Toolbox: Discernment
Better Discernment for Better Leaders
A Flood of Choices
Every day brings a flood of choices: strategic, relational, ethical, and personal.
Two of the most defining responsibilities of leaders are (1) shaping culture and (2) making decisions. How those decisions are made determines not only outcomes, but the kind of leader a person becomes. This is why discernment deserves to be a central theme in spiritual advising.
Discernment goes beyond standard decision-making frameworks. While logic, data, and pros-and-cons lists have value, discernment adds another dimension: attentiveness to God’s guidance. It assumes a God who is active, present, and deeply invested in the daily realities of leadership—not just in big moments, but in ordinary and strategic decisions alike. Discernment invites leaders to seek God’s will and to listen with openness and trust.
Learning Communal Discernment
Effective spiritual advising helps leaders move from merely faith-informed decisions to faith-infused ones.
This requires slowing down, creating space for reflection, and listening—to God, to oneself, and to others.
Discernment is sustained through ongoing connection with God, not just crisis-driven prayer. Spiritual advisors help leaders cultivate trust: trust that God speaks, that God’s guidance is good, and that leaders are valued for who they are, not just what they produce. Discernment becomes less about avoiding mistakes and more about aligning with mission.
Because leadership decisions are often complex and involve multiple colleagues, communal discernment needs to be learned. Spiritual advisors can equip leaders with practices such as solitude, group discernment processes, creative reflection, and trust-based evaluations that deepen clarity and confidence. Discernment, rightly practiced, becomes a powerful leadership advantage for believers.
