The Ultimate Dress Code for Leadership, Pt. 2

The choice of clothes is often vitally important in the realm of leadership. “Dress for success,” is a valid mindset that every leader needs to consider as he/she stands before the closet of decision making. And so, this second blog on leadership dress code continues the biblical exhortation toward dressing in the right way to please God. The dress code is found in Colossians chapter three.

“Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Col 3:12-14, NIV84).

In part one, we tried on the first five garments (compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience). I have to confess that my clothes were often stained with irritation, selfishness, pride, anger, and a short temper, but I hope to enter my day tomorrow with a renewed commitment to dress for success.

Let's go back to the dressing room and try on the final three garments. The next two garments are like a pair of gloves or a pair of shoes – they really need to be considered together because they are worn in tandem.

1. Forbearance and 2. Forgiveness

Paul challenges us to, “Bear with each other. And forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.” The idea here is to tolerate and support one another. These two garments accentuate the differences we have as people. We are so different in talents, abilities, ideas, priorities, and goals. As we attempt to function together, whether it is in an organization, or a church, or a family, those differences will sometimes cause friction. These two gloves (forbearance and forgiveness) will help us appreciate and deal with our differences.

These two gloves of peace and cooperation are often exchanged quickly for boxing gloves – the gloves of jealousy and division. I have put my hands in these gloves more often than I would want to admit; and I have caused others to don these gloves by my offensive ways. We can offend people in so many ways: words, actions, and failure toward action. If not for the gloves of forbearance and forgiveness, effective leadership would not be possible, positive functioning families would not exist, and collaborative organizations would not be successful.

3. Love

The last garment is a beautiful overcoat. Paul shares, “And over all these virtues, put on love.” Compassion is at the innermost being of the leader and love is the overcoat that binds all of the clothing together in a perfect unity. The love described here is that godly, unconditional commitment to another. It is the agape love – the love that God has for His people – filled with grace and forgiveness. It is that loyalty that sticks through thick and thin. If you were to look at my overcoat, you would notice the mud of abandonment and disloyalty. Love is a easy word to say, but consistency of loving action and extending love in stressful, difficult situations takes incredible effort.

Before we close up our closet, let consider some principles about the power of these garments.

First, these clothes are all relational. These clothes are all designed for interaction. They are not primarily for our vertical relationship with God as much as they are made for our horizontal relationships with one another.

Second, these clothes are individual. They are designed for each person to wear. I personally have to choose to put these clothes on and to change how I relate to others. Whether it is a one-on-one relationship, friend-to-friend, spouse-to-spouse, or leader-to-follower, the clothes demand a personal commitment to exercising their power.

Third, these garments are communal. Although the clothes are designed for the individual, they are meant to be part of the community. These clothes are essential for the group. If they are not part of the uniform of the organization, the resultant selfishness, pride, anger, and jealousy will destroy any unity of the group.

Fourth the clothes are observable. People will see the difference in our leadership, in our lives, in our relationships, in our actions. We will stand out in a selfish world. We will be different – we might be misunderstood, rejected, seen as odd, and questioned – but we will be different in a very observable way.

Finally, the clothes are impactful. A person who consistently puts on these clothes makes an incredible friend, a wonderful boss, a beloved family member, a faithful leader. These garments allow an individual to provide a powerful testimony at school, work, and home. As we wear them on a daily basis we earn the right to be heard.

There they are. They come in all sizes and colors. Try them all on and make them part of your daily experience. Compassion...Kindness...Humility... Gentleness... Patience... Forbearance... Forgiveness... Love. Dress for success.

The Ultimate Dress Code for Leadership

The power tie, monogrammed dress shirt, high quality slacks with a razor-sharp crease....no, no no in today's world of causal: collarless shirt under a sports jacket, designer jeans, a casual shoe maybe even new tennis shoes...... no, no, no super relaxed: sweatshirt, baggy jeans (holes of course), some chains and no socks. From the CEO to the Senior Pastor dress is so varied. I recently attended an event that requested “business casual” for the appropriate attire. I showed up in a polo shirt and khakis. There were some with sports jackets without the corporate tie; others in t-shirts and shorts; others in camouflage pants and a cut-off top. All of this expresses the range of dress for men in the massive pool of leadership. The variance among women is even greater and above my vocabulary of styles.

However, the Bible provides some great insights into the best dress for godly leadership. In fact, to be dressed as an effective leader, I would suggest that there are 8 articles of clothing that should be worn everyday. This wardrobe is found in Colossians 3:12-14. This uniform is one-size-fits-all and looks great on either gender and all ages.

“Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Col 3:12-14, NIV84).

Let's take a quick look at the leadership fashion show that Paul presents in this list of garments.

The first 5 of the articles of clothing are simply listed in a series of garments in verse 12. The last 3 are found in the verses that follow. When I opened up my closet and evaluated my wardrobe, I found myself lacking. The good news is that these clothes are readily available to all. The bad news is, they are not cheap and sometimes they are uncomfortable to wear. But,let's try on the first five of these garments and see how well they fit (we'll finish up the fashion show on the next blog).

1. Compassion

This garment involves two words in the original Greek (bowels or intestines plus compassion or mercy). At the inner core of our beings.... at the depths of our motivation.... at the heart of who we are, we need to find compassion and mercy. This piece of clothing brings with it the idea of relieving sorrow and want. As we lead, our compassion for the needs of others should dominate our decision making. How often do I irritate instead of relieve the stress of others?

     2. Kindness

 

This simple word of being nice and good and thoughtful is not a complex term, but it sure is hard to demonstrate on a consistent basis. I love the idea behind random acts of kindness – looking for opportunities to extend kindness to others (strangers, people on the street, drivers in traffic, neighbors). The recent series of commercials showing the circle of kindness reflects this powerful concept of kindness – a man notices another person saving the unbalanced coffee cup or yet a third person, that man in return shares his umbrella with someone caught in the pouring rain, that person holds an elevator for a rushing employee, who just happens to be the person who saved the cup of coffee from spilling in the first scene. How often are my clothes stained with selfishness and thoughtlessness?

3. Humility

Humility involves a mindset and heart attitude. For me personally, I find humility when I understand and recognize my sinful nature, my frailty and shortcomings; the amazing nature of God's grace and the forgiveness He pours over my inabilities; the source of my giftedness is the Spirit of God and nothing to be used to accomplish my agenda.... His agenda, His way, His glory. But how often does pride put holes in this garment when I try to wear it into the leadership arena?

4. Gentleness

This piece of clothing is not often listed in the wardrobe of leadership traits. And yet, consider what a leader would look like dressed in gentleness. Possible synonyms are meekness or tenderness, but I like the idea of power under control. Gentleness has the underlying feel of protection. Put another way, the effective leader gently controls his/her power and authority in order to provide safety, protection, and care for his/her followers. What a contrast this leader would be to the anger, dominance, and even coercive nature of the stereotypical CEO.

5. Patience

The great Greek word means to endure evil and exercise slowness toward revenge. My initial picture when I think of patience is the long check out line and the need to wait my turn. But this term has the foundation of responding to the negative aspects of life. Even when evil comes your way, or opposition to your ideas, or false accusation, or words of disagreement and dissension, patience allows you to endure that opposition. Even if you have the authority to lash out, patience manifests a slowness to retaliation. Patience is the long fuse. I love the idea of patience, but how often rip this garment with a short temper and personal offense.

These might not be the typical clothes worn by a leader in today's world, but I would love to follow someone with this wardrobe. And yet, we are not done trying on clothes. The final three garments will be featured in the next blog. Hope to see you back here soon....

The Leadership Salad Bar Pt 4

The salad bar is a common feature in many restaurants, but the salad for today is the leadership salad. I would recommend this salad for those who desire to improve their leadership effectiveness. The salad consists of five different kinds of lettuce blended together in a powerful mixture that will change your diet forever.

The salad is actually found in the Bible – in the New Testament: Hebrews 10:22-25. “Let us (lettuce #1) draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. Let us (lettuce #2) hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us (lettuce #3) consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us (lettuce #4) not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us (lettuce #5) encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Each exhortation (or let us) is rich with leadership vitamins and life changing principles. The idea of the salad bar is an attempt to be cute, but the exhortations are very serious concepts. This posting will explore the fourth and fifth challenges from this passage.

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” The conjunction that connects these two exhortations reflects a contrasting relationship. The first lettuce shares what leaders should NOT do (let us not give up....) while the second lettuce delineates the positive attitude of effectiveness (but let us encourage...)

As we sample the first lettuce, we experience the taste of temptation. Many are in the habit of failing to meet together. This failure brings weakness to the people. Giving up coming together and meeting as an organization (whether it is a church, a school, a factory, or a business firm) can be very detrimental to the health of all the stakeholders. Failing to meet with one another will water down good communication. The absence of face-to-face time weakens the bonds of loyalty, causes misunderstandings, and blurs the clarity of the mission of the institution. Coming together promotes a shared vision, enables inspiration and motivation, and allows for personal exchange of ideas and emotions. The communication gates of the ears, eyes, and mouth are critical for understanding the very existence of an organization.

I do not like meetings. Someone once shared that meetings are activities that take hours just to produce a few minutes. I have been part of a number of meetings that ended without resolution, that seemed to be a huge waste of time, and that produced frustration or boredom or both. However, without the meeting together, much of the structure of the organization runs the risk of disintegration. Without good communication we fall into what I call the judges syndrome – everyone doing what seems right in his eyes (Judges 21:25) – the message is vague, the vision is out of focus, the purpose is skewed, and the path is foggy.

Meeting together keeps the focus and allows the institution (the church, the school, or the organization) to maintain a sense of unity. Meeting together communicates to those involved that “we are all in this together.” I really enjoy watching college basketball and March Madness is always an exciting time of competition. Every team in the tournament has great dreams of the final four. Communication on and off the court is vital to keep each member of the team on the same page. I loved one of Baylor University’s approaches to team purpose. This university published their unity on their warm-up jerseys. As they met together on the court getting ready for the battle of roundball they all wore warm-up shirts that had these words on the front: One Team, One God, One Goal. Let us not give up meeting together.

The second lettuce in this part of the salad bar is, “But let us encourage one another.” The Greek word used here for encourage is a rich word with many meanings. So many of the nuances of the word might be applicable as we reflect on the relationships we are building in our lives. Let me put a few meanings in place of the term encourage and see if it brings someone to your mind:

But let us persuade one another.

But let us console one another.

But let us admonish one another.

But let us invite one another.

But let us implore one another.

But let us send for one another.

But let us comfort one another.

Finally, notice the urgency of this last piece of lettuce – encourage one another all the more when you see the Day approaching. Encouragement is so important to the health of any relationship, any organization, and any leadership endeavor. Encouragement is so needed during times of trials, situations causing anxiety, and times of tension and stress.

The Leadership Salad Bar Pt 3

I love to make a salad from all the great vegetables in the fridge. But the salad for today is the leadership salad. I would recommend this salad for those who desire to improve their leadership effectiveness. The salad consists of five different kinds of lettuce blended together in a powerful mixture that will change your diet forever.

The salad is actually found in the Bible – in the New Testament: Hebrews 10:22-25. “Let us (lettuce #1) draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. Let us (lettuce #2) hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us (lettuce #3) consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us (lettuce #4) not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us (lettuce #5) encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Each exhortation (or let us) is rich with leadership significance and life changing principles. The analogy to a salad is just a play on words, but the exhortations in Hebrews are very serious concepts and they have the potential of changing our leadership perspectives if we eat the salad on a regular basis. This posting will explore the third of these five different types of lettuce.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” This exhortation nourishes the leader with three powerful insights into the mindset for effective ministry.

First is the act of considering – let us consider....let us contemplate, let us plan, let us be intentional. This lettuce calls the leader to stop in the business of life and think about motivating others. Think time is not always a priority and often the urgent demands of leadership push out important opportunities of reflection. However time for consideration produces strategy and organization. There have been many times (one of them right now) when my To Do List is so long that I cannot see the bottom of it. For every one I scratch off, I add three to take its place. If I want order and a sense of direction for that To Do List, I must take some time, consider each action item and give some sort of priority to the list. That is the thought behind this exhortation – take some time to think, plan, and prioritize.

Second is the concept of spurring one another on. The consideration time is not profit margins or enrollment figures or budgetary cash-flow. This reflection, which will often result in practical plans, focuses on spurring. The Greek word translated to spur is an interesting term that has a diverse set of meanings. It can mean to sharpen. When I saw this definition, Proverbs 27:12 immediately came to mind: “As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another.” Sharing ideas, teaching skills, debating issues, and challenging error can help us stay sharp as well as sharpen others.

Another definition of the term to spur on is the idea, to stir up. My wife makes me the best vegetable soup in the world. In addition to a variety of vegetables (carrots, potatoes, green beans) she also includes several kinds of beans and occasionally rice. While it is cooking on the stove I will go over and stir the pot. The broth on top appears to be the totality of the soup, but the ladle quickly surfaces all the great vegetables and beans that have settled to the bottom of the pot. The stirring of the pot brings all the goodies to the top – so it is with man – as we stir the pot of life all the ingredients of the soup interact with one another. Instead of allowing the beans and vegetables to sink to the bottom, stirring the soup keeps them close to the surface. The concept in this exhortation is to keep love and good deeds close to the surface of our lives together.

A final definition of the term to spur is to irritate or to provoke. Sometimes there are those situations where we must provoke people toward good deeds… to nag people toward love. Mediocre is not acceptable in an organization of excellence. Treading water and remaining status quo cannot be tolerated. Earning a “C” when we are capable of “A”s is unacceptable. Complacency and laziness when it comes to loving one another is to be pitied indeed. If we truly love one another, then we will consider how we can get them off square one and moving down the right path. The image that came to my mind was that of a cattle prod. The prod is not designed to hurt the animal but rather to provide a little discomfort in order to direct the cow in the right direction. How can we tactfully, lovingly, and yet effectively challenge the spiritual couch potato to get more involved in spreading the love of Christ? How can we move our organization from the quicksand of the status quo into the flow of service and effectiveness?

Third is the focus on the results of the efforts of the leader in the lives of others – spur toward love and good deeds. These two results are foundation stones to the Christian faith. Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). And in James we read, “Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do” (2:17-18).

Let us consider (contemplate, plan, be intentional) how to spur (sharpen, stir up, provoke) one another toward love and good deeds. This kind of lettuce, although not always the easiest to eat, can produce incredible results in our lives as leaders, in the lives of those that follow, and in the organization as a whole. I think I will stop blogging now and spend some time considering how to spur others on toward love and good deeds. More salad to come…..

The Leadership Salad Bar Pt 2

The making of a salad has become such an art. Just the different kinds of lettuce is amazing. There is my personal favorite – Iceberg Lettuce –I love the crunch and moisture content. Then there is Butter or Boston Lettuce, Red Tip Lettuce, Romaine Lettuce, and Oak Leaf Lettuce…but the salad for today is the leadership salad. I would recommend this salad for anyone who desires to improve their leadership effectiveness. The salad consists of five different kinds of lettuce blended together in a powerful mixture that will change your diet forever.

The salad is actually found in the Bible – in the New Testament: Hebrews 10:22-25. “Let us (lettuce #1) draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. Let us (lettuce #2) hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us (lettuce #3) consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us (lettuce #4) not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us (lettuce #5) encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

These five exhortations of “Let Us” comprise the lettuce of the leadership salad. Each exhortation is rich with leadership significance and life changing principles. The salad bar is an attempt at being cute, but the exhortations are sobering reality aimed at very serious concepts. This posting will explore the second of these five different types of lettuce.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” This great tasting leadership lettuce brings three key concepts to the forefront. The first is the idea of holding on – Let us hold.... the picture being drawn for us is to grip or grasp something in a firm hand – to seize.

I have a wonderful grandson who has just turned two. We are on a walk recently and every time he saw an interesting rock, he had to stop and pick it up. Once both of his hands were filled with valuable gravel, he was content to continue the stroll. Getting back to the homestead, mom shared that it was nappy time and Jacob needed to rest for a while. I asked him to put the rocks down so that he could take a snooze. Instead of dropping the rocks, his fists turned white with the determination not to surrender his treasure. That is the picture being painted here – hold on, maintain such a grip that no man can break; don't dare drop the pearls in your hand; don't let the gold slip between your fingers; don't let anyone pry your fingers apart from the diamonds in your grasp.

This word for unswervingly is a great word. In the Greek, they often place the letter alpha in front of a word to indicate the opposite of the root word. In this case the word is alpha plus the word for lay down or rest - so this term means the opposite of laying down or taking a rest. In other words, we could translate this phrase “relax your grip on hope – no way!” “Don't even think about resting in your efforts; don't even consider laying down what is in your grasp!”

And what is in your hand – “the hope we profess.” The biblical term for hope is not like the English word. Hope in my vocabulary has an element of doubt, a percentage of potential failure. “I hope it doesn't rain this afternoon (there is a 30% chance).” “I hope the Buckeyes can win the game tomorrow.” “I hope my flight is on time.” All of these statements have a major doubt factor – some greater than others. But biblical hope has no element of possible failure. Biblical hope is based upon the promises of God and therefore would be better translated (in my opinion) as confidence. I have hope – I have complete confidence in the promises of God.

Let us hold on with an iron grip, and never consider laying down, the confidence we have in what we profess. And what is it that we profess? It is the basis for the promises of God – Jesus is Risen! Jesus is Lord! Jesus offers us forgiveness and eternal life. Whoever believes in Him, He has given the right to be called the children of God. And why can we be so confident? Verse 23 ends with the answer to this inquiry – faithful is the One who is doing the promising. We do not hold on to some human forecast or some philosophy of man, but rather, we hold the very promises of the Almighty One. As a leader in a world of chaos, we have the opportunity to draw near to God and hold firmly in our hand the promises of the Sovereign One.

This kind of lettuce is worth considering. This lettuce is rich in significance and powerful when applied to real life in 2012. But there's more lettuce in the leadership salad bar. More to come.....

The Leadership Salad Bar

I remember many years ago going to one of my favorite steak restaurants only to discover they had introduced a new item on the menu – the salad bar. At first, the idea seemed almost silly to me – who would want to make a meal out of leaves? As a young man, a salad was just what mom made me eat so I could get something green into my diet. It was a necessary evil in order to enjoy the meat and potatoes of life. I thought to myself, “what an interesting but silly idea.... it will never last.”

Today, the salad is such an enjoyable delight. Although, if you are on a diet, the salad bar is a place of major danger. The plate loaded with the choices from the salad bar can have more calories than the entrée. Lots of things are made into a salad that don a spot on the salad bar – chicken salad, macaroni salad, potato salad, tuna salad, broccoli salad. And the dressings can be killers as far as their calorie count.

The making of a salad has become such an art. Just the different kinds of lettuce are amazing. There is my personal favorite – Iceberg Lettuce – that has little nutritional value, but I love the crunch and moisture content. Then there is Butter or Boston Lettuce, Red Tip Lettuce, Romaine Lettuce, and Oak Leaf Lettuce, just to mention a few..

But the salad for today is the leadership salad. It seems like there are special aspects for leaders everywhere you turn – conferences, training sessions, workshops, ties, shoes, briefcases, iPad apps, and pens. So, why not a leadership salad? I would recommend this salad for those who desire to improve their leadership effectiveness. The salad consists of five different kinds of lettuce blended together in a powerful mixture that will change your diet forever.

The salad is actually found in the Bible – in the New Testament: Hebrews 10:19-25. We will come back to verses 19-21 in a few paragraphs because they set up the context for understanding the salad bar. Beginning in verse 22 we read about the salad itself:

“Let us (lettuce #1) draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. Let us (lettuce #2) hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us (lettuce #3) consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us (lettuce #4) not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us (lettuce #5) encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

These five exhortations of “Let Us” comprise the lettuce of the leadership salad. Each exhortation is rich with leadership significance and life changing principles. The salad bar is an attempt at being cute, but the exhortations shout out sobering reality aimed at very serious concepts. This posting will explore only the first of these five different types of lettuce.

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.” In many leadership circles, God and leadership are not compatible. Leadership is often seen as a man-centered activity and the effectiveness of the leader is based upon the traits and characteristics of man. Personal authenticity and professional ethics are seen as building blocks of good leadership, but these are often discussed outside the context of religiosity. But the author of Hebrews begins with God as he exhorts his readers to draw near to God with a sincere heart.

The book of Hebrews is couched in the concepts of the Old Testament and in particular in the context of the Day of Atonement. Much of the writing concerns the fulfillment of the Jewish sacrificial system in the person of Jesus. Jesus is presented as the perfect blood sacrifice that is offered once for all time and for the sin of all. The death of Jesus on the cross and His bodily resurrection from the dead has removed the barrier that has separated man from a personal relationship with God. Jesus is described as the ultimate High Priest worthy to enter the Holy of Holies as the true Mediator between God and man, worthy to offer the sacrifice (himself) as the means for the atonement of sin; worthy to provide the way (the path) for man to come before the throne of God Himself. With this in mind, Hebrews 10:19-21 reads “Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God...”

Let us draw near to God – Let us approach God as we have never been able to before... let us come close. God has not moved, but now, in Christ, we have access to His presence, His listening ear, His grace and mercy. Notice the exhortation of movement – we must come, we must approach, we must draw near – it is an act of our will to move. This passage does not describe it in these terms, but I see the drawing as a warm invitation to bask in the presence of the One who loves me more than I love myself; to enter into the arms of the Father who has wonderful plans for my day; to spend some time with the Creator of my inmost being and the One who knows my every thought. Spending time with God - soaking up energy, encouragement, strength, perspective, comfort, forgiveness, and the spiritual/emotional power needed for the moment - fills this exhortation with personal health and vitality.

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart of love. In order to draw near it is imperative that I empty myself of selfish ambition. My agenda, my authority, my position of leadership, my pride, my plans must be left behind as I enter into His loving arms with a sincere heart (a true heart, a pure heart). I appreciate the idea that we enter with a sincere heart and not just an open mind or a clear conscience. The emotions, the passions, and the dreams of the leader need to draw near to God. We no longer come with animal sacrifices and we certainly do not come in a half-hearted manner – rather the total leader moves toward God in complete humility and utter dependence.

Finally, note that we draw near in full assurance of faith. Faith is such a vital key to effective leadership. Faith in Jesus' sacrifice...faith in the mercy and grace of God... faith in the call of God on our lives...faith in the power and promises and character of God. There certainly is a mental/cognitive aspect to this salad. We draw near in full assurance of faith. Mentally, we must understand and affirm that God is in control and that He is sufficient for all our needs. The author defines faith for us in Chapter 11:1, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. Lettuce #2 coming up....

Dr. Ciulla and the Book of You

Last week I had the privilege of listening to Dr. Joanne Ciulla speak on current trends in leadership philosophy and ethics. As one of the founding faculty members of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond, Dr. Ciulla teaches courses on ethics, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and leadership in international contexts. Her academic appointments have included the UNESCO Chair in Leadership Studies at the United Nations International Leadership Academy in Jordan as well as appointments at La Salle University, the Harvard Business School, The Wharton School, and Oxford University. She currently holds visiting appointments with the University of Fort Hare in South Africa and Nyenrode Universitit in the Netherlands.

Dr. Ciulla’s research interests have led to many publications – articles and books. Her latest publication is the three-volume set, Leadership at the Crossroads: Leadership and the Humanities. At the University of Richmond she teaches courses on Leadership Ethics, Business Ethics, International Leadership, and Conflict Resolution. She is a gifted communicator as well as an expert in the field of leadership. My trip to Indiana Wesleyan University to hear Dr. Ciulla was filled with solid information and intellectual challenge.

Interestingly, Dr. Ciulla began her workshop with a discussion on corruption. She shared the definition of corruption held by Transparency International – the use of power for personal gain. I googled Transparency International while she spoke, since I was not familiar with the organization. They define themselves as “the global civil society organization leading the fight against corruption, brings people together in a powerful worldwide coalition to end the devastating impact of corruption on men, women and children around the world. TI’s mission is to create change towards a world free of corruption.” (see www.transparency.org/about_us)

I found this definition simplistic and yet profound: the use of power for personal gain. Corruption, whether it is international or personal; whether it impacts the nation or the family; whether it impacts the lives of many or just the heart beat of the individual...corruption is the selfish abuse of power. And all leaders must deal with power. Some level of authority has been granted for every position of leadership.

Dr. Ciulla shared many of the different kinds of power that permeate our human existence. There is positional or legitimate power – the kind of power that is gained with a position held. The CEO has a certain power granted to him/her because of the title on the door and the letters on the business card. Various positions carry various amounts of power – teacher, superintendent, principal, librarian. Then there is expert power – the power that is wielded by what you know intellectually or by what you can do that others cannot. The skill of a surgeon is powerful in one set of circumstances, while the abilities of an auto mechanic reign supreme in another. Being an expert in British Literature can hold a great deal of power unless you are asked to do a statistical analysis on the causes for the fall in enrollment over the past seven years. Lots of other different kinds of power are interesting to consider: the power of the family name; the power of networks; the power of personality; and moral power. The key principle for me was not to determine the kind of power that I have or do not have, but rather to realize with great sobriety that I can use that power for personal gain and thus end up with a life of corruption. Or I can use whatever power God has granted and use it for His glory.

Dr. Ciulla shared three simple questions that quickly brings any leader to the center of ethical decision making: 1) Am I doing the right thing? 2) Am I doing it the right way? and 3) Am I doing it for the right reason? All three must be aligned with positive affirmations or there are problems in the house.

Am I doing the right thing? Most of life is filled with black and white... right and wrong...good and evil. I firmly believe in moral absolutes and universal truth. But sometimes the gray dominates decision making. Sometimes choices are found on the horns of dilemma as some are hurt and some are blessed by the same decision. Sometimes the evidence on both sides of an issue have compelling arguments.

Am I doing it the right way? This is the question that so often crushes me. I may be so convinced that a decision is the right thing to do, but trying to do it the right way is a struggle. I know the organization must stay within the budget, but what is the right way to downsize? What is the right way to cut a program? I know that a particular person is not a good fit for the organization, but what is the right way to release them from the company?

Am I doing it for the right reason? This question takes the leader down into the depths of motivation, attitude, purpose, mission, and emotion. My decision is legal and within my authority as a leader; I have confidence that my plan to execute this decision is solid and appropriate; but my motivation is purely selfish... my attitude is filled with a personal agenda...my purpose is to get even.... my emotions are anger and pride. No one may ever know the reason for such a decision, but you and the Master of Heaven.

Let me end this blog with an interesting thought I jotted down close to the end of Dr. Ciulla's presentations. She referred to the Book of You.

The book of you....

When you are free, you must choose.

When you are free to choose, you are responsible.

Every choice you make goes into the book of you.