This month's Soul Matters theme is "Attention." A colleague wisely (and wryly) remarked that this is an excellent theme because whatever we end up preaching on is a thing or a subject that we are paying attention to. The sermons just plan themselves! If only.
We often hear that we desire principled leadership from government, business, or congregational leadership. Principled leadership clarifies what are your values when it comes to leading, and articulating them. In this month's newsletter column, I want to take a moment to turn my attention to my leadership values. This is a sketch of where I am on October 28, 2019, but it could very well change.
I looked at those leaders I admire; they include leaders from seminary, our denomination, scout leaders, and educational leaders. Of course, we can also make lists of values of leaders we don't look up- values we do not wish emulate, we could call them anti-values.
I brainstormed this list a while ago. I think the best leaders value: resiliency, humility, service, clarity, empathy, community, accountability, and legacy. What do I mean by this? Why are these my leadership values?
Resilience is first for several reasons. If a leader is not well-rested, centered, or connected to other leaders, they cannot be effective. They have to have resiliency reserves. Self-care is of premium importance. I've seen leaders who sacrifice themselves – they end up committing misconduct, burning out, or developing addictions. They have to be comfortable asking for help from helping professionals. That adage of air travel is correct – take care of yourself first before assisting others.
Humility is next. An elder ministerial colleague once suggested that ministers should have tacked up next to their mirror a note that says, "you could be wrong." Wise leaders realize that they might not have all the answers; someone else might know more. It is about understanding and embracing where are our strengths and weaknesses are. They are collaborative, and they lift what others may know. Effective leaders are life long learners.
Service follows after humility. Though good leaders delegate and empower others to do the work, they should also be willing to step in and help when necessary. There's a whole line of leadership theory that I'm attracted to called "Servant Leadership." The core values of this school of thought involve putting the group's achievement above the leaders achieve. First among equals might be the motto of servant leaders.
Clarity is next. Transparent leaders clarify why they acted in a certain way. They might even say that they are aggressively transparent, as much as they are able. They communicate what their values are. They strive to communicate what their goals are. They communicate expectations. They are strong storytellers. They are imaginative and ambitious when it comes to setting goals for organizations they lead.
Empathy follows clarity. Empathy teaches us that everyone is fighting a battle that perhaps no one else knows about. It's not sympathy or feeling sorry for another person, though. It's about being able to see things from a different perspective. All members of a group foster a sense of empathy.
A good leader should be concerned with the health and be aware of the emotional state of the people in their team, organization, or community that they serve. Leaders foster a sense of fun and togetherness in those communities. The group that has fun together has a strong foundation when conflicts enter the equation or when difficult conversations need to happen. Leaders also should be aware of the values of their community and appreciate the context and history of those communities.
Leaders are also accountable and have communities of accountability. The lone ranger leader can be incredibly dangerous. Leaders are clear about what is expected of them. The flip side of this is that communities should know what to expect of their leaders. Leaders should seek to create feedback loops that allow them to continually grow. They lift up and center marginalized voices. They recognize the need to step back at times.
Leaders are concerned with legacy. They recognize that the communities they lead existed before their arrival and will continue to exist after they leave. They make decisions that benefit the current community, that appreciate the past, and that meet future needs. They empower the next generation of leaders.
So what about you? What values guide your decision making? What do you value in leadership?