BE RENEWED

Just as Moses fear was in the beginning when he asked God “What if they do not believe me or listen to me…? (Exo. 4:1), the children of Israel soon proved the importance of continuous persuasion as they journey to the Promised Land.

While many were glad enough to leave Egypt, they soon turned on him just later at the Red Sea. After God parted the waters and they joyfully accompanied Moses into the desert, their loyalty soon withered again. They were thirsty, hence Moses turned bitter water sweet; they were hungry, yet Moses pleaded God to provide manna and quails. Despite all these miracles, in the few days that followed, they were all at Moses’ neck again accusing him “why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst” (Exo. 17:3).

If parting the Rea Sea and drowning Pharaoh’s army couldn’t earn Moses the confidence of the Israelites as God’s messenger, it’s not surprising that the average manager has trouble sustaining the confidence of his staff. People may find it difficult to follow your ideas and changes. It’s like following you to walk on waters. There is no such thing as winning people’s trust once and for all, faith must be renewed no matter how brilliant your past successes. You are only as good as your last movies, says a Hollywood adage.

Even though many people did not believe in the exploits of Dr. Jonas Salk while he was working to develop the polio vaccine in 1953, yet when the result came out, he proved to the whole world how possible it is to stimulate antibodies by injecting a person with dead virus. Soon after, Dr. Salk again involved himself in pioneering the research to develop a vaccine for AIDS. This time, the scientific community insisted that AIDS vaccine was unfeasible because the virus was able to mutate so quickly. Salk’s response was “I know this will work, and I will do it”.

Two years after his death in 1997, the first report of the vaccine – “Remune” came in. The immune cells of people who had taken the drug significantly increase to fight off the HIV virus. Clinical trials of “Remune” continue today and on the web, it is referred to as Salk vaccine.

If there comes a time when you present your staff with a new or difficult challenge, and the majority of them seem to chorus how impossible it is, the only way to gain their faith is to proceed with the mission undaunted, until your Rea Sea disappears. Now when your impossible idea proves to be viable after all, then the crowd will follow you. Nevertheless, be ready when they stop at the next bridge and demand yet another miracle. Your staff faith must constantly be rekindled by your vision and energy. Be prepared to prove yourself not once, but every time and you will win the confidence of your staff the only way – day by day.