LeadershipConneXtions

Christian Hope

 

What Are You Hoping For?

 How long have you been waiting? 

What have you have stopped "hoping for" because you know it is not going to come about? 

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).

This is just one of the many passages we could use to talk about hope, and the distinctive way that Christians understand hope.

First:
God is the source of hope. He is the God of hope and it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we become hopeful people. All true Christian hope has its source in God, the power of God, the love of God, the goodness of God. We do not manufacture hope on our own. We do not deliver hope on our own. In a very real way, the work of Christian leadership is to connect people with the true source of hope.

 

Second:
Hope is generated as we TRUST in God the source and provider of hope. There is a choice you and I make. That choice is to have faith in, believe in, trust in God and His promises. For the skeptical and cynical, for the doubting and the disappointed, for the angry and discouraged - this is understandably hard. It will be a process of learning to trust in the God of hope.
 

Third:
Joy and peace (two highly valued affections of the heart) depend on hope. Now, when everything is going fine, what life is on cruise control, when everything is working out, that is not when we even think about hope. Instead we are satiated and full, satisfied and content. It is when life is not working out, when things are hard and the prospects dismal - that we lose our joy and peace.

Your joy and peace will be at the mercy of changing circumstances, UNLESS you have the presence of hope as your companion. Christian Hope makes it possible to have steadfast joy and peace even when life is hard. If you are lacking in peace and joy during a hard time of life, that is an indicator of misplaced hope and a mistaken trust. 

I'll come back to that thought tomorrow as we finish this short look at HOPE.

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

Discontentment

 

It's Source May be a
Lot Nearer Than You Think

Occasionally I read and reflect on the thoughts Henri-Frederic Amiel records in his Fragments of an Intimate Journal. Here is one I'll pass along to you for today. Amiel says:

"We are never more discontented with others than when we are discontented with ourselves."

The unhappy person will always be unhappy when it comes to others. Our own internal "dis-ease" makes us critical, skeptical, suspicious, irritable and judgmental toward others. When we are discontent, it is much easier to focus on the problems in others than on the unhappiness within us.

So . . . if you are feeling discontent with others these days . . . it may be worth a careful, prayerful look within. What is bothering you, about you?

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

 

 

The Legend of Bagger Vance and Integrity

 

I'll Know . . .
And I have to be able to live with myself... 

 

I think one of my all time favorite scenes of a movie is near the end of The Legend of Bagger Vance. It is late in the tournament between Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen and Rannulph Junuh (played by Matt Damon).
 

The scores are so tight. Then, there is an unfortuante accident when the golf ball moves just a little as Junuh moves a leaf that is in the way. Junuh, Baggar Vance (Will Smith) and the little caddy Hardy Greaves sees the ball move. Hardy begs him not to call a penalty stroke on himself. "No one will know. It's a stupid rule" To that, Junuh replies, "I'll know. And so will you." (I am paraphrasing a bit, but it is real close. Watch the actual scene below.)
 

 
 

Talk about integrity.

Integrity (at the least) includes a determined commitment to the moral values believed important by the person. These moral values are so important, that  you hold to them regardless of conditions and circumstances. 

The ball moved by accident. It only moved a teeny bit. It would make NO difference in hitting the ball on the next stroke. There is just one problem. The rule book says a penalty stroke must be added. Junuh loved the game so much, he knew he had to abide by the rules. The game would lose its meaning if the rules were no longer followed.
 

Integrity:  A disappearing quality in the lives of so many leaders.

Morality:  A disappearing quality in the life of our culture.

The disappearnce of these two go hand in hand. And we will only be the poorer for it.

Let's buck the cultural trends... let's resist the moral tides that are ebbing... and find things that we hold so dear and valuable, that we cannot imagine living without them or apart from them.

I suggest that Christ and the ways of Christ are our essential starting point. We can always add other things to that as you believe are needed... but we cannot subtract Christ or his ways. 

And maybe what we would call integrity to the ways of Christ are what the old spiritual master knew as "the imitation of Christ" and the "restoration of the image of God in us."
 

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

A Courage Follow-Up

 

Here is a brief follow-up from yesterday's post on courage.

Courage is not being foolhardy.

It is not bravado.

Nor is it being brash, rash and impulsive.

Nor is it being obstinate and stubborn.

These are courage "counterfeits" and leaders sometime mistake thse postures as courage. Sometimes, leaders fall into these patterns because they don't have courage and they try to cover up their lack of courage with these poor substitutes.

Courage is a firm, steadfast confidence in the rightness of a chosen course... despite the outcomes.

Jesus had the courage to go to the cross (willingly embraced death).

Peter and the other disciples faked courage, but it dissolved quickly and they abandoned Jesus.

The Apostle Paul had the courage to go to Rome (even when he anticipated death by doing so).

We need some discernment to make sure we are experiencing the real deal when it comes to being courageous.

 

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

 

Leadership Courage

 

The Apostle Knew
What He Was Talking About.

Been there and done that
and he knew how hard it was,
for himself and for us. 

Be on your guard.
Stand firm in the faith.
Be men of courage.
Be strong
1 Corinthians 16:13 

 

I don't want to be "too" hard in what I say, but here goes.

Courage is one of those qualities that leaders MUST HAVE.

If you can't take the heat, then get out of the kitchen.

Courage is one of those qualities that sets leaders apart from followers. It is not that the followers don't need courage as well. But leaders must have lots of courage. 

Leaders need courage:

*  to dream about new, possible futures

*  to dream about those futures in spite of the risks involved (and there is always risk involved)

*  to lead change initiatives (which will always evoke resistance)

*  to confront challenges and problems (which will be hard and come at a cost)

*  to make the hard decisions and to accept full responsibility (not as easy as you may think)

*  to live with the consequences and not be undone by those consequences

*  to go against the tide of public opinion and especially the critics and naysayers

*  to stay the course (wisely and not foolishly)

*  to change the plan when it is obvious that the chosen course is not the right one (admitting mistakes requires courage)

*  to step out in faith . . .

We can add many more reasons to this list, but what I've said is at least a good start.

But one more needs to be stressed. Kouzes and Posner say one of the main tasks of leadership is to ENCOURAGE THE HEART of others.

Encourage the Heart.

I like that.

To encourage the heart is to implant courage where there is none (or not enough). Not only do leaders need courage, but followers need it as well. Therefore, leaders need encough courage so they may leak it and inprint it on others around them.

May you be encouraged by the Lord.

May you be strengthed and sustained in your courage.

May you be an en-courager of those around you.

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

Ethos...

 

Culture Without Character

When organizational atmosphere is weightless

Ethos.

Leaders use that word a lot. Usually to refer to the atmosphere or the culture or the "character" of an organization. But in most cases, the word character really doesn't have anything moral or ethical about it. It is more the "flavor or feel or way" that is characteristic of an organization.

The word ethos has the same root as the word ETHIC.

Ethos is character of a culture and ethos is ethic.

Kind of interesting that today, for most of us ethos as culture is apart from and without ethos as ethic/character.

When an atmosphere/ethos is without ethic/ethos . . . well, we can use the same language that T.S. Eliot used - it becomes "hollow."

The ancient Hebrews would have said it becomes "weightless" or insubstantial or without substance.

The work of leadership is to create an organizational ethos that is weighty, substantial, ethical. Whether a family or a nation - this is the essential work of leadership. If we miss this, then any other bottom line that we pursue, is elusive.

And to build a culture that is weighty, substantial and ethical . . . a leader must have that within them, for leaders can only leak and imprint on the external world what is inside them.

Today is a good day to think about the "weightiness, substance, ethic" that is within you and then ... on how you are imprinting those around you from the substance of your own heart.

 

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

Integrity

 

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely...
Proverbs 10:9 

The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
Proverbs 11:3

Several years ago, Yale law professor, Stephen Carter wrote an outstanding book, Integrity. Carter says integrity requires three things. I have put his ideas in bold and then added a brief interpretation beneath.
 

Discerning what is right and what is wrong.
Of course this assumes morality and it assumes one has a framework from which to make moral decisions. This one is increasingly difficult in a pluralistic and relativistic culture. Christians believe that wisdom for moral discernment must emerge from the truth of God revealed in the Old and New Testaments.

Acting on what you have discerned to be right, even if there is a cost involved.
It is not enough to simply know (discern) what is right and wrong. Integrity REQUIRES that one act according to what is discerned to be good, right and true.  This takes faith and courage, for there are often repercussions for doing what is righ.

Speaking clearly to others (explaining, interpreting) the meaning of your actions as in accordance with what you know to be true.
I find it interesting that integrity requires knowing, doing and speaking. How many times have we "Christians" assumed it is sufficient to  live the truth and not need to explain it! Yes there is. Why would you not want to? And certainly, to explain one's reaons and motives and desires for living according to what you believe to be true.

Knowing what is right
+ Doing what is right
+ Speaking what is right
____________________ 

Adds up to INTEGRITY!

Without it, a leader cannot be a good leader. As I listened to the primary debates over the weeks, I found myself wondering about "integrity."

In a world of contant internet information... integrity becomes more and more important. For you are instantly caught when you don't have it.
 

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

Stories That Transform

 

 Read Any
Great Stories Lately?

The vital guides to moral wisdom
and life transformation.

 

How does a leader (or for that matter, anyone) build their character?

How do we grow in virtue?

How is a moral way of living fashioned?

There are many parts to that answer? Here I'll only offer one small part (but it is an important part).

Stories have a great power to illustrate and imprint us with the way of virtue. Which is one of the reason why the old stories were told. They weren't told to entertain their listeners. They weren't even taught to educate listeners (in the sense of only giving them ideas). They were told to form the lives of those who listened to them.

Think of Aesop's Fables for one thing. The same is true for most of the mythologies of the ancient world. They were laden with moral guidance and formation.

The great literature of the world are the stories that help us peer inside us, to make sense out of what is there, and to be guided toward becoming better people. Every time I read Lord of the Rings, I am motivated toward virtue.

This is why reading the classics of literature is so significant... and its loss to most of us so lamentable.  If you are looking for a place to get started, check out this site for one blogger's suggestions (as well as this beautiful image he uses on his site).

 

The best movies tell profound stories of morality, and do for a non-literaray culture, what the classics of literature once did. We watch them and we are guided and inspired to become better people.
 

• Amazing Grace
• Mr. Holland's Opus
• Shawshank Redemption
• Chariots of Fire
• Lord of the Rings
• The Mission
• Luther
• Remember the Titans
• Finding Forrester
• Of Gods and Men 

Now, finding and listening to these BEST stories is not all that is needed for the growth of virtue and the forming of a life of moral substance... but it is a start.

The work of God, the power of Scripture, the need for repentance, and much more is crucial for lasting change, still . . .

Perhaps this year is a time to read some of the great stories and watch (again) some of the great movies . . . and let the power of narrative inspire you on the journey of inner formation.
 

Check out:  Premier Magazine as a way to start connecting with great literature and the ides of great literature. (Also the source of the above image.)

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

 

 

 

Truth Telling and Lives That Matter

 

The Truth That
Makes Us Free

We cannot be silent
on the things that matter. 

Here are two quotes that speak to me about "truth-telling."

The truth that makes men free
is for the most part the truth which men
prefer not to hear. 

Herbert Agar, A Time for Greatness

**********

Our lives begin to end
the day we become silent
about things that matter.  

Martin Luther King Jr.

 

When truth-telling dies, so do we.

And so does a family... a company... a university... a nation... and a culture.

The opposite is true as well.

When truth telling begins, new life emerges. It may be painful, but it is good.

It is not by accident that truth telling is high and lifted up in the Bible. Jesus constantly spoke the truth, even when those around did not want to hear it. He had to, for he was the Way, the Truth and the Life.

By faith and in hope, we are faithful to the Way and we live in the Life as we speak the truth (in love, of course, always in love).

What thoughts do you have about this?

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typeapd.com

 

Whistleblowers

 

Dangerous Secrets
& Vital Lies

And those who let the cat out of the bag.

 

 

I recently read an essay by James O'Toole, Speaking Truth in Power, in Transperancy: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor ... that was simply magnificent. 

By the way, I am going to start to read everything I can by this guy. I LOVED him. Check him out at his HOME PAGE.

It sparked considerable reflection on my part and will give rise to a number of posts in the next few weeks. One of his topics was on whistleblowing.

Whistleblowing is when an insider reveals damaging secrets an organization does not want revealed. Here are a few of my thoughts that summarize his argument. (Which he copiously illustrates with examples from politics, military and business.)

 

(1)  It is a fact that organizations do not always (or even often) serve the public good or the greater good. Nor that they believe their mission is to do that. For most organizations, the bottom line is to be profitable (at all costs).

(2)  It is a fact that organizations have dangerous secrets and that they vital lies so they can ignore what is wrong, hide what is unethical, ignore the facts and continue doing business as usual.

(3)  It is a fact that many of the most highly positioned leaders are not deeply ethical, moral leaders. The entire system of leadership training in our most presigious universities has been seriously lacking in fostering ethical leadership.

(4)  It is a fact that few organizations have good systems in place for rigorous debate, to challenge unquestioned assumptions, to argue against senior leaders . . . and for those who do, there are almost always consequences.

(5)  It is a fact that within every organization are individuals who are more moral than its senior leaders, whose conscience burns when it sees wrong-doing and who are stuck between a heavy rock and a crushing hard place.

(6)  But those individuals have an EXTREMELY HARD TIME calling attention to what they system wants to ignore and what has already been "spun" differently. In most cases, there are few mechanisms for "truth telling" in organizations, and even fewer for "speaking truth to those who lead."

WOW.... think about that one for a while.

With options for truth telling and open dialogue squashed and squelched, frustration builds as the problems grow severe and finally, "a few" whistleblowers can no longer be quiet. They go public with what they see and know.

 

**********
It is a fact that whistleblowing is almost always a HUGE RISK for the whistleblower.

First, because they are labeled by the organization as disloyal, angry, uninformed, vindictive, etc. Slander is one of the favorite tools from the regime. And it tends to work.

Second, because the public generally does not like whistleblowers. This one surprised me. But O'Toole has the stories and the research to back this up. He had a list of names and situations of whistleblowers who suffered for speaking up and telling the truth. (By the way, he also illustrates is nicely from history and literature, as well as contemporary times.)

Third, even when they are believed, they lose. They lose jobs, future opportunities, livelihood, friends and respect. 

(Found on the website listed in the next paragraph)

It is tough being a whistleblower. It requires a robust character and a strong moral system. It requires emotional intelligence. It requires a willingness to suffer.  (Be sure to check out this brief article on Myths of Whistleblowers) by a leadership professor who specializes in this topic.

*********
And how about this? It is often WOMEN who are those who are the whistleblowers. O'Toole has some fascinating thoughts about why women are willing to do this. He affirms our great need for the leadership strength of women. 
 

*********
How about you?

If you are a leader, are you creating mechanisms for truth telling on your team, in your department, in your organization?

If you are a leader, how do you receive bad news and counter-arguments against your personally held positions? What do you do when you are challenged and your positions are criticized?

If you are a follower, what truth are you not speaking, because it is too costly to tell the truth?

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

Illusions and Light

 

Disillusionment
Enlightenment

They go hand in hand.

 

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened . . ."
Ephesians 1:18

The spiritual journey is about enlightenment, about seeing the light (of Christ), about moving from darkness to light, and about living in the light we have received.

Some people don't make this journey because they prefer the darkness. In John 3:19-20 Jesus tells us some people loved doing what is wrong/evil, so they rejected the light and chose the darknes... hoping to hide their evil.

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. Through these words, John 1:9  describes Jesus as the light of God shining in the world.

In most cases, it is pretty easy to identify the darkness. I may prefer the darkness, but it isn't too hard to identify it.

But there are times when the problem is not as simple as light and darkness. At times we are living in the world of shadowy illusions. We are living with images, pretensions, confusions, misjudgments, projections, subterfuges, distortions . . . and we don't really understand this is our condition.

I think this is a more perilous spiritual condition, for it takes times, it requires outside guidance and perspective, and some strong doses of courage for the Spirit of God to do His work of

- - - "dis" illusioning - - -

That is, of revealing the illusions
and removing the illusions.
 

I wish I could simply ask you to think about the illusions that are in your life. Well, I can ask it. It is just that it is terribly hard to answer it. But ask and answer it we must!

Being disillusioned is painful. It may be gradual or it may be sudden... but suddenly the scales fall off of the eyes, the illusion is understood, and there is clarity about the truth.

The spiritual counsel and guidance from some trusted friends and a wise mentor are part of the process of becoming "disillusioned."

I think some of the work of leadership is to be a "disillusioning" leader who brings clarity and perspective to the tenuous. Much prayer. Much thinking. Much hard work of discerning. All this and more is needed to pierce the illusions.

May you have such friends in your life...
May you experience the grace of discernment and of disillusionment in the days ahead.

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com 

 

A Strong Word, a Good Word, a Needed Word (check it out)

 

Not Quite a Jeremiad

But if we don't listen,
that is what we'll need next.

If you don't know what a Jeremiad is, see the final note. 

 

On this Lord's Day, it is worthwhile to read this pastoral exhortation and plea from a wise leader in the evangelical world today, James Emory White.

White is one of the most skilled, thoughtful and loving sons of Issachar who know how to "discern the serious times in which we live" and know what "the church should do."

I am struck that his words are as equally so for the modern and post-modern follower of Christ. For the post-modern emergent leader struggles with these temptations as strongly as does the modern evangelical leader... and maybe, if another post-modern cultural observer, Mark Sayers (in The Trouble With Paris) is correct - they struggle even more so.

 

It will take you about two minutes to read this. It could lead to hours of reflection and prayer.

The recent blog by James White on Church and Culture.

 

A sincere thank-you for the wisdom of this post.

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

Everyone is Wrong....

Okay, I didn't say this. Peter Drucker said it.

He didn't mean everyone is always wrong about everything. But he did mean that people are wrong a lot more than they think they are.

The crowed is often wrong.

The majority is often wrong.

The expert is often wrong (witness the universally acknowledged phenomenon of the experts who disagree).

Those who lead are often wrong.

Those who follow are often wrong.

I'm wrong.

And so are you.

More often that we care to admit.

We all hold opinions, often strongly, that are just that and nothing else. OPINIONS.

Cognitive psychologist, John Howard Gardner talks about the 3rd grade mind. By this he refers to the fact that on most topics, we function at a third grade level of understanding of that topic. (Note: Leading Minds is just one of his many excellent books where he discusses these topics.)

In other words - Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

NO....

Sometimes not even as smart as a 3rd Grader. 

We may be wrong due to ignorance (not having learned enough of the vital information). 

We may be wrong due to deception (someone has given us wrong information).  Think about Urban Legends which are spread widely and authoritatively. Think about the scandals of recent years as CEOs lied to the public, to the shareholders, to the company workers and to congress.

We may be wrong and sincerely think we are right... but still - we are wrong. 

Being wrong is not the worst problem. 

Refusal to consider the possibility that you might be wrong is a greater problem.  I recently had a situation where I had to consider if I was wrong, but boy did I ever resist even looking at this as a possibility.

Being shown you are wrong but refusing to change your thinking is a greater problem.

Knowing you are wrong but stubborning defending it is a greater problem.

For those who are inclined to be wrong, here are a few virtues needed to overcome your inability to accept the fact that you are wrong.

Humility is a virtue.

So is a teachable heart (openness).

Curiosity (the desire to learn) is another necessary virtue.

Courage (in a strange sort of way to admit "wrongness").

As I think about it, I have changed my mind on many important matters of faith and life 

I know that this will happen again, although there are some things that seem pretty difficult to imagine me changing my mind.

Leaders are those in the precarious position of having to hold strong views on most important matters, and yet able to hold those views both "fiercely and loosely." Quite a thing to do!

 

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

 

 

Discipline

Here is a word in that is not real popular.

DISCIPLINE!

It sounds hard!
It is hard! 

We are all rooted and positioned in a particular cultural setting. Our context, our situation, our local spaces define us more than we often realize.

The North American culture context is one of comfort, pleasure, enjoyment, self-preoccupation (i.e. narcissism, whether mild or extreme), simple, easy, fast, pragmatic...

We are all conditioned and predisposed to some ways and against other ways.

Part of the spiritual journey is to become discerning of these formative influences on our interior world. and become alert to all within us that is not compatible with the spiritual worldview of Scripture.

 

DISCIPLINE:

We don't like it.

We are not a disciplined people (I know that is a sweeping statement).

There is a relationship between DISCIPLE and DISCIPLINE. 

A disciple is one who follows a certain discipline, who practices certain disciplines, who walks in the way of the disciplines taught by the DISCIPLE - MAKER.

A disciple without discipline is, for the most part, unthinkable. 

A disciplined disciple is, in one sense, an oxymoron, a tautology.

An undisciplined disciple is, in that same sense, an anti-oxymoron (inconceivable, illogical, irrational, unheard of). 

 

DISCIPLINE:

The spiritual disciplines are certainly pathways along which we move to find God. But is that pathway like the rail trail going through York County (a pretty nice, easy pathway) or is it like the pathway up a mountainous terrain? If it is the latter, the pathway requires energy, concentration, exertion, and caution. It requires discipline.

To become proficient in any practice and any pathway, requires discipline, sustained effort at learning the pathway and becoming skilled in the practice. Haphazard, occasional, half-hearted, slip-shod practices don't produce much fruit in the heart and soul.

 

DISCIPLINE:

The attention easily wanders.

The will is easily distracted.

The discernment process is easily interrupted.

Self-control is easily aborted.

The thinking processes that lead to enlightenment are easily disrupted.

Self-denial is easily ignored.

Discipline is needed to persevere in all good things.

 

DISCIPLINE:

Sin is ever present, waiting and eager to interfere with spiritual progress. We need vigilance and alertness to spot sin.. we need steadfastness to resist it and its handmaiden - temptation... we need focused attention in the pursuit of godliness...

So Paul counsels young Timothy, 

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:15-16)

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.  (2 Timothy 1:7)

 May we have that same counsel this day.

 

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

 

 

Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paterno, Penn State (A Sad, Sordid Story)

Part of me has not wanted to blog about this.

There is too much evil in the world. Too much junk. Too much sadness and brokenness.

This is about as bad as it gets (if you read the Grand Jury report. found here).

Two qualifiers.

One, Sandusky is only indicted and not convicted, accused but not found guilty.

Two, deep sympathy for all the victims and prayers for their healing should come from all of us.

 

But the focus of this post is on leadership and brief observations.

1.    There is a tendency on the part of the very positioned and powerful to think they are so positioned that they can ride out a storm, they can escape the consequences, they can bypass the bad stuff.  There were a lot of people in positions of authority that knew what had happened and either lied outright, distorted and misled, fudged . . . and apparently - thought they would get away with it.

2.    Leadership sin eventually is exposed. You may get away with it for a time, maybe even for years. But not forever. It comes out. In biblical terms, God exposes sin. In contemporary terms -  a leader is verging on insanity to think you can get away unscathed these days.

3.    Being realistic - the earlier you get help with serious sin - the better. The longer you play around with sin patterns, the deeper they go, the stronger they get, the more depraved the experiences are and the greater the damage you cause.

But here is what leaders think. "I can't talk about this sin now. It will ruin me. I'll lose my job." Listen, that kind of thinking is pure self-centered thinking. Your sin is not about you losing your job. Your sin is about God's glory being diminished, other people being hurt and EVENTUALLY, even more people being hurt when your now much deeper, uglier sin is exposed.

Get help NOW...

4.    Why in the world do leaders and organizations think they can get away with "covering up sin?" Well, because, for a time they can... And the consequences always seem too severe to come out and confess what is going on. 

Think about the Sandusky-Paterno-Penn State situation. As soon as Sandusky's problem was known, it should have been SEVERELY dealt with by the highest officials. There still would have been repercussions... but today... the repercussions are far, far worse. Because now, a "COVER-UP" makes this even uglier. 

5.    If you know something is going on, dont just report it and think you have done your job. Follow up and make sure those to whom it has been reported are doing their job. I bet Joe Paterno wishes now he had been more responsible in making sure action was taken.

And I find myself wondering... after having reported the problem to the administration... what did he do after that? Thought, "no longer my responsibility?"

Authorities have said that Paterno, who testified in the grand jury proceedings that led to the charges, is not a target of the investigation. But the state police commissioner has chastised him and other school officials for not doing enough to try to stop the suspected abuse.  (FoxNews.com, November 8, 2011)

The BUCK ALWAYS STOPS ON THE LEADER'S DESK. Of course he is responsible. 

6.    Sandusky's lawyer said he is depressed, that  Sandusky is going through a lot! So are thousands of others who are directly impacted by Sandusky. Think of how many people this is hurting... The initial victims... their families... Penn State football... Penn State leadership/administration... Penn State University...  Be depressed about everyone who your sin has hurt... not for yourself.

7.    Legacy Lost. Isn't it terrible that JoePa's legacy, which less than two weeks ago was this:

JoePa holds the record for the most victories by an FBS football coach with 409 and is the first and currently only FBS coach to reach 400 victories.

That was his legacy. Now the Sandusky sex abuse scandal and (probably) being terminated - is his legacy.

Ugghh.

 

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

Tozer on Humility

Here are some words from A.W. Tozer's Pursuit of God.

He uses the word meek and I have used the word humble or humility instead.

 

The humble man cares not at all who is greater then he (or she), for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort. He developed toward himself a kindly sense of humor and learns to say, "Oh, so you have been overlooked? They have placed someone else before you? They have whispered that you are pretty small stuff after all? And now you feel hurt because the world is saying the very things you have been saying about yourself? . . ."

The humble person is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He was accepted God's estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God has declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God, of more importance than angels. In himself he is nothing, in God everything.

Pride is the beseting sin and it is the doubly besetting sin for most leaders. We struggle with insecurity. We struggle with what others think about us. We want respect and admiration. We want to be seen as successful. We want to be needed.

And we give lip service to the need for humility... and may "try" to appear humble... but then, the moment we "are humbled" by being overlooked, passed over, neglected, etc... the truth is revealed. A.W. Tozer has given us a gift with his words.

 

May you be overlooked today...
And be graced by  God's gift of humility... 

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

Some Lessons That Are Not Easily Learned by the Young . . .

Humility, trust and gratitude are not often, virtues found in the young.

By saying this, I have no desire to be mean, critical or insensitive. It just that humility is learned from many failures. Humility is learned when you powerfully discover your personal limitations, when you gain a true knowledge of your deficiencies, and deep awareness of how much you do not know, what you cannot do and what you will not achieve in this life.

Humility also comes as we realize that most of what we think we have gained and acquired is not only due to personal hard work. It takes an extended season of life to learn that all that we have is gift and that we are much more grace-made than self-made.

Humility comes as we learn that apart from God we cannot do much (even that word may be unusually generous). We are far more dependent on God than we naturally recognize or easily admit. He is after all, the one in whom we live and move and have our being, as he sustains the universe with his power.

The lessons of life (failure, limitations, deficiencies, weaknesses, foibles, proclivity to temptation, proneness to wander, weak before our besetting sins) take time.

And they take a sustained, penetrating reflective posture.

These lessons, when they are given, often go unnoticed by those in younger adulthood. For that is the season of life when we are most able to perform, most confident in our selves, when the world seems large before us, full of endless opportunity for those who have the will to seize it. And when we are most action prone and averse to extensive reflection.

It is only later . . .

as disappointments accumulate

as we collect the pain of multiple failures

as doors successively close and options dwindle

as personal limitations become more pronounced . . .

that humility MAY be gained.

Of course, anger and bitterness or the lethargy of depression may be chosen instead of humility.

But if we go the pathway of humility, we are posied to gain wisdom:

That all of life is indeed gift and grace 

That we are invited to live in faith and trust, dependency and surrender to God.

And that gratitude for what we have, not grumblings for what has been withheld, is the only way of emotional health. 

At 55 years of age, I am still working on all these things, some days being much better than others. I am hoping that the days of my younger naivety are soon over. 

 

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

 

Courage (From the Great Things That Matter Most to You)

Courage is "the judgment that something else is more important than fear." (Ambrose Redmoon)

We all need courage, for life is hard, problems are daunting, challenges are painful, opposition is fierce and failure is real.

Redmoon shows us the way forward into these realities.

Courage comes about when you decide there are some things that are more important (far so) than what it is you fear. 

What you value is more important than what you fear.

Therefore, it is imperative that I have crystal clarity about what I value.

I need unshakeable conviction and belief about the great things that matter most.

Cherished convictions, compelling beliefs, chosen values . . .

And I think of these things often. I recall them to mind. I reflect and chew on them. I pray about them. I pull deep into me, their reality, so they become part of who I am and who I am is now shaped by what they are.

This does not eliminate any of the hardness, problems, challenges, opposition and failure that life WILL bring my way.

But it does provide perspective (judgment, assessment, conclusions) that something else is more important.

And so I choose to live according to what is more important.

One of the most helpful things you can do is pull out your journal or get a piece of paper and take some time. Reflect and write down - what are the great things that are most important to you. For your imbibing and living of these things is the way of finding courage to lead.

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership  ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

Steadfast

Standing firm.

Fixed and fast

Not shaken and not moved.

Enduring, persevering, resolute and determined.

The word is used about 25 times in the King James Version of the Bible.

The newer translations use a variety of words in its place.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

When the hard winds blow...
when the difficult times linger...
when the risk is high...
when the temptation is painful...

leaders are steadfast.

Gordon MacDonald says then we need: 

"a ceaseless embrace of certain purposes and commitments
from which one will never retreat." 

Of course it matters a great deal that you have awesome clarity and conviction about your purposes and commitments... and that they be worthy and high ideals...

For a short and inspiring story of one leader who exemplified this, click here to be inspired by William Borden.

So - what are you certain purposes and commitments from which you will never retreat. Take a few minutes and make your short list.

And then - are you steadfast on those things.

Brian K, Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

To Obey or Not

Here is a "tricky" road to navigate.  Especially for a Monday morning start to the week.

We are all followers. Even leaders are also followers of other leaders.

How much obedience is required of those who follow?
How much obedience is expected from followers by those who lead them?

In North America, with our focus on individualism, personal freedom/liberty, equality/democracy - we inevitably bring our biases to this question.

At the same time, in North America, with our strong history of hierarchical, authoritative, strong leaders - many of us work for leaders who lead just like that and have high expectations for our obedience (for some, it may seem like subservience).

And, to make things worse, many of us have been on the receiving end of misuse, abuse and even toxic leadership.  (ugghh to that kind of leadership...)

Here is one passage in the Scriptures that speaks to this:

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their wayof life and imitate their faith. . . .

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.   (Hebrews 13:7, 17)

And then there is this one from the Book of Acts. After receiving clear commands from the Jewish leaders not to preach Christ, we read:

But Peter and John replied, 'Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.' (Acts 4:19-20)

Of course the Apostle Paul complicates this discussion with his unequivocal words in Romans 13:1-7 as he instructs substantial obedience to the governing authorities of the Roman Empire.

The matters of "Good Followership" are important. Bad leadership is often sustained because of bad followership that does not challenge the bad leadership. Grave consequences result when followers blindly follow and give obedience to bad leaders (this is a major theme in Barbara Kellerman's book, appropriately titled - Bad Leadership.)

LEADERS:  How do you sort through these issues in your own journey in terms of expecting obedience from those you lead?

FOLLOWERS:  How do you deal with these matters, especially when you are frustrated with the policies, ways, expectations and commands of those who lead you?

FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST: And give at least a little thought to the great reality that we are all called to obey God without question and without hesitation. The ONE LEADER who deserves such obedience is often not getting what He rightly deserves.

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com
 

 

Delayed Gratification

First of all, this is a funny video. It lasts about two and a half minutes. Watch how much the four year olds struggle with waiting to eat the marshmallow.

It is about delayed gratification. I recently did a message on spiritual disciplines and included a few thoughts about the need to resist instant gratification and that spiritual maturity is the results of hard work and long time that EVENTUALLY gets you the results you really want.

 

 

Here is the text that explained this Stanford University test.

The marshmallow experiment is a famous test of this concept conducted by Walter Mischel at Stanford University and discussed by Daniel Goleman in his popular work. In the 1960s, a group of four-year olds were given a marshmallow and promised another, only if they could wait 20 minutes before eating the first one. Some children could wait and others could not. The researchers then followed the progress of each child into adolescence, and demonstrated that those with the ability to wait were better adjusted and more dependable (determined via surveys of their parents and teachers), and scored an average of 210 points higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

Of course, the question is - how are you doing with persistence, perseverance, waiting and continuing to make the investments in your own growth processes and that of others?
 

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

Transparency (Harder Than You Think and Sometimes Misused)

Am I the only one that is a little concerned about some of the ways we are practicing transparency these days?

I am COMPLETELY for authenticity, vulnerability and transparency on the part of leadership. We have had enormous problems with the lack of each of those things.

I find it very hard to trust, respect or even listen to a number of leaders who I think are inauthentic, insincere, closed, protective and spin-doctoring. Whether these are political or religious - they ooze their lack of credibility. They come across as plastic, fake, forced, image managing, spin-doctoring... 

I like honesty. 
I want to hear the real story.
I appreciate the messy, actual journey of moving from brokenness to wholeness.

But I'd like to suggest we practice our transparency with some more attention to wisdom, discretion and discernment.

I find it hard to trust, respect or even listen to the wrong kind of transparency. Not all transparency is equal in its content, its substance, its motive and its results. I regularly hear leaders that I think are misusing transparency.

In other words - true transparency is more than just "letting it all hang out."

There is such a thing as Too Much Information when it comes to transparency.

There is a problem with "sensationalistic transparency" and "tell a bigger, better story" then the one you heard last week from the other person.

Sometimes I wonder if there is a "not so subtle" oneupmanship going on with transparency. Top this story if you can . . . so to speak, although very few would be able to admit this.

(I love this photoshopped image by the way - top this if you can).

I don't have practical suggestions for mapping a way forward into "appropriate transparency." I wrestle with this one as well. I found myself thinking about this again in light of some recent situations where I am telling my own story, describing my own journey . . . and aware of being appropriate and having integrity as I do.

To move into true transparency, it will take the slow, painful adjusting of:

how we can best tell our stories (methods),

and, even more, having genuine self-awareness for why we are telling our story the way we are telling it (motives).

What are your thoughts on this subject?
How do you struggle with it?
 

 For an article on CEO transparency, click here.

The image on I See You can be found here.

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com
 

Authentic Leaders

"Authenticity is a quality others must attribute to you. No leader can look into a mirror and say, 'I am authentic.'" (Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones, Managing Authenticity: The Paradox of Great Leadership, HBR, 2005)

Authenticity seems to be increasingly difficult in the age of: 

Excessive Image Management. 
 

In a brilliant little book that is now several years old (The Trouble With Paris), Mark Sayers talked about the hyper-reality of our age. Included in that hyper-reality is out need to make ourselves look better, smarter, stronger, more skilled, more successful, more attractive, more _____(fill in the blank) than we really are. And the tools of Image Management are more prevalent than ever.

So what about authenticity . . . which according to a number of writers, is one of the deep longings of the emerging culture. It wants authenticity. Yet it lives in the more image spinning season of human history.

And is authentic leadership even possible?

Don't we usually assume that our leaders are not telling us the truth, that they are giving us the run around, that they are just projecting an image, simply placating us with tired truisms . . . ?
 

Authentic Leaders:

They know who they truly are.
They know who God is calling them to be.
They are committed to covering the distance between those realities.
They practice transparency and vulnerability (wisely of course - see tomorrow's post).
They don't over promise and under-deliver (one of the banes of our age among leaders).
They are congruent in what they say and how they live (they walk their talk).
They are consistent which means they sustain over time all the above. 
 

And it takes time. Authentic leadership is not built in a week or a month. It is the slow, progressive, steady accumulation that takes place with daily attentiveness to these matters.

Wouldn't it be nice if leaders came with a "Certificate of Authenticity"?

In lieu of having such a certificate, you are left with the hard work of becoming authentic.

Practice this long enough and slowly, those who follow you will be the ones to say - "She/he is an authentic leader we trust."

The image of authenticity being erased is found here. This post is worth reading.

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com
 

Fear

 

Here are four quotes on fear that teach a common lesson. Read them, consider them for a few moments and see if you discern their meaning.

"He who has overcome his fears will truly be free."  Aristotle

"We must travel in the direction of our fear."   John Berryman

"He has not learned the lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear."   Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Our problem is not to be rid of fear but rather to harness and master it."  Martin Luther King

Here is what I take away from these thoughts.

(1)  Life is not about avoiding fears, but about engaging with what is feared.

(2)  The facing of what is feared is vital in the journey of growth and maturity. 

(3)  As you face what you fear (travel in its direction), only then will you have the possibility of dealing with it. Only in the dealing with fears, is it possible to surmount and overcome what is feared. In that process, the lessons of life are taught and learned. And you grow.
 

In the recent remake of The Karate Kid (starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith), at the end of the movie, Jaden Smith chooses to return to the match to continue the fight. He is seriously injured. His teacher, Jackie Smith, does not want him to continue. Jaden has fought well and with honor. But Jaden insists on returning to fight. Jackie Smith asks him why he wants to return to the ring?

The Karate Kid says, "Because I'm still afraid."

WOW !!!

So - what do you fear?

Take a few minutes and reflect on that.

What are you doing about those fears?

Are you avoiding or engaging?

What are you going to chose to do today about what you fear?

 

Brian K. Rice 
Leadership ConneXtions International 
www.lci.typepad.com

 

What Do You Fear?

I know, it is a pretty pointed question. This is a short post with a few questions that deserve some lingering reflection.
 

*  What do you fear?

*  Of what are you afraid?

*  And why . . . why do you fear that thing?

*  And what do you do when it is present with you, when "fear happens"?

*  How do you find courage?

*  Where do you find courage?

Remember, courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is resisting fear and not allowing fear to have the determining word.

Nor is courage foolhardiness... as the penguin seems to understand it.
 

I know this. If you are a leader, God will call you and take you to some places and times where you will be afraid and where you will need courage.

And if you lead others, at times, they too will be afraid (or anxious, worried, nervous, upset - all, perhaps, milder versions of fear).

It is worth your while thinking about fear and courage.

Brian K. Rice 
Leadership ConneXtions International 
www.lci.typepad.com