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....