Effective leaders learn how to improvise. That is, they understand the art of doing what you can, with you have, where you are…right now. Let’s consider a scene from the life and ministry of Samson in Judges chapter 15:
14. And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
15. And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
16. And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
17. And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.
18. And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
19. But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.
20. And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.
Judges 15:14-20, KJV
The jawbone of an ass is not the ideal weapon of choice when you are facing a vast army that is set in battle array against you. I’m sure if given a choice Samson would have preferred a new sword, shield, or armor of his choosing. That was not how the battle unfolded for him. His hand was forced and he had to use whatever was available to him in the heat of the moment.
You can’t wait for everything to fall in place and be perfectly lined up before you undertake something for God. Sometimes you have to recognize opportunity and do what you can with whatever resources are you at your disposal…right now. Good leaders, God’s leaders, do what they can, with what they have, where they’re at…right now.