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Not long ago, Max
De Pree asked a paradoxical question: Does leadership have a future?21
Intertwined in this provocative question is concern about the rising ineffectiveness
and selfishness among leaders. If leadership is to have a future, some important
principles need to be preserved. These principles can be illuminated by asking
the right questions. While good leaders do not have all the answers, they should
possess the wisdom and the insight to raise important questions that search for
deeper meaning. Such questions are critical because they help leaders and organizations
find and determine their direction. The leaders just profiled asked some powerful
questions of themselves and those around them. Some of their questions correspond
with those De Pree sees as important. If leadership is to have a future, these
questions must be addressed. Who
do I intend to be? This is not the same as asking, "What do I intend
to do?" which is always a consequence of who one intends to be. A person
can find out the latter by asking, "What do I believe? What is my purpose
in life? To what am I, as a leader, devoted?" These raise the issues of purpose,
virtue, and truth, all of which lead to hope. Without purpose, virtue, and truth,
it is difficult to experience hope. An absence of virtues and the presence of
deceit do not create the conditions necessary for hope to survive. For leadership
to endure, it must be intertwined with hope hope in the sense of looking forward
to the future with expectation. If leadership has a future, leaders must be able
to articulate, find, and live out their own sense of hope. Hope grows dim as people
deviate from their core values and grows stronger and becomes contagious in the
context of shared hope within a community. What
is the source of our humanity? As Christians, we believe that the source of
our humanity is found in being created in God's image. This has profound implications
for how to treat people in organizations. Seeing each person as created in God's
image compels leaders to offer respect, create opportunities for contribution,
and affirm the gifts of others. In
the company cafeteria, how good should the bagels be? This is a question of
quality. Society seems to care more about numbers than quality, particularly in
an increasingly competitive marketplace. What is the quality of our relationships,
and what do things such as opportunity, access, and reconciliation have to do
with quality? What
will I die for? In other words, what is most essential, what matters most?
This is a question of purpose and integrity When leaders have a clear sense of
calling, they serve as models and mentors for others to find and live out their
callings. What
may a leader not delegate? For leadership to thrive, leaders need to be clear
about what they alone can and therefore must do. Leaders build and maintain trust
as well as share responsibilities. They hold both themselves and the organizations
they serve accountable. One thing they do not delegate is the obligation to be
prepared to lead.22 Lastly,
De Pree points to four critical questions that leaders must ponder consistently
over the course of their leading: 1.
What is my purpose in life?
2.
What do I owe?
3. What will I promise?
4. What may I keep?
De
Pree insightfully notes that as a society we need to care more about faithfulness
than success, more about the potential of communities than individual accomplishment,
and more about inclusiveness than winning. The values of society are not always
the best guide and indeed often fail to reflect the true essence of leadership.
If leadership is to survive, there must be an environment of high moral standards
among leaders and followers, and this has the best chance of coming to expression
as faith-based leaders live out their core convictions and Christian faith in
everyday life and work. The
second factor that is critical for the future of leadership is the finding or
creating of conducive contexts in which leadership can most effectively develop.
Leadership does not come merely from gaining knowledge about it through a set
of seminars or a course, though these may certainly be helpful. Some of what is
entailed in faithful leadership can come through observing those who embody and
practice it. But more is needed. First
of all, leaders must place people in self-directed teams with intrinsic as well
as extrinsic rewards for their performance. People can learn from those working
with them how to identify, handle, and evaluate issues related to faithfulness.
Group wisdom has much to offer, even when people tackle issues in different ways.
Where possible, tackling situations in pairs rather than alone can increase learning
curves and improve responses. When there is no agreement on the best course of
action, observing the ways others deal with issues allows people to see the strengths
and weaknesses of different approaches. Second,
people should be encouraged to become involved in a voluntary organization. In
such a setting, acceptance and influence are earned differently, for example,
by showing a commitment to the purpose of the organization and by exhibiting a
capacity to work well with others. Leighton Ford has said that anyone seeking
to become a leader in the church should first gain some experi-ence in the voluntary
sector. This is the best context in which to learn whether one has the qualities
and attributes required for leadership in a changing world and among the coming
generation. Only earned not expected authority will now do. In the same way, direct
participation in nonprofit organizations creates opportunities for leaders to
use and improve their skills. For example, it can help them move from a reward
mentality to a service mind-set, or from a rugged individualism to a commitment
to the general good. Third,
people should be shown the benefit of being part of an informal group of people
at a similar level. When trust is present in such a group, people feel free to
discuss questions related to faithfulness and to ask for help with individual
struggles in this area. In
addition, there is always a place for ongoing connections with people who already
exhibit faithful leading at work. Much can be gained from a mentoring experience.
Anyone who invites a mentoree into such a relationship or finds a mentor with
whom he or she can meet several times a year is bound to enhance the prospects
for the future of leadership. ___________________ Excerpted
from Reviewing Leadership: A Christian Evaluation of Current Approaches
by Robert Banks and Bernice M. Ledbetter. Used by permission of Baker Academic,
a division of Baker Publishing Group, copyright © 2004. All rights to this
material are reserved. Materials are not to be distributed to other web locations
for retrieval, published in other media, or mirrored at other sites without written
permission form Baker Publishing Group. (www.bakerbooks.com) Click
here to learn more about this and other resourses. _________________ 21.
Max De Pree, Does Leadership Have a Future? Questions and Stories for Leaders
(Pasadena, Calif.: De Pree Leadership Center, 2000).
22. Ibid.,
14-15.
_________________ Robert
Banks is director and dean of Macquarie Christian Studies Institute in Sydney,
Australia, and is the author of many books. Bernice
M. Ledbetter is adjunct faculty at Pepperdine University and prinicipal of Ledbetter
Consulting Group. | 