Courage: Don’t be the Cowardly Lion
This post is the second in a series around the C’s of leadership, featuring a different Leadership C with each new post. Whether you lead a corporation, a church, a department, a classroom, or a family, HOW you lead has enormous impact on those you lead.
Compassion (my first post) is the most important leadership C, but courage ranks pretty high as well. I read once, long ago (and have often said to staff) that “Compliments should go down the chain of command and criticisms/complaints should go up the chain of command… That’s why I get paid the big bucks” (keep in mind, I work for the church, so “big bucks” is relative!). Sure, ideally, we should all be responsible for our own actions and work. But, if you are the leader, you have an ultimate level of responsibility and that’s why leadership takes courage. Things that go wrong make people angry… at YOU… even if you weren’t the one who did it… whatever IT was. And that’s why leadership takes courage. Leaders lacking in courage can’t really lead. When a tough decision needs to be made they flip flop, put it on someone else, procrastinate, or give in to whatever is popular at the moment (even if it will be counterproductive in the long run). That’s because an unpopular decision often makes the leader unpopular and, let’s face it, we all like to be liked. I think this is even harder in today’s world where people have lost their filters. Discretion is now out of fashion. Make an unpopular decision and some of your staff/constituents/volunteers will register their complaint not with you, but via social media. Now, you’re not just unpopular at the office; you’re unpopular in the “surround sound” of cyberspace!
So, how do we call forth the courage we need to make the right decisions even if they are unpopular? In secular terms, I guess it would be called ego-strength. But, I’m a Christian leader, so I think the answer lies in trust.
My favorite Hebrew scripture comes from Psalm 131.
This picture is my mother and me on mom’s 40th birthday. Do you notice how content we both look?
My mom was born for motherhood. She was always happy to have me around… OK, at least most of the time! And I never felt safer and more content than when I was on my mother’s lap. Unlike a nursing baby, by the time I was eight, I didn’t sit on mom’s lap because I needed anything. I didn’t need any “thing.” I only needed her. Being with her always felt safe and satisfying… as if time had stopped and there was nothing else except my being with her. Now I want to note: I realize my childhood was an exception and many kids aren’t so fortunate as to be raised by parents who cherished them. But, God always cherishes each of us and that’s where our courage comes from! We can behave with courage when we know that – wherever we are – we are resting on the lap of our heavenly mother who loves us and keeps us. That doesn’t mean my feelings never get hurt or that life doesn’t suck sometimes. It just means that my popularity or approval from others can’t define me. I can snuggle up on God’s lap no matter where I am or what’s going on at the moment. Humility, vulnerability, and the courage to lead well are grounded in our trust in God’s care.
traceyleslie 