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Few
cultural events have received as much attention in recent
years as has Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ.
Apart
from any discussion of the quality of the film itself (which
I thought was a powerful work of art), one thing that has
interested me has been observing Mel Gibson as he has responded
to the waves of attacks and criticism he received in the months
preceding the film's release.
Here
is a man who believed in a project so much that he put up
$25-30 million of his own money to make it happen. Then, in
the face of vicious criticism (particularly accusations of
anti-Semitism), Gibson hung in there — talking about the film,
responding to the accusations, using personal charm and humor
to blunt many of the attacks. He believed he was doing the
right thing, and he stayed with it despite the response of
the film community and the national media.
The
result? Gibson's film is already past $260 million in domestic
ticket sales as this is written, and is likely to become one
of the top five box office hits of all time. Many of those
who thought the whole project was a joke are now standing
in line to be part of Gibson's next idea!
The
lesson for leaders? If you are convinced you are doing
the right thing for the right reason, don't let the criticism
of others derail you. Do your homework, respond fairly to
the critics, and hang in there.
Michael
Duduit, Editor
Michael@leaderlinks.com
Please
forward your copy of LeadingNow
to friends and colleagues who are also interested in Christian
leadership. Our best source of new readers is current readers,
like you. So thanks for your help in leading others to LeadingNow!
Leading
through resistance to change
In
an article in the March edition of Leader
Links, Hans Finzel talks about resistance to
change, and ways leaders can deal with such challenges. He
observes:
"People
always resist change. People resist change for all sorts of
reasons. Here is my short list of the top six issues that
frighten people about change:
1. Fear:
The unknown is a threat to comfort zones
2. Insecurity: They may be worse off after the changes
3. Power: They may lose power or status in the shuffle
4. Trust: Previous change actions have eroded trust
in the leadership
5. Inertia: It is easier to maintain the status quo
6. Energy: It takes a lot of work, money and time
to change things!
"Change
will face many detractors. It is up to us as leaders to recognize
these barriers and turn them around — showing that everyone
will be served by supporting the change, not opposing it."
(Click
here to read the entire article.)
http://www.leaderlinks.com/feature20040301.htm
Leadership
for the birds
Bruce
Larson, in his book Wind and Fire, points out some
interesting facts about Sandhill cranes. These large birds,
which fly great distances across continents, have three remarkable
qualities. They rotate leadership. No one bird stays out in
front all the time. Second, they choose leaders who can handle
turbulence. And then, all during the time one bird is leading,
the rest are honking their affirmation.
That's
not a bad model for whatever organization you may be a part
of. If you're a leader, remember that you are not out there
permanently; you can be replaced. You're a leader because
you are supposed to be able to handle tough times.
If
you're a follower, your job is not to second-guess or criticize.
You ought to be honking a little encouragement. (Bill Bouknight,
"Just a Thought")
This
month's Leadership Link
The
Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership is an excellent resource
for persons interested in Christian leadership. The center
was originally founded by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1964 (it
was renamed for him in 1985), following a distinguished management
career at AT&T and teaching opportunities at MIT, Harvard,
Dartmouth and the University of Virginia. His books The
Servant as Leader, Servant-Leadership, and The
Teacher as Servant have been major influences in the lives
of many leaders in recent years.
Here's
a link to a page on their site which offers a variety of articles
on servant leadership:
http://www.greenleaf.org/leadership/read-about-it/
Servant-Leadership-Articles-Book-Reviews.html
Winston
Churchill said, "Success is never final. Failure is never
fatal. It is courage that counts."
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From
this month's Leader Links
In
an article drawn from his outstanding book Great
Communication Secrets of Great Leaders (McGraw-Hill),
John Baldoni talks about the importance of leadership
as coaching:
"Leadership
communication leads to a personal connection between
leader and follower. This connection can form the foundation
of a coaching relationship that enables the leader to
challenge the individual to achieve while providing
support built upon trust.
"Coaching
is also a key leadership behavior. Effective leadership,
after all, is an investment in the good of others for
the good of the whole group. Leaders who succeed are
those who incorporate the agendas of others into their
own agendas. Leaders who coach are essential to the
health of every organization. Good leaders are natural
coaches in their own right. Some business leaders serve
as cheerleaders for the achievements of their teams;
they want the teams to win and succeed. Other leaders
work one-on-one, or behind the scenes, to develop their
people so that their people are prepared to assume ever-greater
leadership responsibilities.
"Like
communications, good coaching is a two-way street. To
be successful, coaching requires the commitment of the
individual player or employee. Coaching enables individuals
to fulfill their potential, to be what they are capable
of becoming for themselves, their team, and their company.
Organizations succeed because of the people running
them. The more exciting the enterprise — be it in business,
government, or social service — the more commitment
it requires."
(Go
to www.LeaderLinks.com
to read the full article. Click
here to learn more about the book Great Communication
Secrets of Great Leaders.)
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"It
takes less time to do a thing right than to explain why you
did it wrong." (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
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