Unfortunately, many times, decision makers for Islamic organizations can lose sight of the end goal. Emotions get the best of us because we are invested, emotionally, into our projects. This is the case whether it is the masjid, MSA, Islamic school, or even a small youth group.
We sometimes criticize young men and women who are ‘in love’ for being blinded by their emotions and unable to think clearly. We ourselves, however, are blinded by the fact that sometimes we take on these same characteristics in our own projects. We are emotionally invested in something that we have put a lot of time into volunteering for. In some cases, the emotional investment may come from a financial contribution. For some, it may be a legacy issue – such as a family business. Others carve out an identity based upon the projects they work on. In all of these cases, when the time comes for a decision, a person may often times decide based upon personal desires as opposed to the good of the organization.
This is multiplied exponentially when a person is involved in a project due to personal, spiritual benefit. The strong emotion in this case will make him or her feel as if their personal salvation is also on the line. Though it is not usually the case, more than one of the factors mentioned above come together and create an emotional cloud.
If you find that this is the case, then remember:
The train is on the tracks, you better check yourself before you wreck yourself
Or, as Simon Sinek more eloquently tweeted recently,
About Omar Usman
Omar Usman is a founding member of MuslimMatters, Qalam Institute, Muslim Strategic Initiative, and Debt Free Muslims. He is a regular khateeb and has served in different administrative capacities in various national and local Islamic organizations. You can follow him on Google+ or on Twitter @ibnabeeomar.
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