Leadership vacuum

The candidate I voted for didn't win. It's not the first time. It's also not the first time I voted for someone I wasn't excited about. I like him. I'm pretty sure he's an honest, intelligent, compassionate man. Someone I know I would enjoy knowing personally, but not someone I was gung-ho convinced should be in higher office.
It was a leadership conundrum. So much of what makes a good leader is about "character" but being a leader worth following does involve a whole lot more. It encompasses a set of ideas, values, philosophies and principles, as well as a proven record that exhibits what the ideas, values etc look like when applied to real life decisions. And yet, a leader might possess ideas, values, principles etc that I like, but if she can't communicate them and persuade others to listen and often adopt those ideas, then there still could be a big problem.
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I wonder where all the strong leaders have gone. Have we made public service so difficult and personally costly that good people stay away?

Followership

Okay, I know it's been a while. I have no excuses. No reasons, either. Just really not thinking very leaderly like lately.
My new job has me very much in a "follower mode" much of the time and what I've learned is that what I always thought was true about myself has proven to be correct. You see, my closest friends and relatives have consistently insisted that I will never be satisfied with leaders in authority over me. That I will always find them lacking and accuse my bosses or leaders of incompetence, laziness, or unethical behavior. I have always argued that they are wrong. That I do not expect perfection but I do expect those in authority to make an effort to be good leaders and to model a strong work and moral ethic. That given a strong leader who makes an effort to be a servant leader, I would be a very happy follower.
I am blessed to report that I am enjoying such a leader these days, and I am a very happy follower. It's the easiest thing in the world to follow her. I don't second guess her, question her authority, or have any reason to wonder about her fairness or honesty. Is she perfect? Not at all, and she doesn't pretend to be. But she works hard, cares for and serves her team well, holds everyone accountable, plays no favorites, and thinks seriously about her own leadership.
I can follow that.

Mentoring vs Discipleship

I was recently approached by a young woman I work with who asked me to be her mentor. I was honored by her request and, since I am not currently mentoring anyone else, I said 'yes'. I have had the privilege of discipling many women over the years and I've always enjoyed it. I find that my own spiritual growth is at least as accelerated as theirs in the process as I tend to lean into Him and seek His counsel even more often when I am feeling the responsibility of another. This time will be a bit of a different situation in that this young woman is not a believer in Jesus Christ.
Just minutes after I agreed I realized that this is actually going to require even more prayer as I seek to guide her toward the One that has all her answers when she doesn't even know Him. How can I share with her how I've handled this or that situation without first somehow making her understand that all my moving and being is informed by His Word, His Spirit, and by His grace? She says she simply wants a mentor to help her learn about "herself and about life." But how is that possible outside of knowing her very Author and Creator?
I'm still thinking all of this through...what will this look like as all of my answers to her questions point her back to Him?
I pray for wisdom in this exciting journey and I pray that He is using me to draw her to Himself.

What kind of leader would you like?

I had an interesting - and encouraging - interview last week. The Director conducting the interview would be my actual supervisor if I get this job. She was interesting, smart, funny and intense. Of course I was well prepared for the standard boiler-plate questions; "What are your strengths? Name 2 weaknesses. Talk about a time you overcame a hardship or failure." Unfortunately, she didn't ask those. Perhaps they will come in the next interview. But she did ask a very good question - one that I had not prepared for or even thought about in quite some time. She asked "How do you prefer to be managed?"
I confess I had to stop and think and now I wish I had the moment back to give a better answer than I did. As I have processed this and clarified it in my own mind, I think the answer we give is a combination of our personality style and preference + what we believe about good leadership.

For instance, my first instinct was to say that I prefer to have a relationship with my supervisor - that's a reflection of my high "I" personality (Influence: Optimistic & Outgoing. These individuals tend to be very social and out going. They prefer participating on teams, sharing thoughts, and entertaining and energizing others.) that values relationships above everything else. Secondly, I said I prefer a supervisor that tells me "What" instead of "How". This is because I dislike micromangement and believe that good leaders hire good people and inspire them do their best. What I forgot to mention, until she brought it up, is that I also look for my manager to provide resources for me - training, books, people - that will help me succeed in my role. I also want someone to give me clear goals and deadlines to aim at so I will know how to measure success objectively. In short, I want to work for someone who aspires to lead others they way I aspire to lead others.

I want a leader who:

• Casts a clear vision of what "mission accomplished" looks like.
• Clearly shows me how my contribution will make an important difference.
• Equips me with the training and tools I need to carry out my part successfully.
• Builds a relationship with me and commits to my growth.
• Holds me accountable to perform to my fullest potential.
• Inspires me to reach and stretch beyond what I thought possible to achieve the mission.
• Celebrates my short and long term accomplishments and the successes of the overall organization.

Wish I had thought of that sooner. But if I had, it might have scared her off from hiring me!
What kind of leader would you like?

My Biggest Leadership Challenge

I love all things leadership. Whether it's practical how-to's or high-minded theories or teaching it or doing it. For profit or non-profit, if it has to do with leadership I'm interested. I love recruiting and staffing, developing talent, building teams, crafting strategies, attacking alignment issues, vision casting, even resolving conflicts - but I've met my match when it comes to one particular area of leadership.
You see when it comes to keeping others energized, engaged and effective; I'm your girl. But when it comes to keeping myself energized, engaged and effective, I stink.
I can't seem to manage my time or my priorities right now. I'm slow to get going in the morning. Then I jump from one project to another for about 3 hours. Then I realize the day is slipping away and I begin to get semi-productive on one or two things. By sundown I'm discouraged because I didn't move more balls forward.
It will help (I hope) when I have clarity on which direction I'm headed in my career/job. But I'm disappointed in myself that I can't seem to get more done when I have so much time on my hands. I am so much more productive when I have very little time on my hands!
I've decided I'm going to apply my leadership principles to myself.

• Cast a vision for what my future could be.
• Continue to communicate that vision to myself daily in a variety of ways.
• Set 3-5 SMART goals for the day, the week, the month.
• Make a list of actionable steps for each of those goals.
• Make a list of resources I will need to achieve those goals.
• Coach myself to take the steps necessary to achieve them.
• Connect with people who can help me when necessary.
• Hold myself accountable to mark progress toward my goals.
• Reward myself for achieving each goal.
• Reassess each goal that is not achieved on time and come up with a new realistic plan for reaching it.
• Etc.

It doesn't look so hard when I write it out. I think the problem is that I'm a poor follower of my own leadership!

Transitions

I type this as I sit on a small ottoman with the keyboard propped on a notebook in my lap. My monitor sits in an adjacent chair and my mouse sits on top of a nearby box. This posture creates carpal tunnel in ways I didn't think possible, but such is my life as we transition to our new home. The good news is that all of this equipment finally has a place to be in this new home. No longer situated in front of the coldest and hottest window in the house, I now have my own home office where all my books and resources and tools can live comfortably. In just a few weeks I look forward to having everything unpacked and arranged in a way that will help me be produective and, hopefully, creative as well.
I'll need to be both as I must begin the search for a new job right away.
I suspected that 2008 would be a year of transitions. Good thing I like them because they all seem to be happening at once! I think I am having a pretty easy time with all of this because both of these changes - the job and the home - were choices we made. There was no surprise or tragedy involved - we simply decided to make some changes. Someday I hope to be so mature in my relationship with Christ that I can embrace the other kind of changes as cheerfully. The changes that come out of nowhere when someone I love gets sick or dies or there is an unforseen financial setback....that's when I'll find out much I am really able to accept change.

New Year - Same Old Lessons

It's a new year and I'm looking forward to learning new things about leadership. I have so much to learn and I continue to try to find new voices and perspectives to teach me. Lately, I've been reminded of old lessons and laws of leadership that I learned a long time ago. They continue to be inexorably true. For instance, the Law of the Lid. First described by John Maxwell in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, it says that "An organization will never surpass the capabilities of it's leaders."
It also means that the individuals in the organization cannot grow as leaders if those above them are not stronger leaders than themselves. I cannot lead those who follow me where I have never been. I cannot develop anyone to be a better leader than I am. As those who I lead grow in their own leadership I must grow or they will have to move on to other stronger leaders. I will become a "lid" to their growth as a leader.

For somone under the lid, this is a painful experience. He becomes increasingly confused and frustrated by the lack of good leadership. No one is stretching him, developing him, into more than what he thought he could be. No one is casting a compelling vision for him or teaching him new skills. Instead, the follower hears his own voice rise above his leader. This can create tension when the follower doesn't feel safe to lead out or the leader shows indifference or resistance to the followers ideas.

For the leader, it can also be painful and confusing - particularly if he has lost his will or his skill to lead. He may not have a clue what to do or he may feel threatened by a follower who is simply doing what growing leaders do - pushing boundaries, testing waters, experimenting with new concepts and leading.
It is fascinating to me how unyielding this law of leadership really is. There is no exception to the rule. No matter the org chart. If the gal at the top is a lid, those under her leadership also become lids. If any leader in the organization becomes a lid, that department or team suffers/ dies. One leader in an organization can become a lifter instead of a lid and make a difference to those who follow that leader...but only for a short time. Eventually, the lid rule - the unbendable, unbreakable Law of the Lid - will eventually stifle the growth of the entire organization.
Maybe this sounds like so much theory. But it's as real as the people you work and serve with every day.
The obvious assigment for me is to always be working on myself. My own personal leadership. Not accidentally, but intentionally and strategically, so that I can be a lifter instead of a lid for others.
The harder challenge is to learn when to get out from under the lid when I know I have hit it.

Resolved: Grow in Christ-likeness

I rarely make the typical resolutions like exercise more or lose weight, but began a practice some years ago of setting some spiritual goals for myself each January and making a commitment to the Lord to do my part to reach them. I think to myself "What goal does the Lord have for me this year?" and the answer is always "Be more like Him" So I set out to do a few things that I know will require me to trust Him more....things like forgiving a specific person I had been holding a grudge against, giving generously and joyfully to two additional charities, or sharing the gospel with at least two people each month. Hopefully at the end of every year as I stretch my faith in these specific ways, I look more like Christ than I did before. What higher goal is there?
Ultimately, holiness is the only Biblical personal goal for each of us. Truly holiness is what we must aspire to daily or else we're soon in a spiritual slouch that gives the enemy an easy opening to wreak havoc in and through our lives.
There's a terrific article in Leadership Journal by Gordon MacDonald on this topic. He says becoming a holy person doesn't just happen. It's an intentional thing that we must work at. The word holiness is not in style these days, but it's not gone out of the Lord's vocabulary. The article goes on to describe some people Gordon has known whom he considers "holy." I've met few people in my life that I would call "holy." And in my best moments I have never been close to reaching their level of piety. But it's a goal.
There is a great quote in the article by C.S. Lewis where he describes those who are rich in this underneath life - the life behind the outward performance that most of us are engaged in - the life that is directly connected to God and pleasing Him only. Holiness is not about a performance at all. It's the work in our inner life that cannot happen except in close communion with the Father.
Lewis writes "Nothing could be more foreign to the tone of Scripture than the language of those who describe a saint as a 'moral genius' or a 'spiritual genius' thus insinuating that his virtue or spirituality is 'creative' or 'original.' If I have read the New Testament aright, it leaves no room for 'creativeness' even in a modified or metaphorical sense. Our whole destiny seems to lie in the opposite direction, in being as little as possible ourselves, in acquiring a fragrance that is not our own but borrowed, in becoming clean mirrors filled with the image of a face that is not ours."
My goal this year is to be as little as possible so that He might be all that anyone sees when they look at me.